Family Ties
by ShenLong1
Summary: Sequel to Chimaera. Life in the Yuy-Maxwell household has undergone some big changes when Duo brings Keitaro home from the hospital. Detailed summary inside. Complete!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own the G Boys, I just borrow them from time to time and return them a whole lot happier. I do own the plot line and any other characters that appear here that are not in the Gundam Wing Universe; please do not take them without permission. Written for pleasure not profit.

Warnings: Angst, sap, fluff, violence, Mpreg.

Rating: Mature

Pairings: 1x2x1, 3x4x3, 5xS, HxOC

Summary: Sequel to Chimaera. Life in the Yuy-Maxwell household has undergone some big changes when Duo brings Keitaro home from the hospital. Hilde's wedding is approaching and the guys find there's more to this baby business than they thought. Struggling to raise a child, work at Preventer and keep the home happy is certainly a trial for both guys. Add an assassin's threats to prominent government officials' lives and both men find their lives are suddenly changed. Just how far will one go to protect the ones he loves?

Dedication: To all my lovely readers out there who enjoyed Chimaera and have since begged, threatened, pleaded, bribed and blackmailed me for a sequel. ^_^

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

A small smile graced Duo's lips as he stared lovingly into the cot and the sleeping form under the blanket. He reached in and smoothed the edge, hand lingering for a second as a finger couldn't resist and traced lightly over the tiny cheek. The babe snuffled and wrinkled its small nose before settling again.

Strong arms wrapped themselves around Duo's waist, a kiss was bestowed on a creamy neck and Duo leaned back into the arms of his husband. "You should be resting."

"I am," came Duo's soft reply.

Heero gave a quiet chuckle. "Resting means off your feet." Gently, Heero took Duo's hand and led his lover to their bed where he sat beside the long haired man. "Everything okay?"

"I'm fine, Heero. Stop worrying so much."

Duo slipped back under the covers, allowing Heero to pull them up and over him before he sat down again. "Anything I can get for you?" Heero asked as he moved to pick up the half full jug of water on the night stand.

"A ticket to freedom?"

Heero frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"Heero, not that I don't appreciate you and all, but stop fussing over me. Sally wouldn't have discharged me if she thought I would end up getting hurt. I'm not doing anything she told me I couldn't do," Duo stated, clearly annoyed at his husband's protectiveness.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to smother you, but..."

"Come here."

Heero lay down beside his husband and allowed himself to be cuddled, reciprocating with his own arms, burying his head against Duo's chest and listening to the strong heartbeat.

"Sally said that I'm healing up just right. The stitches can come out in a couple of days and I'm to try and get some exercise as long as it's gentle exercise. I'm following her orders and not doing anything my body isn't capable of. If I feel tired or sore, I stop and take a break. Most of the time I'm either sitting or lying down anyway."

Heero knew that Duo spoke the truth, but he couldn't help but worry.

"I know you're just concerned, you don't want me to injure myself, but I have to take care of Keitaro too." Duo's voice softened at the name of his son.

Sally had discharged Duo from the hospital with the newborn after eight days. She'd wanted to be certain that Duo's body was healing and the man was comfortable in handling the baby. She'd had her concerns but found them to be redundant when she'd observed the man with his son. Duo was a natural parent; he seemed to have an inner instinct when it came to his child, something all mothers appeared to have. With Nurse Brown returning to the mansion with the three, Sally knew there wouldn't be cause for concern. Nurse Brown would keep her eagle eye on Duo and make sure he didn't stress himself. Now if only she could have been that confident regarding Heero.

Heero had been treated for his injuries sustained whilst on the assignment to rescue Quatre and other vital people when a terrorist group took them hostage. Heero's body with its enhancements had healed rather quickly, not that Sally had been surprised. The stitches were still in Heero's bicep, the wound sustained from the shattered glass healing well. The bullet wound had also closed up and Heero walked with only a slight limp. Sally had pronounced Heero fit to leave, hoping he wouldn't smother Duo too much.

Heero was trying hard not to mother Duo, but it wasn't easy. A small whimper from the cot had Heero jumping to his feet. He walked over to the cot where the baby was starting to stir.

"Hey, Keitaro," Heero cooed as he carefully pulled the blanket back and lifted the baby from inside. Cradling the infant in his arms, he brought the child over to the bed where Duo waited, having propped himself up in a sitting position, pillows behind him. Heero handed the baby over, Duo taking the child and cuddling the tiny body close to his chest.

"I'll go make him a bottle," Heero said quietly.

"Thanks." Duo stroked a finger over the warm cheek of the child, soothing the cries.

Heero slipped quietly from the room and headed for the kitchen. Opening the 'fridge, he removed the jug of formula he'd made up earlier. Fetching a bottle, he poured in the recommended amount and then popped the bottle into a saucepan of water to heat. It didn't take long and once the milk was warm, he placed the cap over the teat and returned to their bedroom.

While Heero was fetching and heating the bottle, Duo got out of the bed and walked over to the change table. Some of Keitaro's things had been brought into their room for now, once Keitaro was a little older and sleeping through the night they would put the stuff back in the nursery. Laying the baby down, Duo removed the blanket Keitaro was wrapped in and the press studs on the small jump suit were popped open, Duo carefully sliding Keitaro's legs from inside.

"You're a little wet there, sunshine," Duo soothed as he proceeded to unpin the diaper, having removed the protective pants first.

Keitaro blinked.

Removing the wet diaper, Duo reached for the baby wipes and gently wiped over Keitaro's legs, bottom and groin. Tossing the soiled wipe into the bin, Duo grabbed a fresh diaper and positioned it underneath the baby, lifting Keitaro a little and then settling the child again. His fingers worked swiftly to secure the diaper, checking it wasn't too tight or loose before slipping the babe's legs into a pair of clean, fluffy, protective pants then back into the jump suit and redoing the press studs. With the diaper changed, Duo placed the wet one and the accompanying wet pants into a bag ready to be taken to the laundry and put to soak, then climbed back onto the bed, reclining again into the pillows and waiting for his husband to return with the bottle.

Keitaro felt more comfortable now and gave a soft sigh. His stomach still felt empty and he whimpered softly.

"Won't be long, Keitaro. Your daddy is warming your bottle now for you and he will be back with it in a few minutes," Duo said quietly as he soothed the baby with words and gentle rocking.

Heero returned with the bottle and handed it over to his husband, a smile on his face as he watched Duo position the teat at the baby's mouth. Little lips parted and hungrily pulled the teat inside, Keitaro sealing his mouth around the rubber and sucking hard. The warm milk began to flow down his throat and into his belly, settling the empty feeling.

Content to sit and watch, Heero thought again how lucky he was.

Once Keitaro had drunk his fill, Heero took the baby and burped him. Checking the diaper was still dry and there was no more wind to be brought up, Heero settled the child into the cot again, pulling the blanket up and making sure Keitaro was safe and warm.

Satisfied all was well with his son, Heero returned to the bed and his husband. "Hilde called earlier."

"She did? Why didn't you tell me she was on the phone?"

"You were sleeping and I didn't want to wake you."

"I guess I can forgive you this time then." Duo shifted a little. "What did she want?"

"She just called to check up on you, make sure you're not overdoing things."

Duo snorted.

"She also wanted to check that everything is still okay for the wedding."

Duo closed his eyes for a moment. "I hope you said yes."

"Hai. I did. She's coming earth side again in about two weeks to pick up the last of the bits she needs for the wedding. I hope you don't mind, but I invited her to stay with us whilst she's here."

"That's fine, Heero. It will be good to see her again. She hasn't seen Keitaro yet, just the pictures we sent and no doubt she's been driving Mark up the wall to come and see him," Duo chuckled.

Heero laughed. "I'm surprised she wasn't on the first shuttle flight she could get once she got the news!"

"Probably would have been. Hmmm... I wonder what Mark did to persuade her to wait?"

"He probably threatened to call the wedding off," Heero suggested with an evil smirk.

"Wouldn't surprise me," Duo snickered.

Nurse Brown knocked lightly on the door and stuck her head around when given the all clear. "I just want to check Duo's wound site," the nurse said.

"Come on in," Duo replied. "Keitaro's asleep and I was about to take a nap myself."

The nurse bustled in. "I won't take long," she said as she stood beside the bed, waiting for Heero to move.

"I'll go start the dinner preparations," Heero stated and pressed a quick kiss to Duo's lips. "You rest and I'll be back up soon." Picking up the used bottle and soiled garments from Keitaro's diaper change, Heero left the room.

"Right. Let's check those stitches, shall we?"

* * *

Hilde unbuckled her seat belt and grabbed her bag from the overhead locker, stepping into the aisle and jostling with all the other people who were just as eager to get off the shuttle as she was. Shuffling along, she was soon off the craft and making her way to baggage collection and then customs. Paperwork in hand, she cleared customs and followed the well known corridors to the doors and through to where people milled around awaiting the passengers. Her head moved from side to side, eyes scanning the crowd and finally spotting a familiar mop of chocolate hair.

"Heero!"

Heero had similarly been scanning the arriving passengers for Hilde and spotted her at the same time she called his name. He pushed his way through the crowd and swept the woman into a hug. Releasing her and putting her back on the ground, Heero held Hilde at arms length and appraised her. "You're looking good, Hilde. Mark's been looking after you properly then?"

Hilde laughed. "Mark takes good care of me, no chance of working overtime or anything along those lines. You're looking well yourself. Married life certainly agrees with you. How's Duo and my nephew?"

"They're both fine and eager to see you." Picking up Hilde's luggage, Heero escorted the woman he'd begun to think of as a sister to the waiting pick up in the car park. Once they were inside the vehicle and heading for the mansion, Hilde began to ask the questions she'd had on hold until they were alone.

"How is Duo really doing? Is he okay? The baby well? And what about you? That stunt you pulled on that assignment must have had Duo in fits of worry."

"Whoa, slow down, Hilde," Heero chuckled. "Duo is doing just fine. His stitches came out just over a week ago and Sally said he's healed up well. All his insides are functioning normally and have returned to their pre-pregnant state and place. Keitaro is gaining weight and is just like any other normal, healthy three week old baby." Heero's voice softened as he spoke of his son. "Hilde, Keitaro is just perfect. He's such a good baby, doesn't cry or get upset unless he's hungry or needs changing. He sleeps most of the time and is so soft and warm to cuddle."

Hilde's face took on a warm expression as she listened to Heero speak of his child. "You're one lucky guy, Heero."

"I know. I have a wonderful, loving husband and now a sweet, baby son. Hilde, all my life I've wondered what it was like to have a family, to be loved and cherished unconditionally. I never thought I would ever experience that, but Duo..." Heero paused for a moment and then continued. "Duo, he's charming, gentle, kind and so giving, he's taught me how to love, how to accept my emotions and act on them. Not only has he done me the honor of becoming my husband, but he's also gifted me with the most precious thing in the world; a son."

Feeling her eyes watering, Hilde scrabbled in her bag for a tissue. "That's so sweet, Heero. I really hope that Mark and I can have a marriage and relationship that is as happy as yours and Duo's."

"Mark cares a lot for you, Hilde. I know you will be happy with him. You're both meant for each other."

"Thanks." Hilde sniffed a couple of times and then blew her nose. "You didn't answer my other question."

Damn! Heero thought Hilde had forgotten about that. Seemed he was wrong. "Yes, Duo was worried about me and I still feel terrible about putting him through that." Heero's mind briefly flicked back to the hostage situation and the resulting injuries. He hadn't known Duo would be watching the drama unfold and that the stress of seeing his lover on television along with the accompanying dialog caused Duo to go into labor. With that all behind him now, Heero preferred not to think about it and the 'what could have happened'. "If you don't mind, Hilde, I'd rather not talk about it."

"I understand, Heero. I'm sorry for bringing it back up and causing you any distress." Hilde placed her hand on Heero's arm. She really did feel bad about dragging up what was obviously a bad memory for Heero. She didn't know all the facts behind the assignment, or what had ensued with Duo; but she could read the body language, hear the catch in the voice and that told her it had been very serious. One day she would learn all that had happened, for now she was content to let it slide and not cause any stress for either of her 'brothers'.

"I take it you've healed up okay?"

"Hai. Sally treated me at the hospital for minor wounds and everything is fine now. I've been given the all clear to return to active duty..."

"I hope you're not planning on going back to work straight away! Not when you have a new born baby to take care of, not to mention Duo," Hilde interrupted.

"If I can be allowed to finish?" Heero quirked an eyebrow and his lips twitched in amusement.

"Sorry."

"As I was saying, Sally has cleared me for active duty, however, I am entitled to parental leave, the same as any other Preventer agent and I fully intend to take all of it."

"Good."

Heero shook his head.

"Now, tell me more about my nephew."

* * *

Duo was humming away to himself as he finished bathing Keitaro. The baby was kicking his little legs around as Duo dried him off. It felt good to move his limbs, although he didn't have a lot of control over them right now. At least his movement wasn't restricted anymore, not like it had been when he'd been in his dark, watery world. Each day was filled with new sights, sounds and smells for the baby and he enjoyed the stimulus. Muscles were slowly strengthening as he exercised them, control would soon follow. Whilst his eyes were still learning to focus properly, Keitaro could make out the basic features of his mother; and father. The soothing, low voices were also recognized by the child, the deep rumble of his mother's tone he knew straight away, having heard it for so long while in his mother's body.

Gentle fingers smoothed the talcum powder over the baby's skin. "Feel good to be clean, Keitaro?" Duo asked, knowing he wouldn't get an answer but enjoying talking to his son anyway. Reaching for a clean diaper, Duo placed it under the infant and began to secure it. "Your Otousan will be home soon with your Aunt Hilde," Duo told the baby. "She's going to love you."

Keitaro wriggled and squirmed.

"Steady on there, I'll never get you looking presentable if you keep that up," Duo chuckled, grasping an arm and managing to push it through the armhole of the singlet.

The baby thought this was a great new game and wriggled again, pulling his arms away and then having them flop wildly about as the muscles refused to obey any command.

Duo snickered at the baby's antics. "It's going to be a while before you can control those properly, sunshine." Picking up the pale blue jump suit, Duo managed to get it on the baby with minimal wrestling. Once Keitaro was dressed, Duo lay the infant in the bassinet Heero had purchased and checked he was okay. Knowing his son was safe for the moment, Duo cleaned up the bath things, rinsing out the baby bath and putting it to drain. Once the nursery was tidy again, He carried the bassinet and baby down to the kitchen. Placing the bassinet on the table, he put the kettle on to boil and fetched three mugs out of the cupboard.

A glance at the clock told him Heero should be home somewhere in the next fifteen minutes. Lifting the lid on the slow cooker, Duo stirred the contents inside. Heero had chopped up vegetables and meat that morning, tossing them into the slow cooker along with a red wine casserole base mix and left the dinner to cook. It would mean they could spend more time with Hilde and catching up than having to cook dinner.

Miracle walked into the kitchen and spotting her master, sat at Duo's feet and gave a soft whine. Her nose told her there was something nice cooking, hopefully she would get some of it; if she applied the puppy eyes right.

Sitting on his perch, Barney ruffled his feathers importantly. "What you doing?" the bird squawked.

"Making a coffee, Barney," Duo replied as he poured the boiled water into the cup and stirred the instant coffee around to dissolve it.

"Where's mine, where's mine?" chirped the Weiro.

"You don't drink coffee, Barney."

"Fuck off."

"Barney! That's enough," Duo scolded. He really couldn't blame the bird though, it was his fault that Barney swore. "Miracle, get out from under there."

The dog wiggled out from under the table where she'd been hiding, hoping no one would notice and she'd be able to vacuum up anything that happened to fall on the floor. Too bad her master knew her well.

Rolling his eyes at the dog's antics, Duo opened the 'fridge and fetched a bone from inside. "Here, girl. Would you like a nice, juicy bone to chew on?"

Miracle's eyes lit up at the sight of the big bone her master held. She sat down and raised a paw.

"Come on then, you can have it outside." Duo walked towards the back door, Miracle hot on his heels. Opening the door, Duo waited for Miracle to walk through and then passed the dog the bone. Opening her mouth, Miracle gently took the offered bone and trotted off to the lawn to gnaw at it. Duo turned and went back to the kitchen table to check on Keitaro.

The babe was awake, little eyes darting about and trying to make sense of the jumbled images it was seeing. A familiar face came into view and the baby gurgled.

"Not tired?" Duo asked as he stroked a finger over the baby's cheek. With a smile, Duo lifted the infant out and cradled him in his arms. The sound of an approaching car had Duo looking up and a smile graced his lips. "That sounds like your daddy and Aunt Hilde, Keitaro," Duo mused. "What say we go and meet them?"

"Heero's home, Heero's home," Barney announced importantly.

"Thank you for the news bulletin, Barney," Duo replied dryly.

"Fuck off," Barney chirped.

"I think I'll have to see what I can do about duct taping your beak shut."

"Pretty boy, give us a kiss."

"You'll keep."

"Only in the 'fridge," Barney replied cheekily.

"Who said birds weren't intelligent," Duo muttered as he exited the kitchen, knowing he was losing a verbal sparring match and to a bird of all things!

* * *

Heero turned the pick up into the sweeping driveway after punching in the security code to the gate. Reaching the front of the mansion, he cut the engine just as the front door opened. Heero couldn't help the flood of warmth to his chest as he spotted his husband, child in his arms stepping out to meet them.

Hilde was out of the car in a flash. Seeing Duo stepping out onto the small stoop, she tore up the steps. Noticing the infant in his arms, Hilde forewent the bear hug she'd planned on giving her brother, opting for a one armed hug and kiss to Duo's cheek instead. "Duo!" she all but squealed. "It's so good to see you again. And this must be Keitaro." Hilde's eyes went misty as she stared at the bundle in Duo's arms.

"Hilde, it's wonderful to see you again too. Yes, this is our son, Keitaro." Duo pulled the protective blanket down a little to expose the baby's face. "Keitaro, meet your Aunt Hilde."

Hilde didn't miss the sound of pride in Duo's voice when he said 'our son'. She smiled and cooed softly. "Duo, he's gorgeous. Ohhh, look at that hair." Hilde reached out and gently ran a finger through the thick locks. "He's got your hair, Heero," Hilde said quietly. "Although there does seem to be a few chestnut highlights in there too."

The baby opened his mouth in a yawn then snuggled back into his blanket.

"Have his eyes settled on their color yet?" Hilde asked, trying to see the baby's eyes.

"They are starting to settle. Sally thinks they will be a lighter blue than Heero's but have a slightly violet hue to them."

"The best from both worlds," Hilde snickered.

"Yeah, you could say that," Duo replied with a grin.

"Duo? May I hold him, please?"

Duo smiled. "Of course you can."

Hilde opened her arms up to welcome the child into them, Duo passing the infant over carefully, making sure to cradle the head. Heero hovered behind, he couldn't help his protective streak. This was his son and he wasn't taking any chances of the baby being hurt; not that Hilde would ever hurt him.

"Hey, little one," Hilde cooed and gently eased the blanket back a little from the baby's face.

Keitaro yawned and blinked. He knew instinctively that this wasn't one of his parents holding him. He gave a soft whimper.

Heero twitched, Duo lay a hand on his husband's arm. "Keitaro is fine, Heero," he said quietly and nodded to Hilde and their son.

Hilde stood with the child, gently rocking him in her arms. Keitaro gave a soft sigh and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.

"Let's go inside, we have a lot to catch up on," Duo said softly and led the way into the mansion.

Hilde followed, still cradling the sleeping baby while Heero fetched the bags.

~ * ~

tbc...


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for the kind reviews! As stated before, this is the sequel to Chimaera. It's still in the writing stages (I'm currently working on part 48) and whilst I think it's a little slow to get moving, once it does it picks up the pace rapidly. I hope you all give it a go and stick around as I promise you, there's a lot of angst, drama and fluff involved, along with several plot twists.**

**Enjoy...  
**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 2

Heero took Hilde's bags up to the room she had stayed in the last time she'd visited, Duo guided the woman and his child through to the lounge room and sat her down, one eye carefully watching, instinct demanding he keep a close eye on his son even when he knew and trusted Hilde with the infant. Once Heero returned, Duo went through to the kitchen and fetched the drinks he'd been making earlier. Miracle whined from outside the back door.

"You can come back in later, Miracle," Duo said to the dog as he placed the cups on a tray. The dog went quiet. Picking up the tray, Duo carried it back to the lounge room and set it on the small coffee table.

"Where's Keitaro's bassinet?' Heero asked.

"In the kitchen," Duo replied as he sat down.

Heero got up and fetched the baby's bassinet. He set it carefully on the couch and then approached Hilde. "I'll pop him in his bassinet to sleep while you drink your coffee." There wasn't any malice in Heero's tone, he was simply stating a fact.

Hilde handed over the babe, knowing Heero wasn't trying to be selfish or domineering with the child, in fact he was displaying common sense. Drinking a cup of hot liquid whilst cradling an infant just wasn't a good thing to do. Smiling to herself, Hilde watched as the normally stoic man gently cradled the baby, stroking a few wisps of hair from the sleeping face before settling the child into the bassinet and checking he was comfortable and secure.

"He's absolutely gorgeous," Hilde said as she picked up her coffee and took a sip.

"Thanks. We think so, but than again, we're biased," Duo replied with a grin. His grin softened to a smile as Heero sat on the arm of the sofa between Keitaro's bassinet and the armchair Duo was sitting in. Duo's hand automatically rested upon Heero's knee.

"Do you have much left to get and organize for the wedding?" Heero asked politely.

"Not much. I need to have the final fitting for my wedding dress, make sure I haven't put on any weight and then if all's okay I can make the last payment on it and bring it back with me. There's a few other minor things I need to collect such as the place cards for the reception and finalize the flower delivery. Oh, I also need to purchase a wedding gift for Mark."

"Shit! If that's only a little left, I hate to think what it was like when you first started organizing this wedding," Duo commented with a laugh.

"It wasn't that bad," Hilde replied. "Anyway, you should know what it's like, you organized your own too."

"True, but our wedding wasn't anything like the scale of yours. We only had a few close friends."

"Point."

"How many do you have coming, Hilde?" Heero asked, changing the subject slightly.

"Not many. We sent out fifty invitations and have had forty-five confirm. Most of those are from Mark's side."

"Who do you have coming from your side?"

"My parents are dead as you already know and I don't have any other living relatives that I know of so it's pretty much just close friends. There's you and Duo, the baby, Trowa and Quatre, Wufei, Sally may not be able to make it due to work. There's a couple of my girlfriends and their husbands and that's about it. Oh, I wanted to ask you who you will be bringing to look after Keitaro whilst you're involved in the ceremony and the reception?"

"Errr..." Duo looked a little lost for the moment.

Hilde snorted. "You didn't think you'd be able to perform your duties as best man and giving away the bride with a baby in your arms, now did you?"

"Ummm..." Duo was still lost for words. Luckily Heero intervened.

"To be honest, Hilde, we hadn't even thought about that. I know we will be bringing Keitaro with us, but looking after him during the ceremony had completely slipped our minds." Heero looked a little distraught at the revelation.

"The wedding's not for another couple of months yet," Duo thought out loud. "Heero will be returning to work at Preventer in another six weeks and I'm due to return at the same time. We have discussed getting in a nanny to take care of Keitaro while we're at work."

"What's wrong with Nurse Brown?" Hilde asked.

"She will only be with us for another couple of weeks. She was only planning on staying with us until Duo's completely healed from the birth and to make sure we can take care of Keitaro; then she's back to work full time at the Preventer medical section."

"Ah. I see. Look, I know it's none of my business, but may I suggest that you do start looking for that nanny soon, good ones are hard to find. I've already allocated a place for them at the wedding so there's no problem there."

"Thanks, Hilde," Duo replied. "Once Nurse Brown returns to full time duty at Preventer Heero and I will start looking for a nanny and I'll let you know before the wedding who she is."

"Good. Now, I want to hear all about the birth."

* * *

The three chatted for sometime catching up on all the news. Keitaro woke and demanded to be fed, Hilde was allowed to do the honors. Whilst Hilde fed and nursed the baby, Duo and Heero prepared the dinner. With Keitaro safely in his cot upstairs and sleeping, the three ate their meal, talking more on the upcoming wedding. Duo and Heero both had a few suggestions as to what Hilde could purchase for Mark as a wedding gift, Hilde liking the sound of a watch the best.

Nurse Brown joined them later in the evening having spent the day shopping and catching up with some of her friends. Hilde and the nurse were soon ensconced in an avid conversation regarding the raising of children. Heero disappeared to check on Keitaro. Despite having a baby monitor, he felt better knowing he'd visually reassured himself his son was okay.

It was ten in the evening when the group decided to retire for the night. Hilde bid Heero and Duo good night, the pair having offered to take her to finish off some of her wedding preparations the following day.

Stepping into the bedroom after checking everywhere was locked up and the security system armed, Heero was greeted by the lovely sight of his husband wearing only his long hair and a sultry smile. It was delicious and Heero felt the desire rising in his gut. He had to pull himself back though, Sally hadn't given them the all clear to resume their sex life as yet and with Keitaro only three weeks old, Heero knew Duo's body hadn't recovered enough from the birth for them to indulge in sex. Approaching the bed, Heero shed his clothes and climbed onto the mattress next to his naked lover.

Duo knew what was going through Heero's mind and while he had no intention of actually going through with penetration, he wanted to enjoy some form of intimacy with his husband. They hadn't shared anything other than kisses since the birth and Duo was in need of some satisfaction. When Heero lay next to him on the bed, Duo wrapped his arms around his lover and held him close, capturing Heero's lips in a warm kiss that deepened into something more.

Panting, Heero pulled away, knowing he had to stop this before it got out of hand and he reached the stage where he wouldn't be able to stop. "Duo, we can't," Heero began.

"Hush, Heero. We can still enjoy each other, we don't need to make love to have fun."

"Are you sure?"

"I don't lie."

"I'm sorry, I know you don't, but I just want to be certain, that's all. I don't want to hurt you or have you hurt yourself just for the sake of messing around. I can wait."

"You might be able to, Heero, but I can't," Duo growled and leaned in for another kiss. Breaking the kiss and leaning his forehead against Heero's, Duo narrowed his eyes. "I need relief, Heero. I'm going nuts with frustration and while I agree that penetration isn't an option right now, there's nothing to say we can't indulge in other ways of releasing the tension." Words said, Duo's hand slipped between Heero's legs and fondled the growing erection. "You can't tell me you don't want to come, Heero," he said slyly.

Heero moaned and gave in to his hormones.

"I thought so," Duo chuckled and began to stroke.

Heero lay back on the bed and gave his body over to his lover. It was useless to argue, he simply had to trust Duo's judgment. Besides, a hand job or blow job wasn't going to put any strain on his partner's body.

Feeling the surrender of his husband, Duo set to work in earnest. His fingers trailed over the stiffening length, stroking around the crown and teasing the slit. Following the pulsing vein back down, Duo's hand cupped Heero's balls, rolling them around and squeezing gently.

The touches were welcomed, Heero's cock rising steadily until it was fully hard and crying with need. His lover's hands had been sorely missed, the pleasure he was receiving now telling Heero just how much he enjoyed Duo's ministrations. Not wanting to be left out, Heero reached down and removed Duo's hand from his cock, silencing the protests with a kiss. Plunging his tongue deep into Duo's mouth, Heero traced the inner contours, exciting both himself and his partner further. Whilst the kiss deepened, Heero began to shift a little on the mattress.

Left panting and wide eyed, Duo looked quizzically at his husband, Heero gave him a smirk in response and shifted further, raising himself to his knees and twisting around on the mattress so his thighs straddled Duo's shoulders and Heero was poised above Duo's groin.

"I want to taste you," Heero said huskily and lowered his mouth, poking his tongue out and licking across the head of Duo's cock.

Duo's hips bucked in response, the touch sending electric jolts through his body. Having not been intimate in so long, Duo's body was super sensitive, each lick, each suck driving his need and desire ever higher. Determined to get a little back on his lover, Duo raised his shoulders and pulled a pillow further under them to support his neck. Hands latched onto golden hips, pulling Heero's groin closer. With one swift movement, Duo opened his mouth and took Heero in to the root.

"Ahhh..." Heero groaned, releasing Duo's cock as the heat and pressure from his partner's mouth took him by surprise. He squirmed as Duo's tongue swirled around his length, moaning softly while pleasure swam though his body. "Feels so good, Duo," Heero panted out.

A smile found its way to Duo's lips, despite them being stretched around Heero's thick shaft. He began to work his mouth over the length, sucking and licking, sliding the shaft in and out as he partook of his feast.

Lowering his mouth once more, Heero was determined to give as good as he'd gotten. His mouth encompassed the head of Duo's cock, sucking lightly as his tongue teased the slit.

"Ohhh," Duo groaned. "Feels so good, baby. More, I need more."

Happy to comply, Heero's mouth opened wider, sliding the length of his partner deep and alternating between sucking hard and licking the baby soft skin. His own body was on fire from the wicked things Duo's mouth was doing to his own cock, that tongue, oh, how it knew the perfect way to stroke, how Duo knew just the right amount of suction to apply.

Creamy hips began to thrust slightly, not wanting to push too hard but unable to stay still. Releasing Heero's cock from his mouth, Duo's tongue went on a little expedition. Heero's balls hung down before his eyes and Duo's tongue just had to lick them. It rasped over the skin, the roughness of the hairs teasing his sensitive tongue but adding to his pleasure. He sucked one testicle into his mouth, rolled it with his tongue and dodged his teeth before releasing it and sucking on the other one for a while. Satisfied he'd paid enough attention to Heero's balls for now, Duo's tongue wandered to the sensitive perineum behind Heero's sac. He laved the area with long licks and the occasional nibble, his partner's groans, moans and pleading for more telling him the attention was wanted.

The heat was steadily building in Heero's gut. Like a coiled snake it was getting ready to explode, but Heero didn't want to come just yet. He wanted to draw this out a bit, enjoy it for as long as he could and to do that he needed to distract his partner a bit. Heero decided that payback was needed here. Heero's tongue went on a trek of discovery, laving Duo's balls with dedicated attention, driving his husband to near distraction with the soft nips, gentle sucking and bathing he offered. Moving below, Heero licked along Duo's sensitive skin, not stopping as Duo had done though, Heero continued on, reaching and pushing his tongue as far along Duo's crevice as he could.

"Ahhh, too good," Duo moaned as he wriggled underneath his partner. He was fast approaching his release and wanted Heero's mouth back on his cock. "Suck me, baby, please? I need to feel your mouth, I need to come," Duo begged.

Snickering to himself, Heero worked his way back up, pressing kisses to Duo's cleft, perineum and balls as he passed them and returned to the stiff cock waiting for his attention. His tongue dipped into the slit, teasing and probing before sucking the head and shaft into his mouth and beginning to work his lover's organ in earnest.

Duo returned to his sucking of Heero's cock, determined to bring his lover off. He used every trick he knew, flicking his tongue around known sensitive spots, alternating the amount of suction he applied and changing from taking Heero's shaft all the way in to simply feasting on the head only.

Familiar feelings burned in their gut; pleasure, white hot and demanding began to course through blood streams. Duo's orgasm was right there, it was so close he could almost touch it. Heero began to tingle from the roots of his hair to the tips of his toes. Both men began to teeter on the brink, poised to fall when...

A soft whimper came from the cot.

"Shit!" Heero whispered.

"Fuck!" Duo whispered back.

Another soft whimper came and then - silence.

"You think he's gone back to sleep?"

"Sleep or not, I'm damn well continuing. I'm just about to come, Heero! Keitaro can wait just a minute or two," Duo said in a whispered snarl.

"But..."

"Shut the fuck up, Heero and use that mouth of yours to finish me off. Keitaro won't hurt for a couple more seconds."

Heero couldn't help the snicker and knowing his partner was serious, he set to work again, determined to bring at least one of them off quickly so they could tend to the baby's needs.

True to his word, Duo came within a few seconds of Heero resuming his task. A low, throaty moan escaped as he reached the edge and fell over it into nirvana. The vibration of his throat around Heero's cock which was currently buried to the hilt in said throat, sparked Heero's orgasm and Heero was quick to follow Duo into the haze of pure pleasure.

Swallowing on reflex more than anything else, the pair drank down each other's offering, licking softening cocks clean as they pulled away. Heero turned around, ears straining for any sounds from the cot as he lay himself beside his lover once more. Duo's arm came over, followed by his face and sweet lips met in a lazy kiss.

Keitaro began to cry.

With a sigh, Heero pushed off the bed and padded, naked across the room to his son. "You have lousy timing, sunshine," he muttered as he lifted the baby from within the cot and cuddled him close.

Keitaro didn't understand and nor did he care. He was hungry and uncomfortable. He opened his mouth and began to cry louder.

Heero carried the bundle over to the bed and passed the baby to Duo who had sat up ready to receive the child.

"I'll go warm a bottle," Heero began. "You can change him while I'm gone." Without giving his partner a chance to say anything, Heero snatched up his robe and disappeared.

Duo's eyes widened at Heero's hasty departure and then he got a whiff of the baby and realized why his husband had been so quick to leave.

Getting up, Duo carried the baby to the change table and began to undress the infant to change him. "No wonder your dad disappeared so quick. Whew! What a smell, Keitaro," Duo muttered as he slipped the pins from the diaper. "Oh, geeze. I can't believe all that shit could come from something so small."

* * *

The following couple of days were spent with Hilde taking her into town where she had the final fitting for her wedding dress, pleased when she didn't need to have it adjusted any for the waist line. The florist had been next on the hit list, Hilde having already decided on her bouquet but needing to revisit closer to the wedding date to see what flowers would be available to make up the bouquet with. Hilde had her heart set on a mix of carnations and roses. Luckily for her, the florist confirmed she would be able to get the required flowers.

Keitaro was in his pram, Heero pushing it while Hilde and Duo walked side by side. They were planning a visit to the suit place that Hilde had picked out for Heero and Duo to get their suits from. Mark was having his made on L2 and Hilde had brought a picture of the suit with her so they could match up something similar for Heero and slightly different for Duo.

During the course of their walking and shopping, many people had stopped and admired the baby in the pram, automatically assuming that Hilde was the mother. It was anyone's guess though as to who they thought was the father! Duo didn't mind, he knew who Keitaro's parents were and that was enough for him. If anything, Duo's heart swelled with pride when he heard the soft coos and comments of 'what a sweet baby'. A glance at Heero had shown Duo his husband thought pretty much along the same lines, although Heero's face did darken from time to time when a female got too close to his son.

"Easy, Heero. You can't go killing or maiming innocent civilians just for admiring your son," Duo said in a whisper after one woman had touched Keitaro's hair. For moment there, Duo had thought Heero was about to pounce on the woman and rip her fingers from her hand!

"I know," Heero had replied. "I just don't like them fussing around too close. I don't want Keitaro to catch anything."

Duo had ended up in peals of laughter at that. "Heero, he's got to be allowed out and about, his immune system will never build up any resistance at all if you keep molly coddling him."

"I _don't_ do molly coddling."

"Could have fooled me. The way you're hovering and fussing all the time anyone would think you were his mother. Maybe you should have carried him and given birth instead of me."

That jolted Heero out of his little world. "No way!" Heero took off with the pram, heading down the street at a fast pace, a bewildered Hilde and sniggering Duo in his wake.

"What happened there?" Hilde asked, then seeing the look on Duo's face she quickly added, "Don't bother, I don't think I want to know."

The suits were picked out. Heero's in a slightly lighter gray than Mark's and Duo's in a deep blue. Hilde selected shirts for them both, a soft peach for Heero to match with the bridesmaid's outfit and a cream for Duo. A pale blue tie for Duo and a silvery gray one for Heero and the pair were set. Heero arranged to pick up the outfits a couple of days before they would leave for L2 and the wedding.

After a quick bite of lunch, change room stop for Keitaro and a bottle of formula, Duo found a quaint antique jewelers store. It dealt mainly in pre-colony jewelry and watches. He was sure Hilde would find something in there suitable for a wedding gift for Mark.

Hilde browsed around, the gentleman behind the counter being most helpful in explaining the various items to Hilde and allowing her to inspect them as she wished.

"How about this?" Heero asked as he pointed to a case sitting inside one of the display cabinets.

"Oh, Heero. It's perfect." Hilde's eyes misted a little as she studied the watch.

"Excellent choice, madam," the jeweler spoke. "This is what was known as a fob watch, very popular in the late eighteenth to nineteenth century pre-colony. It opens up like so and there is the old style face with the numbers around the dial. The numerals are Roman, very popular at that time in history. It also has a smaller clock face for the seconds set just here in the top." The jeweler proceeded to give Hilde a complete run down on the watch and its attributes.

"Isn't it gonna be a little expensive, Heero?" Duo muttered, eyeing the watch and trying to see the price tag.

Heero was already one step ahead of him though. Pulling Duo to the side for a moment where Hilde wouldn't hear them, he told Duo of his intention. "Hilde told me how much she had put aside to spend on Mark's gift. She's going to be two thousand credits short to buy the watch."

"Then-"

Heero cut him off. "I want you to distract Hilde for a moment. I'm going to speak with the jeweler and get him to knock the two thousand off the price and give Hilde the remaining price as the total cost."

"How? Do I have to remind you we live in peace time now, Heero. You can't threaten a jeweler, neither can you hold up the store!"

"I have no intention of doing either, oh ye of little faith! I was going to pay the two thousand myself."

"Huh?"

"Duo. I've had a bit of a windfall."

"What? When? Why haven't you told me?"

Heero gave his partner a long suffering look. "I only just found out about it myself last week. It didn't come through until yesterday. I was going to tell you just as soon as I could, but with Hilde staying, Nurse Brown around and Keitaro taking up all the other time, there wasn't a spare moment when I had you to myself when I _could _tell you."

"You could have mentioned it the other night when we went to bed," Duo huffed.

"If I remember correctly we were otherwise occupied the other night. I don't think bringing up the conversation whilst in the middle of sucking each other off was productive to the mood."

"Point."

"Look, I'll explain it all later when we get home, okay? For now, just trust me, please?"

Duo nodded. "All right."

"Thanks, now go distract Hilde for a moment."

Duo managed to keep Hilde occupied while Heero spoke with the jeweler. He asked her what she thought about the watch, would Mark like it? Did she like it? Hilde did but bemoaned that it would probably be way too much for her to afford. Seeing Heero's signal, Duo told Hilde she might as well ask, you never knew if you didn't. Still commenting that the watch would be way out of her financial league, Hilde asked - and almost fainted when given the price. She argued with the jeweler, insisting he must have got it wrong, no way could it be that cheap. Duo told her to shut up, buy it and don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

Hilde shut up and paid up. She knew there was more to this, she'd just wait until they got home and then she'd start with the inquisition.

Duo was thinking along similar lines, knowing Hilde would want an explanation. Dammit! He wanted an explanation too!

Heero simply smiled and took advantage of the peace. It would be all out war once they got back to the manor.

~ * ~

tbc...


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for the kind reviews! Now for a few answers...**

**Enjoy...  
**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 3

The trip back from town was relatively quiet. Heero was thinking about how best to explain his windfall to Duo. Duo was contemplating all sorts of ideas as to how Heero had suddenly come into money. Hilde was simply tired from all the effort of shopping and Keitaro was sleeping peacefully as babies do.

Once they made it back to the manor, Heero parked the car and assisted Hilde gathering up the packages she'd bought and carrying them into the house. Duo undid the various buckles and straps that held Keitaro safely in the baby seat. Lifting the infant out, Duo couldn't help but give the seat a glare. Whilst it might hold his son securely and protect him whilst driving, Duo still couldn't bring himself to forgive the demonic seat for all the trouble it had caused them when trying to install the damn thing! He was sure Trowa and Quatre still carried the battle scars and Heero was certainly wary around the buckles.

With the baby cuddled close against his chest, Duo grabbed the bag containing all the baby things and headed indoors. Keitaro needed a diaper change, bath and a bottle. Heero's news on his windfall would have to wait for a bit.

Hilde carted some of the packages to her room, Heero following with the bulk of the purchases and depositing them on the bed. "I'm going to help Duo with Keitaro," he announced and disappeared before Hilde could get a chance to ask him anything.

Duo had Keitaro lying in the bassinet while he fetched the items needed for the bathing the infant, setting them all up on the small table beside the plastic bath. Keitaro slept in the cot in their room at night, but during the day he usually stayed in the nursery. The majority of the baby's things were in the nursery too, other than the change table, some diapers and other bits and pieces.

The babe gurgled to himself, eyes focusing on different things around him. Not that he could see a great deal from inside the bassinet. His arms waved, little legs gave a few kicks and caused more gurgles to leave his throat.

Entering the nursery, Heero spotted Duo with the plastic bath in hand disappearing through the door to the bathroom. With his partner filling up the baby bath, Heero walked over to the bassinet and lifted his son out. "You want a bath, Keitaro?" Heero asked as he rocked the infant in his arms.

Keitaro blew bubbles through his mouth.

"I think you do need a bath," Heero continued, his lips smiling at the baby's antics. Carefully, Heero lay the baby down again and proceeded to remove the infant's clothing. The diaper was wet, not dirty, much to Heero's relief and he left it sitting under the child while he waited for Duo to return with the baby bath.

Duo smiled as he stepped back into the nursery, bath in his hands. He set the bath down on the table and checked the temperature again. It was nice and warm on his elbow. "You want to bath him or would you like me to do it?" Duo asked.

"I'll wash him if you like," Heero replied.

"Everything's ready then." Duo stepped back out of the way and let his husband take the floor.

Heero picked the naked infant up and carried him over to the bath where he proceeded to gently lower the baby into the water.

"You might want to-" Duo's words were cut off.

The warning was too late. As soon as Keitaro's bottom hit the warm water he began to pee. The stream rose in the air and sprayed over Heero's chest and face

"Shit!"

"-put a wash cloth over his groin," Duo finished with a snicker.

"You could have warned me," Heero growled as he tried to keep a hand on the child and wipe at his face.

"I tried," Duo chuckled. "Here, let me." Duo grabbed the wash cloth, dipped it in the water and wiped Heero's face off. "I'll just go rinse this while you get started."

Heero shook his head and looked at the baby. "Thanks a lot, sunshine," he mock growled.

Keitaro kicked his legs in the water.

"Here." Duo handed the wash cloth back to Heero and stood back to watch the fun.

"Slippery little thing, isn't he?" Heero commented as he washed the baby's skin. There was only a small amount of baby soap in the water but it still made things interesting for Heero. Keitaro wasn't like the 'doll' Nurse Brown had them practice with. The doll didn't move - Keitaro did. Heero continuously had to remind himself to be careful, constantly checking the baby and making sure he wasn't holding the infant too tight.

"I think he's done now." Duo's voice cut into Heero's concentration.

"Ah, right." Now Heero faced an entirely new dilemma. How the heck was he supposed to get this slippery, squirming bundle out of the bath and onto the towel without dropping him?

"Keep your hand under his shoulders, grasp his arm and then slip your hand underneath his legs," Duo explained as he watched his partner in amusement. Heero hadn't bathed Keitaro yet, Duo usually did it while Heero got their dinner. Duo was all for his partner bathing the child though and wasn't about to interfere, not unless Heero asked him to.

"Right." Heero moved his hand a little further under the babe and took a firm hold of Keitaro's arm. His other hand slid underneath and raised the child's bottom and legs. Managing to get the baby out of the water and onto the towel without causing any distress to either himself or the infant had Heero smiling broadly. "Nothing to it," he said smugly.

"Now you need to dry him, powder him and then put on a clean diaper and clothes."

_// Shit! Knew I'd forgotten something, //_ Heero thought to himself.

"Remember to be gentle and pat the skin."

"Hai." Heero began to dry off his son, patting the wet skin dry. Once he was satisfied that Keitaro was as dry as he was going to be, Heero reached for the baby powder. He twisted the cap and began to shake.

"Not too… *cough*, *cough* much, Heero," Duo managed to get out as Heero shook the tin and a cloud of talcum powder began to rise.

"Sorry." Heero put down the tin and waved a hand around, clearing the mini cloud away. He looked down.

Keitaro gurgled and then coughed, blinking his eyes. A generous amount of powder sat on his belly, his eyes peeking out from a white film over his face.

"Shit. Sorry, Keitaro," Heero apologized as he grabbed the corner of the towel and tried to wipe the talcum dust from the baby's face.

"Here, try this," Duo said and passed over the wash cloth.

"Arigato." Heero took the cloth and wiped the baby clean, Duo removing as much of the powder as he could from the child's belly.

"You don't need a lot, Heero."

"I can see that," Heero huffed and then patted the baby's face dry before smoothing the talcum powder over the warm skin.

Seeing his husband seemed to have things under control again, at least for the moment, Duo passed over a diaper.

"Thanks." Heero settled the diaper underneath Keitaro and began to pin it into place. He was very careful with the pins, slipping his fingers under the cloth so as not to stick the baby with a pin. Didn't mean he missed his own fingers though. "Ow!" Heero finished putting the second pin in and then sucked on his finger.

A small singlet was handed over, Heero looking at it and then figuring out how it went onto the child. With his mind full of minding his strength, Heero managed to get the singlet on Keitaro with a minimum of fuss. When Duo handed him the jump suit, his eyes widened considerably, especially when he took in all the press studs on the thing. "Does it have instructions?"

Laughing hard, Duo shook his head. "No, it doesn't, Heero. It's not that hard to figure out. Here." Duo proceeded to show Heero exactly how the jump suit went on the baby.

"Aa," Heero grunted. He'd only ever had to open up the press studs to change Keitaro, Duo usually taking charge of dressing the infant. He soon managed though and with Duo's patient instruction, he wrestled the baby's limbs into the suit, Keitaro having a lot of fun waving his arms and legs around, not wanting to cooperate at all and simply enjoying the 'game'.

With the baby finally dressed, Heero picked him up and cuddled him close, placing a kiss to the cheek and smiling at his son.

Keitaro gazed back, then screwed his face up and gave a grunt. His little face went a shade of red before relaxing back to its normal state. A rather strong smell began to waft around Heero.

"I don't believe it! I've just bathed you and put on a fresh diaper and you have to go and fill it?!" Heero exclaimed.

"Never mind, daddy. It's all part of the joy of children," Duo said as he patted Heero on the shoulder. "I'm going to empty the bath out and then start warming up a bottle." With a snicker, Duo left his partner behind, bewildered and holding a desperately needing to be changed Keitaro.

"Thanks. Thanks a lot, little mother," Heero sighed and then set to work.

* * *

Once Keitaro was changed again, fed and settled down to sleep, Heero joined Duo and Hilde in the kitchen for their own dinner. Hilde had started cooking whilst the pair tended to their son. Duo had assisted while Heero had finished feeding Keitaro. With the baby now safely sleeping in his cot and dinner eaten, Heero knew he had no escape, it was time to come clean regarding his windfall.

Hilde carried the tray with their mugs of coffee through to the lounge room and set it on the small table. Heero and Duo took their respective mugs and reclined back in their seats. After a couple of minute's silence, Duo couldn't stand it any more.

"Okay, Yuy, spill."

Heero sighed and stared into his mug for a moment.

"I'd like to know what's going on too," Hilde chipped in. "There's no way that watch could have been the price I paid. There's something else going on and I want to know what. You didn't threaten the jewelry store owner, did you? 'Cause if that's what happened I think Mark had better start looking for a new best man as you'll be in the lock up for a while. If you're lucky you might just get out in time for Keitaro's twenty-first."

Heero turned and gave the woman a condescending look. At least he hoped it was condescending. Clearing his throat he began to speak. "No, I did not hold up the store, Hilde. I merely chipped in the difference between what you had and the total price of the watch."

"Eh? Why? And where did you suddenly get money from that you can throw it around like that? Babies aren't cheap, even I know that, Heero, and all your spare cash would be going into Keitaro."

"I wanted to do something to say thank you for all you've done for me. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have my adorable husband and my beautiful son. I made mistakes, did things I'm not proud of, but you; you, Hilde, you gave me a chance, advised me when I asked and gave me a kick in the pants when I needed it. I owe a great deal of my current happiness to you and this was the only way I could to say thank you." Heero lowered his head, a tinge of pink appearing on his cheeks.

"You could have just said the words 'thank you', you know. You didn't have to do this." Hilde looked like she was about to burst into tears.

"I know I didn't have to, I _wanted _to," Heero replied quietly.

"Aw, shit. Now you're gonna make me cry," Hilde sniffed.

"Fucking weather," Barney chirped from his perch by the sofa.

"Barney! That's enough!" scolded Duo.

"Pretty boy. Give us a kiss." Barney cocked his head to the side and regarded Duo with a beady eye.

"I swear..." Duo began.

"I think it was your swearing that widened Barney's vocabulary in the first place," Hilde snickered.

"Fuck off," Barney squawked.

"Barney!" Hilde warned. "One of these days you're going to go too far and end up being Duo's lunch."

Barney ruffled his feathers and flew from his perch to Duo's shoulder. He snuggled up to Duo's ear and pecked lightly at the lobe. "Pretty boy."

"Don't even think about it. Sucking up won't get you off the hook, Barney," Duo chuckled. The pecking at his ear lobe tickled.

"Polly want a cracker?" Barney chirruped.

Hilde laughed. "He's a real character, isn't he?"

"Too smart for his own good," Duo growled. He noticed a smirk on Heero's face and quickly focused his mind back on their original topic. "I don't know what you're smiling for, Heero. You still have some explaining to do."

_// Damn!//_ Heero thought they'd forgotten all about his little windfall, looked like he was wrong.

"That's right, Heero. I'm curious too. I know it's none of my business and I'll leave if you would prefer to talk to Duo alone about this," Hilde said quietly.

"No, it's fine, Hilde." Heero took a deep breath, trying to order his thoughts and decide where to begin. "I don't know a lot about it myself," Heero began, "Only what Une has told me so I can't give you a lot of detail."

"Just tell us what you know, Heero," Duo coaxed.

"Okay. Une spoke to me whilst we were in the hospital. You'd just had Keitaro and I was, well, I was recovering from the surgery. She had a group of Preventer agents on assignment on L1, no, I don't know what the assignment was and I didn't ask either."

Duo knew there was no point in questioning that any further, Preventer assignments were strictly confidential. If you weren't on that particular assignment then you didn't have access to any information regarding it. A safety issue amongst other things. Should an agent happen to get into trouble in the wrong place you couldn't tell what you didn't know.

"Suffice to say that during the course of their investigations on L1 they came across some interesting paperwork. I gather that in part the assignment was something to do with smuggling of records, files, papers and other sensitive information. Anyway, when they had concluded the investigation and all the information had been presented at the debriefing, Une called me and asked to speak with me in private. That was the day before we were discharged."

"Ah." Duo remembered something about Heero disappearing for a while and when he'd returned he'd been a little quiet. Duo had thought it had been to do with having his wounds checked or something along the medical line and hadn't questioned his partner. Now he was wishing he had.

"It seems that amongst some pf the files and documents that had been recovered, there was one pertaining to Doctor J and myself…"

"Oh?" Duo's eyes narrowed. While Doctor G wasn't at the top of his most favorite person list for all that had happened to Duo, Doctor J was even further down that list - actually he was six foot under the list and that was pretty close to the truth. J hadn't survived the explosion and the last battle with the Libra, hell, it had been a miracle that G had. Duo felt like he'd been cheated though, he'd wanted nothing more than to kill J himself for half the shit he'd put Heero through.

Heero took a deep breath. "It was J's last will and testament. After reading through what was presumed to be all the paperwork, J had obviously felt some form of remorse for his actions towards me and as a way to try and make amends he'd left me everything he owned."

"But J's lab, wasn't that destroyed during the war?" Hilde asked.

"Hai. The main lab and the smaller labs J had scattered about throughout the colonies have all been destroyed, whether on purpose or not."

"Then…" Duo didn't get any further as Heero held up his hand to silence his lover.

"All the visible signs, personal effects, notes pertaining to research, Operation Meteor and so on were all destroyed. As far as anyone knew all traces of J and his work had been eliminated, leaving me essentially with nothing to inherit. However, there was a file tucked away, scrambled if you will and the clue that there was a hidden file was in the wording of J's testament. No-one else would have found the clue. I cracked the clue and it led me to this file. It was this file that contained J's real will and it was heavily encrypted. I recognized the encryption though, J had used it a few times, but there were a few additions to the code. Une asked me to hack it if I could as the file only stated it was J's will and in order to access any further information you had to get through all the passwords, encrypted data and so on."

"And I take it you did that?" Hilde asked in awe. Heero's computer skills always left her with goose bumps.

"Hai, I did." Heero looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Well?!" Duo demanded.

Heero gave him an amused smile. "As it happened, J had known all his work would most likely be lost or destroyed and he was okay with that, but he did want to make up with me and by hiding this file he knew only I would be able to access it and therefore claim what he'd wanted me to have."

"This is worse than a soap opera episode, Heero," Hilde grumbled.

"Once the file opened it revealed several bank accounts, hidden away all over the earth sphere. J had left me his entire fortune."

"Well shit!" Duo looked a little pale for a moment, then he turned his eyes to meet Heero's. "If I may ask, just how much did he leave you?"

"Heero?"

Heero switched his attention to Hilde who had called his name.

"I think you and Duo need to discuss this alone. This isn't any of my business so I'll head on up to take my shower and go to bed. I'll see you both in the morning, okay?" Hilde stood up and collected the coffee cups.

"Thanks, Hilde," Heero said quietly. He didn't have a problem with Hilde staying and listening to the rest of the conversation, but as she said, it really wasn't her business and he appreciated her leaving them alone.

Once Hilde had departed, Duo rounded on his husband. "Okay, Heero. J left you his money, I can deal with that. Personally, all the money in the world couldn't make up for what he put you through, but I appreciate he did try to make up for what he did. So, how much did he leave you?"

Giving his lover a shy look from underneath his bangs, Heero spoke. "I'm not completely sure yet. There's still a couple of accounts that haven't been located at this stage. We're not as well off as Quatre, but we are very comfortable, in fact, neither one of us needs to work again if we don't want to."

Duo's jaw went a little slack.

"Currently the total from the bank accounts that we have found is around five or six million credits."

"Fuck!" Duo looked like he was about to faint and Heero debated whether to fetch the smelling salts or not. "That's a shit load of cash, Heero!"

"I know. Now you see why I wanted to pay the difference on that watch for Hilde. All my life, Duo, I've taken. Taken lives, stolen information, taken innocence; now I want to give something back."

Duo snuggled up to his husband and placed a tender kiss to those lips he knew better than his own. "Heero, I think that's wonderful."

Heero gave a relieved sigh. He hadn't been too sure of how Duo would take the news.

"Even though you say we have enough to retire on, I'd like to keep working," Duo mused.

"Me too," Heero replied.

"Just promise me one thing?"

"Anything, little mother."

"Don't go blowing it all on gifts for other people, keep some aside for us?"

"I wasn't planning on spending it all. After all, you're my husband and we both have a say in this. I made a vow to share everything that I am with you, Duo, and that means everything."

Duo chuckled lightly. "Yeah. Just like that old saying: 'What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine also'."

"Eh?"

"You heard me," Duo snickered.

"I thought the saying was: 'What's yours is mine and what's mine is yours'."

"I prefer my version."

"Quit while you're behind, quit while you're behind," Barney chirped.

Heero sighed. He would never beat his partner in a verbal battle - ever.

~ * ~

tbc....


	4. Chapter 4

**Many thanks to those that are reading and big hugs to all who have left a review! Your feedback is very much appreciated.**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 4

The next couple of days saw Hilde finalize all she needed to for the wedding. Her dress was finished and all she had to do was pick it up. The flowers would be sent to L2 in a specially pressurized container specifically designed to prevent the flowers from wilting in space. With nothing left to organize, Hilde took advantage of her last couple of days earth side to get to know her nephew better.

Keitaro was a source of joy and wonderment to Hilde. She loved kids and hoped to have her own one day. The child was a delight to be with, his innocent expression, playful nature and soft gurgles never ceased to amaze and delight Hilde. All too soon though, Hilde's time on earth was at an end and she had to return to L2. Both Heero and Duo insisted on accompanying the woman to the shuttle port, Keitaro also coming along for the ride.

"You two will keep in touch and let me know when you get a nanny for Keitaro, won't you?"

"Of course," Duo snorted.

"I'll need a name to put on the place card for the wedding."

"Once we have selected the appropriate person you will be the first to know, Hilde," Heero said as he shifted slightly, redistributing Keitaro's weight in his arms.

"Good. You're still coming to L2 a couple of days before the wedding, right?"

"Yes, Hilde. We have already looked up hotels on the Internet and once we book one we will let you know that too," Duo replied in an amused tone. Hilde could be quite the fuss pot when she wanted to be. But then again, she had every right to be in this case, it was her wedding after all and all should be perfect for it.

"Last call for all passengers on shuttle flight 379 for La Grange 2, Colony 276X. All passengers should now be boarding through gate 42. Last call..." The announcer's voice droned on in its mechanical fashion.

"Guess I'd better get going," Hilde said quietly.

Duo stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the woman, drawing her to his chest and hugging tightly. "Everything's going to be just fine, Hilde. Heero and I will be there for your wedding and once we know the hotel and flight details we'll be sure to let you know. I'm gonna miss you, sis."

Hilde pulled back a little and raised her head to give Duo a watery smile. "Thanks for all your help with the last of the wedding arrangements. I know you'll be there. I'm gonna miss you too, Duo." Hilde dropped her head to Duo's shoulder once more and hugged tight. With a wipe of her eyes, she released the tall man and turned her attention to Heero.

Handing Keitaro over to Duo, Heero took Hilde in his warm embrace and patted her back reassuringly. "We will both be there for your wedding, Hilde. We wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Thanks, Heero. Not just for all your help and understanding, but for the contribution towards the watch too. Mark's going to love it."

"It was my pleasure, Hilde. You'd better get going now or you'll miss your flight." As much as Heero would have enjoyed having Hilde stay with them permanently, he didn't think Mark would be too happy waiting at the other end of the shuttle's run only to find his future wife wasn't on it.

Pulling away, Hilde nodded and dabbed at her eyes. She held her arms out and Duo placed Keitaro in them. Gently cradling the infant, Hilde cooed to the baby, telling him to be a good boy for his parents and that she would see him very soon. Reluctantly handing the child back to Duo, Hilde placed a quick kiss to both men's cheeks, grabbed her hand luggage and walked away towards the boarding gate. If she didn't go now, she never would.

Heero and Duo watched her until she disappeared from view, Duo managing to swallow the lump in his throat and suppress any tears with the thought that he would be seeing Hilde again soon.

"Feel like a coffee before we head back home?"

Duo found his husband smiling warmly at him. A hand crept out and rubbed along Duo's arm, Keitaro shifted slightly, yawned and went back to sleep. "A coffee sounds nice, Heero," he replied.

"I remember seeing a cafe back this way." Heero gently guided his lover through the crowded shuttle port and to the cafe he'd spotted on their way in.

* * *

"What about this one?' Heero asked as he waved a letter under Duo's nose. Duo took the letter, scanned it over and then handed it back.

"Not enough experience."

"Hn." Heero continued on his pile.

They had advertised for a full time nanny in the local paper. Nurse Brown had suggested they try an agency or an advert in the 'situations vacant' section of the paper. The guys decided to run the ad first, neither one seemed comfortable with the thought of sitting in one of the agencies and discussing their child, lifestyle and other things with complete strangers; not that they had any intention of hiding their relationship, hell, they were married for heavens sake! They would need to concoct a story though regarding Keitaro's 'mother' as Duo's condition couldn't be revealed for obvious reasons. Currently they were sitting in the lounge room sifting through the many replies they'd had to their ad.

The pile of rejects was growing larger by the minute, the 'possibles' a good deal smaller. They had mutually agreed to go through the applications and weed them out into those they thought might be suitable and those that wouldn't. Once they'd done that it would be a case of going through the possibles with Nurse Brown and scaling them down to a few who would make it to the final interview. Sally had suggested they ask Nurse Brown for her input as she had a better idea of what was required in a nanny and both Heero and Duo trusted her judgment.

The pair agreed but as yet had to approach the nurse with their request.

Finally the end of the pile came and Heero gave a long sigh of relief. "I'll go dump all these in the trash, shall I?" he asked as he scooped up the 'reject' pile.

"Heero! You can't do that."

"Eh?"

"We have to reply to them, let them know they weren't successful in their application."

Heero rolled his eyes, just what he didn't need - a pile of letters to reply to. "Why? It will become obvious they haven't been successful when they don't hear from us."

"It's good manners, Heero," Duo huffed and gave his partner a 'look'. "They have taken the time to apply for the position so the least we can do is write them back and let them know they didn't get the job."

Heero had visions of being chained to the desk writing out replies for days on end, the number of rejects was quite a few. Then he had an idea. "Hn. I'll type up a generic thank you letter and print off enough copies to send to each of them."

"That's fine, at least then they know and can start to look for something else." Duo turned his attention back to the pile in front of him and began to sort through them again.

Seeing as he wasn't going to get any further response from his partner, Heero scooped up the last of the rejections and took them through to the office where he dumped them on the desk to be replied to later. He turned and went back to the lounge room and Duo.

Having gone back through the pile of 'possibles', both guys had put the applications in the order of their own preference. When Nurse Brown arrived back from her shift at the hospital, she found herself greeted with a cup of tea and a pair of warm smiles.

Immediately she was on her guard. "What have you two been up to?" she asked as she was relieved of her bag and ushered into the lounge room.

"Nothing," replied Duo with a grin as he more or less pushed the nurse into the armchair.

"That dog of yours hasn't chewed my slippers again?"

"Of course not! Miracle is better trained than that," Duo stated, a little offended.

"More like she didn't enjoy the vet treatment for her upset stomach caused by eating the fluffy lining," Nurse Brown teased.

"Miracle is not allowed up the stairs any more," Heero said as he handed the nurse a cup of tea.

"Good to hear," replied the nurse and took the tea. "Better off keeping her away from the bedrooms until the baby is a bit older. And no, I'm not insinuating that Miracle would do anything to harm the baby, but the last thing Keitaro needs is a tongue bath from that canine."

"Miracle wouldn't do that!" Duo replied, a little affronted that anyone would suggest such a thing.

Hearing her name, Miracle got up from where she was lying on the floor and wandered over to her master where she proceeded to lick him thoroughly.

"I rest my case," the nurse said smugly. "Now, what is it you two are buttering me up for?"

"Well, we did as you advised and placed an advert in the paper for a nanny for Keitaro," Heero began. "We've had quite a few applications over the past few days and we've gone through them, sorting them into rejects and those we think might be suitable."

"And you want me to take a look over the ones you think might be okay?"

"If you don't mind," Heero said. "I know you've just come in from work and are probably tired, so we will quite understand if you don't want to do it now."

"We just want to try and get a nanny sorted out as soon as possible," Duo added.

"If we get one now we can make sure she will be suitable to look after Keitaro before you return to work full time."

"Also, we can see if Keitaro likes her."

"It's not fair to keep expecting you to look after Keitaro and work at Preventer," Heero finished lamely.

"If I may be allowed to speak?" the nurse finally managed to get out. The pair had been carrying on so much she hadn't been able to get a word in edgewise.

"Sorry."

"I'd be happy to take a look over the applicants you've narrowed it down to. I want to be just as sure as you two that the nanny you hire is the right one."

"Great!" Duo was about to give the woman a big hug, but changed his mind when he saw the look he was getting. "Ah. Miracle slobber. Gotcha." Duo promptly sat down again.

"Do you have the applications?"

"Right here," Heero replied and picked up the small pile of letters.

"Thank you," Nurse Brown said as she took the letters and began to scan over the first one.

"I'll go start on dinner, shall I?" Heero said, it was obvious they weren't needed.

"Good idea," the nurse replied absently and continued to read.

The pair left the nurse to it and retreated to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

* * *

Duo gave a loud sigh and ran his fingers through his bangs. "We're never going to get a nanny at this rate," he huffed.

Heero frowned. "There's still another four to go."

"And they will all want to hightail it outta here if you continue to glare at them."

"I'm not glaring."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Then what would you call it?"

"I'm merely appraising their physical capabilities and weighing up their mental capacities. I don't want just anyone looking after my son." Heero folded his arms across his chest, daring Duo to argue with him. Duo rolled his eyes.

"And that's just it, we won't have anyone looking after him 'cause you keep scaring them off!"

"You were the one that didn't like the first applicant."

"Heero, she had that much metal in and on her that Keitaro would develop lead poisoning! Not to mention it would take ages to get through security at the shuttle port."

"Point."

"The second one was a bit too sharp in her tone and mannerisms for me."

"Hn. The fifth one had plenty of experience."

"Yeah, she did, but I'd be frightened she would have a coronary just lifting Keitaro out of the cot. She must have been in her sixties at least."

"That last one looked like she'd only just come out of diapers herself!" Heero snorted. The pair ceased their conversation as Nurse Brown stepped back into the room with the next applicant and the process began all over again.

* * *

Thank you, Miss..." Duo quickly scanned his paperwork. "Miss Leadbetter. We will let you know in due course." He gave a soft groan as Nurse Brown escorted the last applicant from the room and out of the mansion. When she returned she found Heero gently massaging Duo's shoulders.

"Why don't I make us all a nice cup of tea while you two collect up all your notes and things and take them through to the lounge room. It will be less cramped than in this office and we can discuss the applicants a bit further."

"Now that's a really good idea," Duo moaned. "Oh, right there, Heero."

"I'll meet you in the lounge then," Nurse Brown chuckled and left the pair to gather up all the information on the applicants.

"What did you think of the applicants?" Heero asked the nurse as they reclined in the lounge with a mug of hot tea and plate of biscuits. Keitaro lay in his baby bouncer, looking around with interest and gurgling softly. Duo kept one eye on the baby and the rest of his concentration on the conversation.

"I'll be honest with you. I wasn't all that impressed with them. Yes, some of them had excellent credentials, but they didn't feel right."

"Feel right?" Heero questioned.

"Yes, feel right. I've been around babies and toddlers for so long now and interacted with many parents, nurses and nannies that I can usually tell how they are going to react around children. I guess it's in the body language or something, but I trust my judgment."

"Kinda like when I get those gut feelings and trust my instincts, is what it sounds like," Duo mused.

Nurse Brown laughed. "I guess you could say that it's a similar thing. Don't get me wrong though, none of those applicants would deliberately harm a child, but none of them seemed to have that natural rapport with the baby either."

Keitaro had been present during the interviews and each of the applicants had been given the chance to interact with him for a few minutes. Heero wanted to see how Keitaro would react to a nanny and had watched the babe carefully. Duo had told him that Keitaro's screwing up of his face didn't mean he didn't like the person holding him, it simply meant he was filling his diaper.

"Then we are all in agreement that none of the applicants we interviewed today are suitable?" Heero asked the other two.

Duo nodded, Nurse Brown replied in the affirmative.

"I suppose we will need to advertise again then, either that or try an agency," Heero sighed.

"If you want to tell me exactly what it is you're looking for in a nanny, I'll pop into one of the agencies, give them the information and see what they come up with," Nurse Brown said.

"Would you?" Duo asked. "That would be a big help."

"No problem. Right, let's get started." Nurse Brown positioned her notebook on one knee, pen poised. "Obviously they have to like children."

"I'd prefer someone who is soft spoken, but firm," Duo said.

"Someone who has confidence in their handling of a baby," added Heero.

"A bit of first aid knowledge wouldn't go astray either."

"Reasonably fit," Heero offered.

"Preferably with no outside ties as they would need to live in," Duo mused.

"Not too young either. I don't want some bit of a girl trying to flirt with my husband," Heero growled.

"Ohhh, Heero, I didn't think you were the jealous type."

"You'd better believe it." Heero leaned over and stole a kiss. "Mine."

The sounds of chuckling broke into their thoughts and both men turned to see the nurse smiling at them. "I'll pass all this information on to an agency tomorrow and see what they can come up with; but, guys?"

Heero and Duo looked at the nurse.

"Have a read over what you've decided you want in a nanny." Nurse Brown dropped the notebook to the table and exited the room, leaving the pair to figure out what she meant.

Reading over the notes it slowly began to dawn on Duo exactly what the nurse was saying and he began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Heero wanted to know, his brows knitted together as he tried to puzzle out what the nurse meant.

"Think about it, Heero. Take a look at each of the attributes we have stated we want in a nanny for Keitaro."

"Hai, I can see that, I've been going over them for the last ten minutes."

"Who do you know that has all of those things?"

"Umm. Aw crap."

Duo snickered again, knowing his lover had worked it out.

"We're looking for someone exactly like Nurse Brown."

"Got it in one, buddy."

"Well, shit."

"I wonder if we could clone her?"

~ * ~

tbc...


	5. Chapter 5

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 5

Nurse Brown dutifully dropped off the outline of what Heero and Duo required in a nanny at the agency. She added a few more details of her own to the request and spoke briefly with the woman behind the desk, asking the agency to contact her when they had gone through their database and come up with any matching persons. The agency agreed and Nurse Brown left them to it, heading to work herself.

"How goes it, Margaret?"

Nurse Brown turned around from where she was checking through the registry, noting what patients they had, who had been discharged and any new admittances since her last shift. She gave a small smile to the doctor. "I'm fine, Doctor Po, and yourself?"

"Doing just great." Sally stepped into the nurses station and leaned against the desk. "How are the parents coping?"

Nurse Brown gave a snort.

"That good, huh?" Sally couldn't help but laugh.

"Actually, they're not doing too bad for first timers and men at that. The child is certainly looked after and showered with love and affection. They may not always get the diaper on right or struggle with the burping or bathing, but overall they are doing okay. At least the child is still in one piece."

Sally raised an eyebrow in question. "Oh?"

"Yes. That baby still has all its limbs intact, which is more than I can say for the doll." Nurse Brown's mind wandered back to the efforts the pair had put in regarding the doll she had brought for them to practice on in readiness for their own child. It had been touch and go, the doll screaming sometimes and whimpering at others. Nurse Brown had begun to have her doubts if the baby would survive at all with the parents he had. If it wasn't Heero having to be mindful of his strength, it was Duo and making up the formula.

Sally continued to laugh, she was familiar with the doll Margaret had used to help the guys prepare for their own baby. She was also familiar with Margaret's teasing and stretching of the truth a little. However, seeing the doll's slightly battered state when Margaret had brought it back to the hospital, Sally began to wonder what the heck had happened. Taking one look at the nurse's face had convinced her that she really didn't want to know.

"How is the hunt for a nanny going?" Sally asked as she changed the subject.

Sighing, the nurse shook her head. "I doubt those two will ever find a nanny that's suitable. They have so many different things they require in one person that it's going to be damn near impossible to find anyone remotely like what they want," Margaret growled. "If it's not the age, it's the experience. If it's not the experience, it's Heero's glare; especially if the nanny they're interviewing tries to flirt with Duo. Why, that young man can be positively evil if he thinks someone is trying to come on to his partner. You'd think the person being interviewed would have seen the wedding bands they wear, and failing that, there's the way they look at each other. Any fool can see they're in love and together. What?" Nurse Brown brought her little tirade to a halt as she observed Sally snickering at her.

"Oh, Margaret. You sound just like their mother," Sally said as she tried to hold her mirth.

"Hmph. Well, that wouldn't be a bad idea seeing as neither of those boys ever knew their mothers. I'm surprised they turned out to be as sane and responsible as they have."

"Well, all I can say is good luck with the nanny hunting. It sounds to me like they need someone like you."

"Unfortunately, they can't have me," replied the nurse. "I'm far too fond of my job here; besides, they don't need an old biddy like me hanging over their shoulders all the time."

"Actually, that's exactly what they need," Sally muttered to herself.

"Did you say something?"

"I said I better get back to work," Sally was quick to reply. "I'll catch up with you later."

"Okay." Nurse Brown returned to her scanning of the charts on her patients, noting who needed what and when.

* * *

Several days passed with no luck from the agency. They could only come up with two possible candidates that matched the criteria that Heero and Duo had set down. Both women were duly interviewed and rejected.

The first, whilst well qualified, refused to travel off planet. With Hilde's wedding coming up and no doubt there would be assignments that would require them to travel to the colonies, this was not satisfactory.

The second...

Heero had only just managed to hold his husband back, if he hadn't then he shuddered at the thought of what Duo would have done to the woman. She had seemed okay, her experience was there, she had the right attitude towards Keitaro, no ties and was willing to travel. However, once Heero told her that he and Duo were married, the woman's demeanor changed. Without directly coming out and saying it, she let them know she didn't approve of their relationship, even going so far as to suggest it was harmful to Keitaro to be brought up in a home where his parents were both the same sex.

Duo was fuming.

When the woman had the audacity to ask what Keitaro's mother must have been thinking to leave him with two men to raise, she found herself staring into the eyes of death.

Unable to reveal that he was Keitaro's mother, Duo was livid. He reached across the desk they were sitting behind to conduct the interview, all set to grab the woman by the throat and throttle her when Heero grabbed him by the arm and prevented him from committing murder.

Needless to say, Duo had told the woman exactly what he thought of her and asked her to leave now or suffer the consequences. He didn't need a homophobe like her taking care of his son. Yes, they may be the same sex, but Heero and Duo were very much in love and entitled to be parents just as much as any hetro couple.

The woman had left so fast there were tire marks in the driveway.

It still left them with the problem of finding a nanny for Keitaro.

* * *

Nurse Brown hummed to herself as she walked down the corridor of the hospital. Approaching the room, she stopped her humming and rapped on the door. "Agent Thunder, are you awake?"

It didn't pay to walk in on agents, most of them were highly trained and wouldn't react in a positive way to any sudden interruption. A grunt came from the room and Margaret walked in.

The agent lay on his back, one leg encased in plaster from his hip to his toes, bandages were wrapped around his shoulder and left arm whilst numerous cuts and scrapes adorned the remainder of his torso.

"How are you feeling today, Agent Thunder?" the nurse asked as she opened the curtains wide to let in more of the morning sunshine.

"A lot better than yesterday, thank you, and please, call me Steve."

Nurse Brown smiled and reached for the chart that sat in the holder on the end of the bed. "Your stats are looking good," she commented. "Now, we need to take you down to x-ray to make sure that the bones are healing properly in that leg of yours. If all is well, I'll change your dressings and you'll be free to leave the hospital. You will need to come back though for a check up, but the doctor will give you all that information."

"Thanks, nurse." The agent gave a smile in return. He'd been on an assignment that hadn't ended too well. Oh, they had managed to catch the bad guys all right, shame they blew up the factory though in the process. Agent Thunder had been making a last sweep of the area when one of the gang had managed to trigger the explosives. The factory had gone up in a spectacular show of flame, noise and smoke; Agent Thunder had been caught in the detonation, just managing to get out of the doors as the roof came crashing down, debris and the force of the explosion throwing him a further fifteen feet.

His leg had been broken in several places, shards of glass had pierced his shoulder whilst bricks and mortar had rained down on him, severely bruising his already burnt and battered body.

"I'll go get a wheelchair and an orderly," said the nurse. "Be right back."

Nurse Brown scoured the area for an orderly and scowled to herself when she couldn't find one. "Probably all on their tea break," she muttered to herself. Orderlies were hard to find at the best of times, everyone seeming to want and need their services at the same time. Giving up on finding one, the nurse switched to locating a wheelchair instead. She was in luck.

"Okay, Steve. We need to get you out of that bed and into this wheelchair."

"What happened to the orderly?" Steve asked. "I don't think I can manage to get off this bed and into that thing by myself."

"I couldn't find an orderly," the nurse replied. "I think they're probably all on their tea break."

"Well, there's no way I can shift into that without help."

"I'll help you."

"You?! No offense, Nurse Brown, but you're not exactly young or built for manhandling someone like me."

"I'm stronger than I look. Now, stop with the nonsense, we have an appointment to keep. Here, just pull yourself across..."

"Like this?"

"Yes. Right, put your arm here and let me..."

"It's not going to work."

"I'll help you to… Ahhhh!"

"Nurse? Nurse? Are you okay?" Steve was ready to panic and pulled himself back onto the bed. Nurse Brown had tried to take most of his weight and slide him into the wheelchair when she'd suddenly screamed and grasped the wheelchair. "Shit! Nurse Brown, speak to me."

"Could you please press your buzzer? I think I'm going to need some help here," Nurse Brown replied with a grimace of pain as she tried to move.

"Crap." Steve grabbed his buzzer and began to press the red button repeatedly. "Can you move to sit in the wheelchair? Damn! I knew this wouldn't work."

Hearing the buzzer continuously going off, a young nurse frowned and went to see what the problem was. "These agents, always thinking the world revolves around them," she muttered as she walked down the corridor. "Okay, okay. I hear you. Stop with the buzzer alrea…" The nurse's words were cut off as she entered the room. "What the? Nurse Brown, are you all right?" Quickly the young nurse made her way across the room and to the older nurse who was bent over and obviously in pain.

"What happened?" she demanded.

"She was trying to help me slide off the bed and into the wheelchair. I'm not sure what happened next, she just gave a yell of pain and that was it," Steve recounted.

"My back," said Nurse Brown. "I think I've pulled some muscles. Could you please get Doctor Po for me?"

"Of course, right away," the young nurse replied. "You stay right here, I'll be as quick as I can."

"Where the heck am I supposed to go?" Nurse Brown muttered to herself as the nurse left the room at a fast pace in search of Doctor Po.

* * *

"Those painkillers should begin to take effect within the next fifteen minutes." Sally dropped the used syringe into a kidney dish, the young nurse taking it away.

"What's the verdict?" asked Nurse Brown.

"Margaret, I'm not going to beat around the bush here. Just what the hell did you think you were doing trying to lift a man the size of Agent Thunder out of his bed and into a wheelchair?"

"He was needed down in x-ray to check on his leg," the nurse replied.

"We have orderlies employed specifically for the assisting of patients from their beds to wheelchairs."

"Have you ever tried to find one when you need one?"

"Errr..."

"I rest my case."

"That still doesn't mean you should be trying to lift a man twice your size! You should have called for help or something."

The nurse sighed. "Okay, I give in. I did the wrong thing. Now, would you kindly tell me what the damage is and how long before I can get back to work?"

Sighing, Sally shook her head. "You're lucky you didn't put your back out. As it is you've severely torn several of the supporting muscles in your lower back. There's not a lot medically that we can do other than offer pain relief. The muscles will heal themselves, but only if you rest."

"How long?"

"A couple of weeks."

"Damn."

"And even then you will find those muscles will be a lot weaker. You need to face facts, Margaret. You're not as young as you used to be and can't do the things you think you can."

"I know," the nurse sighed.

"Rest. I'll stop by later and check up on you. I want to keep you in overnight for observation. I'll call Heero and let him know what's happened," Sally said.

"Thanks."

* * *

It was two and a half weeks since Nurse Brown's 'accident' and the woman was due to return to light duties at the hospital, having been given the all clear by Sally. Having been confined to bed rest for the first part of her convalescence hadn't sat too well with the usually active nurse.

Heero and Duo had done their best to look after the nurse, ensuring she had what she needed and didn't strain herself in any way. Duo took great delight in reminding the nurse to rest; Margaret was sure the long haired man had a sadistic streak in him.

Duo simply shrugged and called it payback.

Whilst it felt good to be back at the hospital, Nurse Brown had to admit she was finding things a little difficult. Doctor Po had warned her that those torn muscles would be weak for quite some time, just how weak she was beginning to find out. Although she was on light duties, simply being on her feet for so long was taking its toll. Her back ached and she'd only been back on the job three hours!

Not wanting to complain, the nurse kept her discomfort to herself and continued to do her job, ignoring the ache and spasms that passed through the recovering muscles from time to time. It was on the fourth day back at work that the nurse found herself suffering a little more than usual and had taken an early tea break. Groaning softly to herself, Margaret made a mug of tea and eased herself into one of the chairs, Doctor Po entering the room just as she'd connected with the chair.

Sally noticed the small grimace of pain flash briefly over the nurse's face before the usual demeanor was back in place. Sally frowned to herself and set about making a coffee.

Watching the doctor, Margaret did her best to find a comfortable position to sit in, trying not to give away what she was really feeling.

"How's the back muscles?" Sally asked as she sat opposite the nurse, mug in hand.

"They're healing as well as can be expected."

Sally took a sip of her coffee. "Do you experience much in the way of pain from them?"

"No, not really." Margaret refused to meet the doctor's eyes.

"Bullshit!"

"I beg your pardon, Doctor Po."

"I said, bullshit. Don't lie to me Margaret. I can see by the way you move, how you walk, when you sit down that those muscles are still giving you a lot of trouble."

The nurse turned away. "It's not that bad. It will get better, you said so yourself."

"I also recall saying they won't be as strong as they used to be." Sally gave a sigh and placed her mug on the table. "Margaret, I think you need to seriously consider your future."

"What do you mean by that?" The nurse's tone was guarded.

"Even when those muscles have healed, and it will be some time before they are completely back to normal, or as close to normal as they ever will be, it's obvious that you're not going to be capable of doing the job you did before. You know yourself just how demanding nursing can be. Face it, Margaret, your back isn't going to recover enough for you to continue in this profession like before." Sally hated saying the words, but it was the truth and the sooner the nurse accepted that, the sooner she could move on.

"But, nursing's all I know, it's all I've done, all I've ever wanted to do. I don't have any qualifications for anything else and at my age no one would consider employing me, especially once they know I have a weak back." Margaret knew that Sally wasn't trying to be cruel, she was simply stating the truth.

Sally's face curved into a smile, her mind ticking over. Margaret saw the change in her friend and inwardly cringed.

"Whatever it is you're hatching in that mind of yours, you can forget it," Margaret stated.

"Why, Margaret, you wound me to the core," Sally said and placed a hand over her heart and mock swooned. "Why on earth would you think I was planning anything?"

"Maybe it has something to do with that evil smirk you have on your face."

"Before you go jumping to any conclusions, just hear me out, let me speak and then when I'm done, you can have your say," Sally said.

Knowing she wasn't about to get out of this, Margaret had no choice but to listen.

* * *

"Heero? Heero, can you get that?" Duo called from the nursery where he was changing Keitaro.

"Hai, won't be a second." Heero replied and placed the baby singlets he was folding onto the bed. He crossed the room and grabbed the phone. "Yuy-Maxwell residence."

Duo walked into the bedroom, Keitaro in his arms as Heero was replacing the receiver. "Who was it?"

Heero looked up, registering his partner's words. "That was Nurse Brown."

"Oh? What did she want? Is she working back late or something?" Duo could see Heero's brow wrinkle a little as he thought.

"No, nothing like that."

"Then why was she calling?" Duo was clearly becoming exasperated with his husband's lack of information.

"She said she's found us a nanny for Keitaro."

"She has? Great! I was seriously beginning to think we were never going to get one. When do we get to meet this nanny? I hope she's not like some of the others we've interviewed; although if Nurse Brown recommended her she would have to be okay."

"Duo?"

"Yes?"

"Nurse Brown is bringing the nanny here for us to meet and see if we approve."

"She is? When?"

"She's on her way now. Should be here in about fifteen minutes."

"Ah, right. Better get a move on then and tidy up a bit. Can't have a prospective nanny thinking we're slobs now, can we, Heero," Duo stated as he left the bedroom.

Heero rolled his eyes.

* * *

Hearing a car pulling up, Duo shifted Keitaro a little in his arms and prepared himself to meet the nanny Nurse Brown was bringing. The front door opened and then closed, the sound of footsteps echoing slightly. With Heero by his side, the pair stood up and turned expectantly to face the open doorway of the lounge room.

Nurse Brown stepped into the room, her features neutral.

Duo nodded to the nurse and then peered behind her, looking for the nanny.

Heero was similarly waiting for the nanny to step inside and the introductions to take place. His eyes darted back to Nurse Brown. "Would you bring the nanny in for us to meet?' he asked, a little confused.

Nurse Brown smiled. "She's already here."

"Eh? I don't follow," Duo said. "There's only you and us..."

Heero's head jerked up and his eyes darted quickly from the nurse to Duo and back again. "If she's already here and there's only Duo, Keitaro, yourself and I in the room, then - "

"You mean you're the nanny?" Duo asked, his eyes wide.

Nurse Brown nodded. "That's if you're both happy with the choice. If you want me to be Keitaro's nanny."

"Of course we do! We'd like nothing more than to have you as our son's nanny. But... I don't understand. Your job at the hospital." Duo's voice trailed off. Heero was equally confused.

"I thought you didn't want to be Keitaro's nanny, that you wanted to continue working at the hospital."

"Let's go through to the kitchen, it's a long story and I'm going to need a strong cup of tea to help me tell it," the nurse said with a smile.

~ * ~

tbc...


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you to all who are reading!**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 6

Over the course of the next couple of weeks, Nurse Brown recovered from her back injury as much as she ever would. It didn't give her any further severe pain, just a twinge every now and then, usually if she'd done something she shouldn't have, like twisted in an awkward way. Caring for Keitaro seemed to be the ideal solution to her problem. She was still active, using her skills and most of all – was wanted and needed.

Heero and Duo were over the moon. They had a nanny they could trust and rely on, Keitaro was happy and most of all, the guys had someone they could talk to, confide in and ask for advice from.

Needless to say, it worked well for everyone.

The weeks had passed rapidly and Hilde's wedding was looming on the horizon. Duo had contacted his 'sister' and informed her of Nurse Brown's attendance at the wedding; Hilde had been overjoyed to find out that the nurse had 'retired' from general nursing and taken on the role of nanny.

The hotel on L2 had been booked, the shuttle tickets confirmed and now all that remained was for Heero to pick up their suits from the suit hire place that Hilde had hired them from. Nurse Brown accompanied Heero, stating she needed to buy something to wear for the wedding as she didn't have anything suitable in her wardrobe. Duo had snickered at that, remembering their shopping sprees with Hilde. For the life of him, Duo couldn't figure out just what it was with women and shopping. When he went shopping he knew what he wanted, headed for the store and purchased it. Women seemed to have the urge to try on almost everything in the store, and in all different colors!

Duo figured he'd gotten the better end of the deal, staying home with Keitaro whilst Heero braved the mall with Nurse Brown. Wishing his husband all the very best of luck, and reminding him that their shuttle left in four days, Duo had waved the pair off.

He was therefore rather surprised when Heero and Nurse Brown returned within two hours. He'd figured they would be absent for the most part of the day. "That was quick," Duo said as he met Heero and Nurse Brown at the front door. "Are you sure you got everything?"

"Hai." Heero just smirked at the stunned look on his lover's face and walked past him, two suit bags in his hands.

Violet eyes widened as Duo watched Nurse Brown enter, a large package in her arms.

"Duo, it's not polite to stare, or gape like that. Close your mouth before you start to dribble," Nurse Brown said as she strolled past.

There was an audible click as Duo snapped his mouth shut.

"That's better," said the nurse. "Would you like to see my outfit for the wedding?"

Duo nodded, his brain was still having a hard time accepting that this female had managed to find herself an outfit, and in under six hours no less!

Nurse Brown set the package down on the sofa, Duo following her into the lounge room. The package was opened and Nurse Brown removed a dress from inside it. She held it up and then pulled it against her before turning around and facing Duo. "Well, what do you think?"

Taking a moment to study the outfit, Duo smiled. It was simple, yet elegant, a mix of satin and organza. The bodice was dark green satin with a low neck line and long sleeves of pale green organza. It gathered very slightly at the waist, the darker satin covered by the lighter organza and falling to mid calf. There wasn't anything overly fancy about it, the design being kept simple and that's what made it so special.

"I think it's perfect," Duo breathed. It suited the nurse to a tee.

"Thank you, Duo," the nurse replied. "I was quite taken by it myself when I first spotted it. It's been a while since I've had the opportunity to get dressed up."

Duo's eyes softened as he listened to the nurse speak. He could quite sympathize with her, knowing from what she'd told them of her past that once she'd lost her husband she'd thrown herself into her career. He could well imagine just how long it had been since the nurse had had the opportunity to relax, dress up and enjoy herself. "You're going to knock everyone's socks off," Duo stated with a grin.

"Oh, piffle," the nurse snorted. "The bride will be the one they will all be looking at, and rightly so. Speaking of the bride and people looking, I hope you plan on trimming your hair a bit. You will also be under scrutiny, giving the bride away. Which reminds me, I'd better check that Heero is also getting his hair cut."

Duo shook his head, eyes twinkling with amusement. "Heero has already made us both an appointment to get our bangs trimmed."

"Good," the nurse said as she packed her dress away again. "Can't have you both up there under everyone's eagle eyes looking like nobody owns you. I'd never hear the end of it..."

The nurse continued on her little rant, Duo let her go, a small smile tugging at his lips.

* * *

"I think we're gonna need a bigger bag," Duo stated with a frown.

"More like a couple of bags," Heero replied. "Are you sure we need all this?"

Duo surveyed the state of the bed, completely covered with 'baby things'. Everything from diapers to jump suits, bibs to booties, bottles and formula; not to mention toys. Duo scratched his head. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure we will."

"Shit! This child will be using up all our combined weight allowance for the shuttle flight!"

"Problems, guys?" Nurse Brown stepped into the room, Keitaro in her arms.

"Yes and no," Duo answered cryptically.

"Oh? Care to explain?"

With a sigh, Duo waved his hand at all the items on the bed. "I'm trying to sort out and pack what we will need for Keitaro while we're on L2."

"And?"

"There seems to be an awful lot of stuff."

"Ah." the nurse took in the crowded state of the bed and chuckled. "I'd say you need a bit of a hand here."

"Would you mind? I really don't know what I'm doing. I know I'll need a few changes of clothes for Keitaro, plus diapers and other stuff. Oh, what about bathing? I'll need to take his baby bath too. Damn, I'd forgotten about that."

"Duo?"

"Yes?"

"Calm down."

"Ah, right."

"Now. Heero, you hold your son here whilst I give Duo a hand." The nurse passed the infant to his father, Heero cradling the baby carefully in his arms. "Right, let's get started."

Heero stepped out of the room and made his way down to the kitchen where he began to warm a bottle for the baby. It was coming up for Keitaro's feeding time and Heero knew the other two would be occupied for some time with their packing so he opted to enjoy the time with his son.

"You won't need a baby bath, they will have bathing facilities at the hotel for the child. You don't need to take all those diapers either, just pack enough for the trip there and a couple of spares. You can buy some when you arrive on L2." Nurse Brown took over the packing of Keitaro's things, explaining patiently to Duo as she sorted through the mountain of stuff Duo had put out with the intent of taking it all to L2 with him.

By the time the nurse was done, the pile had diminished to almost a quarter of what Duo had originally planned on taking.

"There. Isn't that a bit better?" the nurse asked as she observed the severely reduced pile.

"Much," Duo replied. "Thanks."

"My pleasure. Now, I'd better find that husband of yours and see what he's up to with that child." The nurse left the room in search of Heero. She didn't have to look far. Stepping into the hall, she could hear the soft sounds of a lullaby. Curious, she followed the sound to the doorway of the nursery and paused. Not wanting to intrude, Margaret peered through the crack between the door and the jamb, a smile found its way to her face as she watched the scene before her.

Standing beside the cot in the nursery, Heero gazed lovingly at his son. Without being aware of it, he began to hum softly, then, as his memory supplied him, the humming changed to words and Heero began to sing a lullaby. In the cot, Keitaro yawned and snuggled into his blanket. His belly was full, bottom dry and he felt very comfortable. The soft sounds coming from above soothed him and lulled him to slumber. Eyes drifted shut, a little nose wrinkled and then with a quiet sigh, the babe settled and drifted off into sleep.

Heero continued to sing quietly for a little while longer, eyes carefully watching the infant as his son settled and fell asleep. Heero finished the lullaby and carefully checked the blanket around the sleeping child before slipping quietly from the room. Nurse Brown had already left so Heero had no idea that he'd been watched. The nurse felt it would be best if she wasn't around when Heero came out of the nursery, sensing that the singing was something the man would most likely want to keep to himself and she had no desire to embarrass the poor guy.

Having settled Keitaro, Heero returned to the bedroom to see how his partner was faring with the packing. The pile had been drastically reduced to what had been there before and Heero gave a mental sigh. "Want a hand to pack that lot?" he asked as he slipped his arms around Duo's waist and nuzzled his husband's neck.

"That would be good," Duo returned as he tilted his head a little to the side and bared more skin for Heero to feast upon.

Reluctantly leaving his nibbling of his lover's tender spots and with a promise to continue later, Heero released his hold and gave his partner a hand to pack the baby's things.

* * *

"I think I'll go to bed," the nurse said as she got up from the couch. "I'll check on Keitaro before turning in for the night."

"I think we will be retiring too," Duo murmured as he stretched his arms and yawned. "It's going to be a long day tomorrow."

"Hn. Is your bag all ready?" Heero asked the nurse as he stood up and turned the television off.

"Yes, yes it is. I've got it in my room," replied the nurse.

"I'll come and get it before I go to bed and put it with the rest of the luggage," Heero informed the nurse.

"That's fine." Nurse Brown left and headed for her room.

Heero gave his partner a hand up off the couch, finding himself suddenly pulled in close and a sensual kiss pressed to his lips.

"What time does the shuttle leave again?" Duo whispered as he rubbed against his lover.

"One thirty. We need to be at the shuttle port by eleven thirty," Heero replied, his breath hitching slightly.

"Good." Duo pressed another kiss to Heero's lips before moving away and leaving his partner bemoaning the loss of warmth. "I'll lock up while you fetch Nurse Brown's bag and put it with the rest of the bags. Don't be too long though." Duo gave a saucy smile and putting extra sway to his hips, he left to lock up.

Muttering softly under his breath, Heero tried to will away the forming erection in his pants. It wouldn't look good to arrive at the nurse's room with a bulge in his jeans. Fortunately the climb up the stairs did the trick and Heero was saved from further embarrassment.

* * *

Their bedroom was bathed in moonlight when Heero entered, the heavy drapes pulled back to allow the moon's silvery light to provide the illumination. His eyes adjusted quickly as he scanned the room, coming to a stop when his sight alighted on the large bed. He licked his lips.

Lying naked on his back, hair unbound, one arm underneath his head whilst the other toyed lazily with his erection, was Duo. The soft, pale light of the moon painted his body with varying shadows and shades, highlighting some areas and hiding others.

Violet eyes turned to meet with cobalt, hand still stroking lazily on his cock as Duo smiled in invitation. "Care to join me?" Duo breathed.

Feeling his body reacting to the sight, Heero crossed the room in four strides. "You look, stunning," Heero whispered as his eyes raked over his lover's nude form.

"You're overdressed, Heero."

That was something Heero knew he could remedy - and fast. Jeans pooled around ankles as a shirt was yanked over a head and tossed to the floor. Briefs followed the fate of the jeans and Heero stood before his husband wearing nothing but a smile and a hard on. The look Duo gave him was positively evil. It spoke of lust, desire, need and want.

Rolling over, Duo drew himself up to his knees and came face to chest with Heero. He ran his hands along Heero's sides, stopping at his hips and rubbing his thumbs over the slightly jutting bone. "I want you, Heero."

"Duo..."

"Hush. I need you, Heero. I need to be inside you."

"Are you sure? What about - "

Duo cut off any further protest by pulling Heero towards him and tumbling them both to the mattress, kissing his husband senseless. "Sally has cleared me for physical exercise," Duo began, "I'm okay to explore and enjoy intimacy with you, Heero. The only thing Sally hasn't cleared me for is for you to take me."

"Aa."

"Let me love you, Heero?"

"Hai." Heero rolled over to his back and spread his legs, Duo settling between them and rubbing his erection against Heero's and giving them both much craved for stimulation.

Kissing his husband again, Duo's lips went on a journey of worship, moving across Heero's neck, over a collar bone and down over a well muscled chest until he reached a caramel nipple and began to suck. With Heero distracted by his mouth's wanderings, Duo slipped a hand underneath his pillow and pulled out the tube of lube he'd hidden there earlier. Flipping the cap he squeezed a good amount out and coated his fingers. The tube was dropped to the bed as Duo shifted his position, rolling slightly to the side of Heero and delving his hand between Heero's thighs to trace along the crevice of Heero's rear.

A soft moan escaped Heero's throat as Duo's finger began to circle around his entrance. Nerves came alive sending pleasure washing through his body as his hole was gently coaxed into opening up. A slick finger passed through the tight ring and began to stroke his inner passage, offering more stimulation to Heero's already excited body.

Heero was tight, very tight, but Duo had expected that. It had been a while since they'd made love, circumstances had simply not allowed it. Whilst Sally still had to clear him completely from the birth and give him a clean bill of health, she'd already cleared him to resume normal activities; providing he played seme until Sally had determined what sort of birth control measures would be best suited to Duo's unusual make up.

A second finger followed the first, scissoring and stretching Heero's muscles in preparation for better things. Heero moaned in appreciation and began to push back on Duo's fingers, seeking to draw them deeper into his body. His efforts were rewarded as Duo slid a third finger inside.

Duo's self control was beginning to slip away from him. His cock throbbed heavy between his legs, balls ached with need and he longed to be deep inside his lover. The tight muscle had relaxed around his three fingers so Duo felt it was time to move on before he completely lost it. Sliding his fingers out, he searched for the lube, a growl of frustration coming from Heero.

"Why did you stop?" Heero groused.

"Patience, lover of mine. I'll be filling you soon enough with something far more delicious than fingers. Where's the damn lube?" Duo searched around, patting the bed clothes. "I know I dropped it on the mattress," he muttered.

"This what you're looking for?" Heero smirked and dangled a small tube between his thumb and fore finger.

"How did you?" Duo didn't get to finish, Heero flipped open the cap, spread a generous amount onto his palm and began to coat Duo's cock.

"It rolled down the bed and ended up tucked under my ribs," Heero explained as he continued to coat Duo's length.

"Mmm... Nice," Duo groaned as he began to rock his hips, thrusting his cock into the tunnel of Heero's hand. His eyes slid shut as he savored the feeling. Then, Heero removed his hand. Duo's eyes shot open and he glared at his lover.

"I want you inside me. Make love to me, Duo," Heero murmured, his voice thick with need.

"It will be my pleasure," Duo returned and settled once more between Heero's thighs.

Heero opened his legs as wide as he could, bending them at the knee and tilting his pelvis. Duo's cock head brushed against his entrance causing Heero to shiver and mewl for more. Rubbing himself against Heero's hole, Duo teased them both for a moment before getting serious and pushing persistently against the ring of muscle. Relaxing as much as he could, Heero tried to draw Duo's cock inside, craving the feeling of being filled.

The steady pressure had the desired result, the flared head of Duo's penis slipped through the stubborn ring and into paradise. It was hot, moist and oh, so tight. Duo paused and groaned, struggling to maintain what little grip he had left on his sanity. Gradually his body calmed, the sheath he was embedded in relaxed and he was able to slide in further. Slowly but surely, Duo fully seated himself inside Heero's passage, the feeling of his hard flesh being squeezed by that tight channel, the ripples of strong muscles against his shaft all sending his hormones into a frenzy of lust, desire and need.

The feeling of his lover sliding inside was pure torture for Heero. He was acutely aware of every inch of his lover's hard shaft as it speared him to the bed. The burn of entry was soon forgotten though as Duo's cock slid all the way in. They remained joined together for several moments, each adjusting to the sensations flowing through them, sensations they hadn't experienced in some time. Heero began to move his hips a little and squeeze the muscles of his ass to let Duo know he was ready for more.

Lowering himself a little, Duo drew his knees under himself and prepared to take both his husband and himself to nirvana. He began to withdraw, sliding out until only the head remained inside and then plunging back into the heated warmth. "Ah, feels so good, Heero."

Wrapping his legs around Duo's waist, Heero began to push his hips harder against Duo's, demanding more from his lover.

A rhythm was found, Duo's hips snapping forward, cock sliding in and out as the pace increased, both men desperate to reach their climaxes, but loathe to get there. The pace picked up again, Duo slamming harder into Heero's passage.

Working a hand between their heaving bodies, Duo found Heero's cock, curled his hand around it and began to stroke. A keening cry began to work its way past Heero's lips, his hips thrust in countenance to his lover's. The friction was exquisite, each push of Duo's cock opened his channel up, caressed his inner walls and drove his hormones to distraction. When Duo managed to brush against that cluster of nerves, Heero felt his whole world starting to shatter around him.

Duo knew he'd hit the spot, Heero's arching beneath him and crying out with pleasure telling him so. His hand pumped faster, coaxing Heero's cock to give in to the excitement whilst his hips continued their frantic pounding of Heero's ass.

The tension built until Heero could hold himself in check no longer. With Duo's next inward thrust hitting his prostate he gave in to the overwhelming pleasure, his balls drawing tight whilst nerves were singed by the raging fire of his climax. A keening cry escaped his lips, body arched and went stiff as his essence spurted from the slit to coat Duo's hand and his own stomach.

The rhythmic contractions of Heero's passage tipped Duo over the edge and into his own world of colored lights. The heated walls gripped hard, coaxing Duo's cock to give up its seed. Feeling Heero's climax slicking his hand, Duo forced his hips forward, slamming in as deep as he could get, buttocks straining as the pleasure of release began to claim him. A scream was caught in his throat, eyes forced closed as he rode the very waves of pleasure.

It was several minutes before either man could move. Duo was content to remain sprawled over his lover, still buried inside Heero's heat as he drifted in post orgasmic bliss. As much as Heero enjoyed having his lover all over him, he was sweaty and sticky and really wanted to clean up a bit before allowing sleep to claim him. It was with a lot of protest from Duo that Heero managed to extricate himself from his lover's long limbs and head for the bathroom to fetch a wash cloth and clean up.

Feeling a lot better now that the sticky evidence of their lovemaking had been cleaned away, Heero drew his partner close to him, Duo only too happy to snuggle into Heero's chest. They lay in each other's arms for a while, each content to enjoy the silence. Tomorrow would see them on the shuttle flight to L2 and Hilde's wedding; but for now there was simply the two of them and the love they shared.

~ * ~

tbc.....


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you to all who are reading.**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 7

The morning came all too soon and Duo cursed loudly as the alarm clock went off, letting him know in no uncertain terms that it was time to get up. Time passed quickly as breakfast was taken care of, Keitaro bathed and dressed ready for traveling whilst Heero double checked they had everything and loaded up the car with their baggage.

Harim was going with them to the shuttle port and would drive the car back to the mansion rather than leave it in the long term car parking area. Keitaro was settled into the demonic baby seat, which seemed to behave perfectly for Nurse Brown, and with everyone seated and belted up, Heero started the engine and began the drive to the shuttle port.

The drive was fairly peaceful, Heero concentrating on the road, Duo concentrating on Heero, Nurse Brown keeping an eye on Keitaro, Keitaro sleeping peacefully and Harim watching the landscape pass by. Arriving at the shuttle port, Heero brought the car to a stop in the 'unloading' zone.

Harim assisted in getting the luggage from the car and onto the pavement while Heero fetched a luggage trolley. Nurse Brown fetched Keitaro's baby bag from inside the vehicle and checked again that it contained all they would need to keep the baby comfortable on the flight to L2. Duo decided to do battle with the baby seat and liberate Keitaro from within it - easier said than done.

"Come on, sunshine. Time to get you out of there," Duo cooed as he reached for the seat belt arrangement of the baby seat.

Keitaro gurgled and waved his arms around.

"Now, this part here gets released first..."

Legs kicked out.

"Ouch. Take it easy, Keitaro. I'm only trying to get you out of this contraption," Duo grumbled as the babe's foot connected with his upper arm. "Squeeze this part to release that bit." Duo leaned closer in order to operate the release mechanism of the safety belt.

Keitaro thought this was a fine new game and reached out with his small hands, hands that grabbed hold of his 'mother's' bangs and were quick to tangle in them.

"Ow, shit! That hurts. Let go, sunshine," Duo whimpered as his hair was pulled and jerked by tiny fists. Duo had always had a sensitive scalp and didn't take kindly to anyone pulling his hair.

"You okay in there, Duo?" Nurse Brown asked; it was taking a while for the young man to get his child from inside the car.

"Errr, no."

"What's the... Oh. I see." Nurse Brown had opened the opposite car door and was brought up short when she saw the situation. Then she began to laugh.

"It's not funny," Duo complained. "It hurts!"

"What hurts? Aa." Heero had returned with the luggage trolley and hearing the laughter had poked his head inside the front passenger side of the car to see what was going on. "I think you're going to need a bit of help there."

"No shit, Sherlock!"

"Duo! Language!" The nurse gave the long haired man a glare to rival Heero's.

"Um, sorry."

"Apology accepted. Now let's see what we can do to get you out of this situation." Nurse Brown reached across and managed to take hold of one of Keitaro's hands. "Heero, can you please try to keep Keitaro still whilst I try to open his fingers and release Duo's hair?"

"Hai." Heero reached over from the front seat to the back and gently held the baby's arm still so the nurse could work on prising the fingers open and releasing Duo's bangs from the tight clutches. They had to be careful, not only because of Duo's scalp sensitivity, but they didn't want to hurt Keitaro either. The hair was wound tightly around fingers making it difficult to free. Nurse Brown didn't want the hair to cut into the baby's skin and had to take her time in gently unraveling the strands and trying to keep them from being caught up again.

It took a little while but eventually Duo was free. He gave a sigh, pulled back out of the car and rubbed his tender scalp. "Thanks," he said to the nurse and Heero as they both emerged from inside the car, the nurse with Keitaro in her arms having freed the child from the baby seat.

"No problem," the nurse replied. "I do seem to recall a conversation though about getting your hair cut."

"We did!" protested Duo.

"You might want to consider getting it trimmed a little shorter next time, either that or be prepared to have your hair pulled a lot more often."

Duo sighed. "Another of the glories of parenthood," he muttered and turned to see Heero putting the last of the suitcases on the luggage trolley.

Good byes were said and Harim drove off, promising to be back at the shuttle port to pick them up when they returned in a week's time.

"Time to get checked in," Heero said and began to push the luggage trolley towards the sliding doors and into the shuttle terminal.

"Here." Nurse Brown handed Keitaro back to Duo and picked up the baby bag.

Duo cradled the infant in his arms and followed his husband and the nanny into the terminal.

* * *

It didn't take long for the group to check in. Being Preventer agents had a little influence, even though they weren't on Preventer business and had booked their tickets on a public shuttle. Luggage was checked in, passports stamped and boarding passes issued. With an hour to go before the shuttle left, they made their way down the corridor to the boarding lounge to wait for their boarding call.

The time they had before being called to board the shuttle gave Duo the opportunity to check Keitaro and change the baby's diaper. It was coming up for Keitaro's feeding time but Nurse Brown advised that they hold off feeding the infant until they were on the shuttle. That didn't make much sense to Duo until the nurse explained.

"It's okay for you two, you're both used to traveling, used the amount of force exerted on you as you take off and can counter the effects of space travel. Keitaro can't. He's only just three months old and not yet capable of clearing his blocked ears from the differing pressure or able to understand the simulated gravity. By feeding him when on board the shuttle and taking off, the swallowing of the milk will help his ears to remain clear and remove that discomfort. Also, he usually goes to sleep after a feed and that will help him to cope with the gravity changes. By the time he wakes up from his nap the gravity in the shuttle will have stabilized and he will have unconsciously have adjusted to it."

"Makes sense," Heero stated and looked at his husband.

"If the nurse says it will be best for Keitaro then I'm not about to argue," Duo said. "I trust her judgment; after all, she's had a lot more experience with kids than we have."

"You got that right," Heero mumbled.

* * *

"Should be just up there a couple more rows," Duo said to Heero as they shuffled down the aisle of the shuttle looking for their designated seats.

Heero's eyes scanned the overhead baggage lockers, noting the numbers written on them and headed further into the shuttle for where their seats should be. He found them at last and with a grunt, tossed their cabin baggage into the small overhead locker and then moved aside for Duo to take the window seat. Once Duo was settled, Heero sat in the aisle seat whilst Nurse Brown sat in the aisle seat behind them.

Heero reached for Keitaro, nursing the infant whilst Duo fastened his seat belt. Once Duo was safely strapped in, Heero handed the child back and picked up the baby bag from the floor between his feet where he'd put it when the nurse had passed it to him when they sat down. He rummaged around inside and found the bottle of formula, bringing it out and looking around for a stewardess. He managed to attract the attention of one and asked her if she would be kind enough to warm the bottle for him.

The stewardess returned after a few minutes with the warmed bottle and handed it over to Heero. "What a lovely baby," the stewardess cooed.

Keitaro just blinked.

"If you need anything during the flight, diapers, bottles, changing facilities, just let me know. You can push the small button on the arm rest of your chair and that will let us know you need assistance." The stewardess paused for a second and then continued. "There is a fold out 'crib' inside the partition before you. Here, I'll show you how it works and then when the baby is tired you can pop him in there to sleep." The stewardess reached in front of Duo, twisted a knob set in the partition and pulled. A small crib folded out from inside.

"Well, I'll be," said Duo in surprise. "They think of everything now."

The crib was just big enough for an infant to sleep comfortably in and even had restraints fitted to prevent the child from falling or 'floating' out as the case may be.

Keitaro spotted the bottle in his father's hand and began to whimper.

"I'd suggest feeding him a little now and then the rest once we've taken off. I'd hold him close to your chest for the initial propulsion into space and then feed him the rest of the bottle as the shuttle levels out and passes into the exosphere. It will help to combat any pressure changes in his ears."

"Thank you," Heero said and handed the bottle to his husband.

"You're welcome. I'd better get back to my seat, we're due to take off in a couple of minutes." The stewardess left and the pilot's voice came over the intercom announcing their imminent take off, requesting that all cabin baggage be secured, seat belts fastened and all cabin crew to take their seats for take off.

Duo held the bottle up a touch, the warm milk flowing through the teat and into Keitaro's hungry mouth. The infant sucked hard on the bottle completely unaware of what was happening around him. He was warm, safe and most importantly, being fed. It therefore came as a bit of a shock to him when his world was suddenly filled with noise, the food removed and a rather heavy pressure bore down on him.

The engines fired, the shuttle held still as the power built until it reached a level strong enough to leave the earth and its gravitational pull. The pilot eased the shuttle forward, the 'slingshot' mechanism assisting the craft in its take off. The silver shuttle tore down the ramp and shot into the sky, climbing rapidly through the various layers of the atmosphere until it reached the plane where space and sky met and blended together.

Keitaro cried out as the G force of take off hit his small frame. Despite the warm arms around him and the soothing rumble of his 'mother's' voice, the infant continued to cry.

"Shhh, Keitaro. It's okay, nothing bad's gonna happen. It's just the shuttle taking off," Duo soothed.

The babe refused to be comforted though and continued to cry. The shuttle steadied, the pressure was gone and the artificial gravity started to kick in. Whilst not as strong as the earth's gravitational pull, it was enough to keep things from floating around. Even though the pressure was gone, the infant still refused to settle.

Duo tried everything he could think of, rocking the child, feeding him more milk, humming softly and even running his hands gently over the tiny form. The more he tried the more agitated Keitaro seemed to become and that only made Duo more upset. It was a vicious cycle.

Desperate to help out, Heero suggested he try holding and soothing the child, it was obvious that the pair were only succeeding in upsetting each other further. Duo handed the infant over and Heero did his best to settle the fussing baby.

He had no luck.

Nurse Brown thought she'd better intervene before both men began to tear their hair out in frustration or the rest of the passengers staged a mutiny against them. Undoing her seat belt, the nurse partially stood and leaned around the seat to Heero. "Pass him to me," she said quietly.

Heero was only too happy to hand his son over to the nanny. Maybe she would have better luck.

Nurse Brown took the infant and began to rock him slowly in her arms. As she rocked so she hummed softly and with her free hand her fingers found the baby's head and began a gentle massage.

The baby continued to cry for a few minutes and then began to slow in his wails, the noise softening and becoming sniffles. Nurse Brown didn't stop, she rocked steadily and her fingers continued in the soft massage of the infant's head, especially around the temples. Within fifteen minutes, Keitaro was asleep. The nurse kept up with the massage and rocking for a couple more minutes to make sure the baby wasn't about to wake up and then she stood carefully and moved forward to where Duo and Heero were sitting.

"Could you open up the crib in the partition before you?" Nurse Brown asked as she appeared beside the two men.

"No problem." Duo was quick to release the crib, pulling it out and moving slightly to allow the nurse room to maneuver and place the baby within the crib. Duo reached in and secured the restraints, keeping them tight enough so that Keitaro wouldn't fall or float out, but loose enough for the infant to be comfortable. "Thanks," Duo acknowledged. "I don't understand why he was so upset or what you did to settle him, but I appreciate it."

"Ah, it wasn't anything flash or fancy, just a simple rocking and massaging of his head. I'd say the change in pressure is what affected him the most. By massaging his head gently it helps to relieve the stress and pressure there."

"I'll have to get you to show me how to do that."

"I'd be happy to, Duo. Now, I think we should take advantage of the peace and quiet whilst we have it." Nurse Brown sat back down in her own seat and pulled out a magazine to read.

Duo gazed out the window of the shuttle to the many twinkling stars. He couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive, he was used to piloting himself and found it hard to trust someone else at the controls. Beside him, Heero was having a similar reaction, fidgeting a little and glancing nervously around. It was hard to try to put aside years of inground training. At least they weren't pacing up and down the aisle!

It was hard to ignore the exhilaration though, the sheer vastness of space. As Duo stared out the small window his mind dragged up long forgotten memories, times spent in Deathscythe sitting out in the black void, battles he'd fought in the endless darkness. He had a healthy respect for space and her capabilities; he also had a love for the fickle vastness.

"Nice thoughts?"

Duo turned and smiled at his husband. "Mainly reminiscing," he replied as he took his lover's hand in his own and squeezed gently. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Hai, it is," Heero replied knowing exactly what his husband was talking about. Heero also held a soft spot for the expanse of space. Having spent so much time there, both on colony and in the dark void herself, one came to appreciate her beauty and deadliness. Like the black widow spider, she could turn on you in an instant and kill you in the blink of an eye.

"We should rest while we can," Duo said softly and checked the sleeping infant.

"You sleep, I'll take first watch," Heero murmured, knowing how difficult it was for either of them to put aside their 'training' and simply fall asleep when there were so many people around them, people they didn't know and that meant the chance of a threat.

"Okay." Duo gave his partner a smile and settled into his seat. It would be some time yet before they docked at L2, might as well get what rest they could.

Heero slipped into mission mode and watched over his husband and son, once again marveling at how lucky he was.

* * *

Duo slept for a good couple of hours before waking. Violet eyes blinked open and it took him a moment to orientate himself. He felt the smile tugging at his lips as his eyes locked with his husband's. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself," Heero replied softly and leaned over to steal a kiss. "Have a good rest?"

"Mmm. I'm feeling much better now," Duo answered as he stretched. "How long was I out for?"

"A little over two hours."

"Keitaro?"

"Still sleeping."

"Good." Duo leaned forward and took a look inside the crib. His son lay content on his side, eyes tightly shut as he slept on, oblivious to everything around him. "I'll take over the watch now, Heero. You get some sleep."

"I'll sleep shortly. They're bringing around the meal in about another fifteen minutes. I'll take my nap after we've eaten.

"Right. I wonder what's on the menu? I'm famished!" Duo rubbed his hands together and grinned at his lover. Heero rolled his eyes and shook his head.

Keitaro woke up just as the stewardess was picking up the used food trays. With their meal out of the way, Duo took Keitaro through to the rest room area at the rear of the shuttle where they had the facilities for baby changing. He quickly changed the infant and made sure Keitaro was comfortable before walking back down the aisle to his seat. Heero had fished out another bottle of formula and the stewardess had warmed it for them. Duo handed the babe over to his father, Heero taking him and cradling him in his arms before bringing the bottle to the infant's mouth and feeding his son.

Once Keitaro had drunk his fill and brought up his wind, he didn't seem inclined to want to go back to sleep. His eyes wandered everywhere, taking in all the new sights and sounds, even if he didn't understand any of it. Nurse Brown suggested Heero take a walk through the shuttle with the child in his arms, that way Heero could get a little exercise and Keitaro would see more of his surroundings; it would also tire the infant out a bit and ensure he went to sleep very soon.

Within another half an hour, Keitaro was drifting off again and Heero wasn't far behind him.

Heero slept for three hours before he felt the change in the shuttle's vibrations indicating something was going on. He woke up and was met by his husband's warm smile.

"I was just going to wake you. We will be docking on L2 in another forty-five minutes," Duo said softly.

"Aa. I'll start to get everything together then." Heero stood up and checked all their cabin baggage. He made sure the baby bag was close at hand as Keitaro would need changing once he woke up and there was the chance he would also need a clothing change and a bottle too.

Staring out of the small shuttle window, Duo could see the lights of the L2 colony cluster blinking through the darkness of space. A thrill of excitement as well as one of apprehension passed through him. Idly he wondered how much the colony had changed since he'd left with Heero to join the Preventers. No doubt he would be finding out soon enough.

~ * ~

tbc...


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you to all who are reading.**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 8

The shuttle approached the colony, thrusters giving a little push here and there, turning the craft slightly and lining it up with the docking station. Keitaro stirred but didn't wake. Duo kept one eye on his son and one eye on the window, watching carefully as the pilot maneuvered the shuttle into position.

There was a bit of a jerk and a hollow sort of clang that signaled the docking clamps attaching themselves and securing the craft to the colony. Once the clamps were locked into place the sounds of the 'disembarking' tunnel attaching reverberated through the craft, the tunnel sealing itself over the hatchway to the shuttle to enable the passengers to move from the craft to the colony's security and 'immigration' clearance sections.

Finally the shuttle powered down and the all clear was given for the passengers to start leaving the craft. Heero and Duo waited for a little while, opting to let the main body of passengers exit first. Heero got their cabin baggage from the overhead lockers, Nurse Brown collected the baby bag whilst Duo gently lifted Keitaro from within the crib. The babe snuggled closer to Duo's chest, the sounds of Duo's heartbeat soothing any distress he may have been feeling and sending him back to sleep.

Once they had exited the craft, the trio followed the signs to the security and immigration check points and stood in the queue. It didn't take long for them to clear immigration, the necessary papers being produced and stamped followed by a 'Welcome to L2, enjoy your stay' and they were all clear to go through to the baggage section and collect their luggage.

The carousel was grinding its way around, the sounds coming from the worn belt and drive mechanism attesting to the age of the contraption and reminding Duo once again of the poverty that ran rife through the L2 cluster. Idly he wondered if anything had changed on the outside of the shuttle port; or were there still homeless kids wandering the streets, slum areas that no-one, not even the rats were safe in.

Since the end of the war and the following peace, the Earth Sphere United Nation had promised to aid the colonies in rebuilding their economies, to assist them with housing, industry and education. How much of that aid had reached the L2 cluster? Duo was no idiot, he knew that out of all the colonies L2 had the most poverty, the larger volume of homeless and had heard the promises made to ease the suffering. He had his doubts though as to how much aid had actually arrived.

"Duo? You okay?"

Duo shook his head and focused, a pair of concerned, blue eyes were gazing at him. "Yeah, I'm fine, Heero. Just zoned out there for a moment."

"You sure you're okay?" Heero's concern was evident in his voice.

Duo nodded. "I'll be okay, just a few old memories, that's all. I'll tell you about it later, okay?"

"All right." Heero didn't look all that happy but decided against pushing the issue. Whatever Duo was thinking about he would know when Duo was ready to tell him. Heero turned back to the carousel and retrieved their luggage.

It didn't take long for them to clear customs, having their Preventer Agent status on their paperwork did assist in speeding up the process; within minutes they were stepping out through the doors and into the main body of the 'arrivals' hall in the shuttle port.

"Duo!"

Duo looked up and spotted a familiar dark head. "Hilde!" he called. In his arms, Keitaro started to stir.

The young woman raced towards the pair, eyes bright and a smile so wide it threatened to dazzle anyone within a five mile radius. Spotting the baby in Duo's arms, Hilde reined in the urge to grab her 'brother' and hug the living daylights out of him, instead grabbing Heero around the waist and causing the man to drop the bags he was carrying or risk being knocked off his feet.

"It's so good to see you both again," Hilde exclaimed as she squeezed Heero tight and then planted a kiss to his cheek. Releasing the man, she spun around to Duo who had handed Keitaro over to Nurse Brown and launched herself at him.

"So good to see you, Duo," she squealed as she was caught up into strong arms and swept off her feet.

"It's good to see you too, Hilde," Duo replied with a laugh as he hugged his 'sister' close and gave her a kiss to the temple. The clearing of a throat behind them had Duo sheepishly releasing Hilde and turning to face another man.

"How are you, Duo?"

"Mark! It's been ages since we saw you," Duo exclaimed and shook the young man's hand. "You're looking well."

"So are you, Duo."

"She's been looking after you all right?" Duo asked with a twinkle in his eye.

"Yeah, she's not too bad. Guess I can't really complain," Mark returned, playing along with Duo.

"Hey! I resent that!," Hilde protested.

"What's wrong? Can't handle the truth?" Duo teased.

"You keep that up and I'll make sure you're sitting right at the back of the reception center with Mark's Aunt Freida," Hilde threatened.

"Aunt Freida?" Duo questioned with a raise of his eyebrow.

"Every family has a skeleton in the closet," Mark began, "Aunt Freida is ours." He shuddered as his mind wandered.

"Ah, okay. Something tells me I really don't want to pursue that any more."

"No, you don't," Hilde warned. Turning, the dark haired woman focused on Nurse Brown and she smiled warmly at the woman. "It's good to see you again, Nurse Brown. The guys tell me you're Keitaro's nanny. I must say that makes me feel a whole lot happier." Hilde extended her hand in greeting.

"It's lovely to see you again too, Miss Hilde. Thank you for inviting me to attend your wedding and celebrate with you."

"It's our pleasure to have you here. Oh, I must introduce you to my fiancé, Mark."

Mark was duly introduced to Nurse Brown and also Keitaro. Mark hadn't seen the child before, only the pictures that Hilde had shown him. His eyes softened as he gazed at the infant. Keitaro had woken up and was looking around, taking in the sights and sounds all around him. For the moment he was quiet, the noises he could hear, the different sights and smells held his attention, but it wouldn't be too long before he would be demanding a feed or a diaper change.

"He's a lovely baby. The photos don't do him justice," Mark commented as he continued to gaze at the child.

Hilde hadn't told Mark of the real circumstances surrounding Keitaro's conception and birth, the fewer people that knew, the safer it was for Duo. Rather than lie completely, Hilde had gone with the cover story Une, Sally and Doctor G had concocted between them to explain the child for the Preventer records as well as those agents that would be curious as to Duo's absence from the agency. Hilde simply informed her future husband that Keitaro was the result of a mix of Heero's and Duo's sperm with a donor egg. The resulting fetus had been 'grown' in a laboratory and once 'born' the parents had taken over.

Whilst not the complete truth, it wasn't all lies either. The test tube, or laboratory growth of fetus' was happening quite a bit, mainly for couples that couldn't carry a child to term themselves for whatever reason. It was also fast becoming a way for gay married couples to have a family of their own. It was a good cover story, one that would be hard to refute, especially since Sally had made up a complete bogus file on Keitaro to satisfy anyone that should try to check up on the facts.

"We think he's special," Heero said in his quiet tone, loving eyes fixed on his son.

"Yeah," Mark replied absently.

"Uh oh, you'd better watch him, Hilde," Duo whispered and nudged the woman with his elbow.

"Eh? What are you talking about, Duo?" Hilde questioned.

"Mark and babies. He's starting to get a little 'clucky' around Keitaro. Something tells me that Mark isn't going to want to wait too long before becoming a father himself."

Hilde's eyes widened a little in shock as she studied her future husband and his interaction with the child. He was clearly smitten with the infant. "Ah, crap," she muttered. "You know I want kids too, just not right away. I think I'd rather wait a couple of years first."

"Doesn't look like you'll get that privilege. Mark's looking pretty sappy right now." Duo couldn't help himself, he had to tease. After all the teasing and tormenting he'd put up with and suffered through whilst pregnant, it felt good to finally get a little of his own back.

"Well, he's just going to have to wait to become a father," Hilde stated firmly. "The salvage yard is really starting to go ahead and with both of us needed to keep it running smoothly there's just no time to add a family to the mix, not yet anyway."

"Are we going to stand around in the terminal all day or can we be on our way to the hotel? This baby is going to need feeding and changing very soon," Nurse Brown said as she rocked the infant.

"Ah, yes. We really should get going," Hilde said. "This way to the car."

The small group followed the young woman and her future husband out of the shuttle terminal and into the car park.

* * *

A pair of binoculars were lowered and a cruel smile curved a pair of lips. Beside the figure another shadow emerged.

"That him?"

"Yes."

"You sure?"

"Of course I'm sure."

"Now what?"

"Now, we wait."

"Wait? I thought we'd already waited long enough."

"Have patience. The right opportunity will present itself, until it does, we wait."

The shadow snorted and lit a cigarette, inhaling deeply.

* * *

It didn't take long to find the hotel that the guys had booked for their stay on L2. Hilde had offered to have them all stay with her at the house at the scrap yard, but Heero and Duo didn't want to intrude. Besides, there wasn't just the pair of them who needed a bed, but Nurse Brown and Keitaro too. It wouldn't have been fair to Hilde to expect her to put all four of them up.

The hotel was a nice one for the area, clean and spacious. Heero confirmed their on-line booking with the receptionist and within minutes held the key cards to two adjoining suites. Hilde and Mark assisted with the luggage, riding the elevator to the third floor and finding rooms 32 and 34. Heero swiped the key card through the lock on room 32, the lock clicking and turning green, allowing the door to open.

Duo took the key card for the other room and slid it through the lock, opening that door and stepping inside. Both rooms were identical with a queen bed, dresser, television, desk, chair and the usual bathroom attached. The interconnecting door was opened to allow movement between the two rooms. There was a cot in one room for the infant and it then became a discussion between Heero, Duo and Nurse Brown as to which room Keitaro would sleep in

Duo was insistent that as Keitaro's parents, the baby should be sleeping in their room with them. Nurse Brown pointed out that as she'd been employed as the child's nanny it was her job to look after the babe and that included having the infant sleeping near her so she could attend to the child during the night.

Hilde solved the problem by suggesting that Keitaro sleep in his parents' room until the eve of the wedding where he would sleep in Nurse Brown's room so that the guys could get a night of uninterrupted sleep and be fresh for the wedding. Everyone seemed happy with that and so it was decided that's what they would do.

Hilde and Mark stayed for a little while longer, Mark going over a few minor things with Heero whilst Hilde made sure that Duo knew exactly what it was he would be doing when giving her away. While the four discussed the wedding, Nurse Brown took Keitaro through and gave him a quick wipe over with a warm wash cloth, changed his diaper and made him up a bottle of formula. Knowing there was a baby in the room, the hotel staff had provided a microwave as well as a container for hot water to be put in specifically for the heating of a baby's bottle. This way the parents could choose which way they wished to warm up the infant's milk.

After arranging to meet up with each other for dinner that evening, Hilde and Mark took their leave. Nurse Brown settled the baby after his feed, the infant happy to go to sleep and whilst the child slept she took the opportunity to unpack. Duo and Heero similarly unpacked, suits being hung up whilst other clothing, including Keitaro's, all made their way into various drawers.

With all the unpacking done, Nurse Brown decided she would also enjoy a nap before getting ready for dinner and quietly closed the connecting door. Keitaro was asleep in the cot also in Nurse Brown's room so that left the guys free to do what they wished.

Heero decided to hook up the laptop and contact Harim back at the estate and check all was okay. Harim was looking after Miracle, Barney and Fred whilst they were away. He was also keeping an eye on the house. Heero would also contact Quatre and Wufei, the others due to arrive at the colony somewhere in the next twenty four hours.

With Heero busy, Nurse Brown and Keitaro napping, Duo thought he might as well head out and do a little shopping. Keitaro would need diapers and formula, they'd only brought enough with them for the trip and a couple of spares as per Nurse Brown's recommendation. Pressing a kiss to Heero's lips, Duo checked he had his wallet and left the hotel to do his shopping.

* * *

The heat of the colony hit him as he stepped outside the hotel and onto the sidewalk. The hotel was situated in a more prosperous part of the colony and before Duo knew it, he found himself wandering in the direction of the shabbier side of town. He wanted to see for himself what improvements had been made in his absence.

It had been two years since he'd last set foot on this colony and it didn't look like a great deal had happened in that time. The promised aid was slowly filtering through, evidence of such in the construction of buildings. The streets seemed a little cleaner too. Wandering into a store, Duo made his purchases, noting that the quality of food for this part of town had also improved a touch. He could still see evidence of the homeless here and there, spotted the occasional street rat and declined the offers from a whore or two.

The aid was coming through, there was no doubt about that, but it was filtering in very slowly. Duo wondered why it was taking so long. He highly doubted that any of the other colonies were in the same boat, that they were having to wait so long for aid. It seemed that L2 was always destined to lag behind the rest of the colonies, it would always be inferior, a home for the down and outs and derelicts of society.

He shook himself and mentally slapped his mind. That was no way to think of his home. Even though there was still poverty evident, there was also prosperity. Many businesses were beginning to spring up, where once there had been tired, run down warehouses there now stood new factories. Some complete, others still being built. Whilst the promised help was there, it was evident that more needed to be done to assist L2.

Turning around, Duo began to retrace his steps to the hotel, his mind turning over what he's witnessed. He knew Relena was deeply involved in the ESUN and made a mental note to contact her when they returned to earth and see if he couldn't push things along a little regarding L2 and its need for assistance.

The hotel loomed ahead, Duo stepping inside and heading for the elevator with his purchases and the thoughts of dinner in his mind.

* * *

Dinner was a warm and happy affair. Hilde and Mark joined the group as promised and took them all to a nice restaurant not far from the hotel. It wasn't too expensive and the meals were large. Keitaro was catered for in the form of a secure high chair, one that was specially designed for younger babies. It was complete with harness to prevent the infant from slipping anywhere and was completely rounded to encase the child's back and sides, allowing the front to remain open and the child to see and be fed easily.

Duo was impressed, so was Nurse Brown.

During the course of the meal the final wedding plans were discussed, Hilde informing them all that the rehearsal would be the following evening with the wedding itself taking place two days later. Once the wedding plans had been discussed the talk turned to Quatre, Trowa, Sally and Wufei, and when they would be arriving. Trowa and Quatre were due to arrive the following day, Sally and Wufei wouldn't be arriving until the eve of the wedding, neither one able to get away from Preventer until then.

The rest of the evening passed quickly and soon it was time for the goodbyes to be said. Hilde and Mark dropped the four back at the hotel, Hilde promising to pick them up the following day and show them around the now much larger scrap yard that she and Mark were running.

Retiring to their rooms, Duo changed Keitaro and dressed the baby for sleep. Heero warmed a bottle and took his son from Duo to feed the child whilst Duo took his shower. When Duo returned from his shower a smile found its way to his lips and he paused to simply stare and enjoy the moment.

Heero lay on his side on their bed, his arms curled protectively around Keitaro. The baby was snuggled close to his father's chest, eyes tightly shut. One of Keitaro's hands was curled into a fist around Heero's little finger, the babe holding on tight as he slumbered. Sensing he was being watched, Heero's eyes fluttered open and scanned around, coming to rest on the form of his husband silhouetted in the doorway.

"Finished?" he asked.

"Yeah." Duo smiled warmly. "Wish I had the camera handy."

Heero glanced down to where his son was cuddled close, the small fist grasping his little finger tightly and his heart melted.

"You look so natural." Duo walked quietly over to the bed, pausing at the side. "You want me to put him in his cot now or would you rather cuddle him for a little longer?"

"I'll cuddle for a little longer."

"Okay." Duo settled himself on the bed next to his husband and son, Heero's arm reaching out to wrap around his waist and pull him close.

"My family," Heero whispered possessively.

"Yours, Heero. All yours," Duo replied as he pressed a loving kiss to his son's head and then Heero's lips.

* * *

"It's him all right." A curl of smoke escaped his lips as the man spoke. He tossed the photograph to the table.

"How can you be sure he'll help us?"

"Every man has his price."

A snort.

The cigarette burned brightly as the man drew deeply on it. "You just have to know that price." He picked up another photograph, a cruel smirk crossing his lips as he studied the picture; a picture of Duo holding Keitaro in the shuttle port.

"And make an offer he can't refuse."

~ * ~

tbc...


	9. Chapter 9

Many thanks to Yami_tai for the beta.

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 9

The following morning saw a bleary eyed Duo emerging from the bed. Keitaro hadn't slept too well and Duo had gotten up to the baby several times throughout the night. Keitaro had settled into a routine back home on Earth, sleeping pretty well through the entire night now. He'd always been a good baby, waking every three and a half to four hours for a feed, settling almost straight away once he'd been changed and 'burped'. At two and a half months he'd started to sleep through the night, taking his last feed at eleven and then sleeping until around seven the following morning.

Duo counted his blessings that he had such a good child. He'd heard 'horror' stories about babies that refused to settle, were colicky or woke every hour or two for feeding or changing giving the poor parents very little in the way of sleep. Sleep deprivation was one of the worst tortures around and Duo knew first hand just how badly a person could be affected by lack of sleep, having been subjected to it himself as a form of torture when he'd been unfortunate enough to have been captured by OZ during the war.

He'd forgotten about the time difference between Earth and L2. The thought never crossed his mind that Keitaro might have trouble adjusting his body clock to the new 'time'.

"You okay?"

Heero's words drew the long haired man from his thoughts and he looked up from the bed into soft cobalt. "I'll be fine," he replied.

Heero noted the dark shadows underneath his husband's eyes and frowned. "Keitaro didn't want to settle?" Heero had awoken a couple of times through the night when he'd heard the baby begin to whimper, but Duo had beaten him to the child and insisted that Heero go back to sleep. He didn't know that Duo had been up, walking around the room for the last five hours trying to soothe the baby back to sleep and had only managed to settle the infant an hour or so ago.

"You could say that," Duo replied as he yawned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "I forgot about the time difference between Earth and the colonies. I'd say his body clock is going to be out of whack for a couple of days."

"Hn. Maybe we should try keeping him awake a bit more during the day, then hopefully he should sleep through the night. You look like you've been six rounds with a mobile suit, and lost."

"Thanks a lot. Love you too," Duo huffed.

Heero chuckled and climbed onto the bed beside his husband. He ran a gentle finger over the side of Duo's face before cupping his lover's cheek and drawing him in for a long kiss. "I'll get up to him tonight, you stay in bed and get some sleep."

Duo nuzzled against Heero's palm. "Thanks, I just might take you up on that offer."

In the cot, Keitaro began to stir. Duo sighed.

"Looks like someone's waking up and will want their breakfast." Duo made to get out of the bed when Heero pushed him lightly back down.

"You stay there and rest a little longer. I'll fetch Keitaro and feed and change him."

"He's going to need a bath too."

"So do I. I'll take him in the tub with me."

"You sure?"

"Hai, why not?"

"You usually take a shower, Heero."

"I know, but for ease and efficiency it makes sense to fill the tub up and take Keitaro in to bathe with me."

"Okay. If you need any help, just call."

"Will do." Heero left his partner to catch a little more sleep and fetched his son from the cot, feeding the baby the first thing on Heero's mind.

* * *

The baby cooed and splashed, little feet kicking out in obvious delight at the size of the bath. Heero chuckled and shifted position slightly, cradling his son safely in one arm whilst he ran the wash cloth over the baby's skin. Once the baby was clean, Heero managed to place the infant in his arms and against his body in such a manner that Keitaro was in no danger of slipping under the water. With the child secure, Heero quickly washed himself.

Bath taken care of, Heero wrapped the child in one large, fluffy towel, placing the babe back in his cot whilst Heero dried himself off and pulled on some sweat pants. Duo was sleeping soundly under the blankets and Heero did his best to dry and dress Keitaro with minimal noise. Once the baby was taken care of, Heero finished dressing himself. He was just buttoning up his shirt when a knock came at the adjoining door and Duo stirred beneath the blankets.

"Who?" Duo began, only to be silenced by Heero.

"It's Nurse Brown. I won't be a moment." Heero walked over to the adjoining door. "Hai?"

"Ah, Heero. It's eight thirty and I was wondering when you were planning on going down for breakfast, or are you having something sent up to your room?"

"We were planning on going down to the hotel restaurant. Duo's not quite ready yet, but if you want to go on ahead of us, that's fine."

"Okay. I'll meet you in the restaurant then."

"Be there soon." Heero turned back to see the tail of a chestnut braid disappearing into the bathroom.

* * *

Breakfast had been a fairly quiet affair, Margaret a little worried over the dark circles under Duo's eyes. Duo had explained about Keitaro's restless night and let the nurse know what he and Heero had thought about to try and help the child to adjust to the different time zone and hopefully they would all get some sleep.

The nurse agreed that keeping the baby awake for longer periods during the day cycle could help. If it didn't then she was more than happy to have the babe sleep in her room so the two guys could get some much needed sleep. The two men agreed to give it a go and see what happened. If Keitaro didn't settle soon then they would take up Nurse Brown's offer.

Once breakfast was out of the way, the trio headed back to their rooms and prepared for their day ahead. Heero and Duo were being picked up by Hilde and Nurse Brown had decided to take advantage of the free time to do some shopping and take a look around the colony Duo grew up on. Duo found a map in the hotel foyer and passed it over to Nurse Brown. Taking a highlighter pen, Duo marked areas that may interest the nurse and was careful to also mark in a thick, black pen the areas to avoid.

With everyone now ready for their respective day out the three, along with Keitaro in his pusher, returned to the elevator and headed back to the foyer. Once there, Nurse Brown caught a cab, having decided to do her sightseeing first and her shopping later. She waved the guys goodbye and disappeared into the inside of the cab. Heero kept an eye out for Hilde's car whilst Duo browsed the windows of the souvenir shop situated in the hotel, Keitaro strapped safely into his pusher and taking in everything around him with a wide eyed innocence that all babies seem to have.

"She's here," Heero called from his position keeping watch.

Duo turned and pushed Keitaro over to where Heero stood and Hilde's car was now pulling up. Within a couple of minutes the trio were inside, pusher in the trunk and Keitaro strapped into a borrowed child safety seat. With everyone buckled up, Hilde was soon driving them towards the scrapyard.

The scenery passed by, not a lot had changed, Duo noted. But then again, this section of the colony, whilst not what one would call affluent, was by no means poverty stricken either. It was what passed on earth as the 'middle class'. Soon they were traveling down familiar streets, noting that not a lot had changed here in the time since their departure.

Hilde indicated and slowed down, Duo's face lit up in excitement as he spotted the familiar arch that led into the scrapyard. Pulling into the yard, Hilde drove behind the house and parked the car. She turned in her seat and addressed the two men. "How does it feel to be back here again, guys?"

"It feels good," Heero replied as he unbuckled his seat belt.

"It feels strange to me," Duo replied honestly as he also removed his seat belt and then began the task of getting Keitaro out of his seat and into the pusher that Heero had fetched from the trunk.

"Strange?" Hilde asked as she locked the car. "How so?"

Duo thought for a moment. "I'm not sure how to describe it really. On the one hand if feels really good to be back, seeing all the familiar things, and on the other hand it's weird as so much has changed. I guess that doesn't make a lot of sense, does it?"

"Actually, it does," Hilde replied. "There have been quite a few changes since you and Heero were here, and I don't just mean the scrapyard. The promised funding is starting to appear and the colony is improving. I'd say at this rate the colony should be rid of all poverty and doing quite well for itself in another ten or so years."

Duo frowned but declined to comment further. He followed Hilde, his husband and son into the scrap yard.

Hilde took great delight in showing the pair around the now much larger yard. With the joining of Mark's yard the business flourished. New contracts were able to be negotiated and the yard, along with the types of scrap it could handle, increased. Duo noted that there were many mobile suit parts amongst other things now in the yard and he wondered what Hilde and Mark wanted with that sort of scrap. Mobile suits had more or less disappeared with the peace, the Gundams had been sent into the sun and the use of such weapons of war outlawed.

It was just another part of the riddle that was L2. Putting his dark mood down to lack of sleep, Duo did his best to shake off his feelings of depression.

Once the yard had been explored, Hilde took them to the house. It was evident that a lot of renovations had been carried out to the house since the guys' departure. The kitchen had been given a complete overhaul, the master bedroom now had an en suite bathroom, the other two rooms had been returned to proper bedrooms and the office that used to occupy one of the bedrooms was now located downstairs, Mark having had an extra room built on just for that purpose.

"Once the wedding and honeymoon are over, we intend to live here," Hilde explained.

"What's wrong with Mark's place?" Heero asked as he removed Keitaro from the pusher and cradled him in his arms so the baby could see all around him. Mark lived in a slightly more 'upmarket' part of L2 so Heero naturally assumed he would want to continue to live there and take his new bride there as well.

"He's only renting the apartment there. It also makes more sense for us to live here on site, that way we're always on hand should the need arise."

"Can't argue with that," Duo snickered. "I just hope you manage to draw the line at taking your work home with you."

Hilde snorted. "There's no way I'll be bringing my work home with me," she huffed. "The office is simply for Mark or myself to work in during the day, doing the accounts and such."

"Speaking of Mark, where is the doomed man?" Duo continued, ignoring Hilde's reply.

"Doomed?! Why I ought to..." Hilde launched herself at Duo and soon the pair were wrestling on the floor, Duo quickly gaining the upper hand and tickling the living daylights out of Hilde whilst Hilde was doing her best to fend him off.

"Ack! Stop, I surrender," Hilde managed to get out between giggles.

Duo released Hilde from his clutches and sat back, pushing his disheveled braid back over his shoulder and running his fingers through his bangs in an attempt to tame them.

"If you've quite finished, children."

Duo and Hilde looked sheepishly at Heero who was staring down at them with an amused smile on his face and a happy Keitaro in his arms.

"Sorry, Heero," the pair replied in unison and scrambled to their feet. Duo dusted himself off, Hilde doing the same as they tried to restore some sort of order to themselves and their clothes.

Hilde took them across the scrapyard to where a small office had been built for the purpose of dealing with the invoices, receipts and paperwork for the incoming and outgoing scrap. They found Mark inside, a stack of papers on the desk and a phone glued to his ear. Mark waved at them and indicated he would only be a moment, Hilde took that time to briefly explain what contracts they were currently tendering for and what ones they were supplying. Mark soon hung up and joined in the conversation.

After a couple of hours discussing the various aspects of the business, Keitaro let his parents know in no uncertain terms that he was wet and hungry. The baby started by giving soft whimpers which soon turned into much louder wails when his needs weren't immediately attended to.

Hilde took sympathy on the babe and asked if she could tend to his needs, Heero was happy for her to do so and they bid Mark goodbye, heading back to the house where a bottle could be warmed for the child.

It didn't take long for Hilde to have the infant changed and into a dry diaper, the baby cooing softly as he focused on a new face. Duo heated the bottle up and passed it to Hilde who fed the child whilst Heero made them all a coffee. Once the baby was fed and burped, bottle washed out and placed back in the baby bag, it was time for the guys to bid a farewell to the scrapyard. Hilde was going to drive them to the car rental company that Heero had contacted the previous evening where they would pick up the hire car he'd booked. From the hire car company it would be back to the shuttle port to meet Trowa and Quatre. Their shuttle was due to arrive that afternoon and Heero had offered to pick them up, Quatre taking him up on the offer as neither he nor Trowa would be up to driving. With them both having worked that day and given the length of the flight from L4, both men would be bone weary and want nothing more than to rest. Quatre had also reserved a room in the same hotel as Heero and Duo so they wouldn't be going out of their way by picking them up.

Arriving at the shuttle port, Heero parked the car and assisted Duo to get Keitaro out of the baby seat and into the pusher. It wasn't easy as Keitaro was tired and had drifted off to sleep in the car. He wasn't too impressed with being woken up and put into his pusher again. He gave soft whimpers as Duo strapped him in.

"Sorry, sunshine, but we need to get your Uncle Quatre and Uncle Trowa. They haven't seen you in a while so they're going to want to greet you; and knowing Quatre, smother you."

"Duo! That's not nice," Heero stated.

"It's true though. Quatre will go all soft and sappy once he sees Keitaro, it's just something in Quatre's make-up. Guess having all those sisters had some sort of effect on him, made him more 'feminine' in his ways."

"I don't think you'd better let Quatre hear you say that. If I remember rightly, Quatre can be quite ruthless when he wants to be. I don't think he's completely recovered from the Zero system."

"Ohhh, a zero Quat. Now, that's scary." Duo shuddered at the thought. "Although, from what I heard from Wuffers, Quat can be quite the terrorist when high on morphine."

Heero couldn't help but snort as the memories of a certain ride in a hijacked police car with a 'high as a kite' Quatre came flooding back. It was something he had no desire to repeat - ever. "Come on, we're going to be late if we don't get a move on."

"Lead on, McDuff," Duo snickered and took up position behind the pusher.

Heero shook his head and headed for the terminal, he hadn't the courage to let his partner know that Duo at the helm of the pusher was almost as bad as Quatre in a motorized wheelchair.

~ * ~

tbc...


	10. Chapter 10

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 10

The shuttle terminal was crowded, people milling around everywhere as three shuttles had all docked within five minutes of each other. Despite the advances in technology, aircraft, be it plane or shuttle, still couldn't seem to run to a schedule; they were always late for some unfathomable reason.

Duo managed to weave his way through the crowds with the pusher, Heero right behind him and amazed at his partner's skill in dodging the crowds. Anyone that thought piloting a mobile suit was hard should try maneuvering a baby in a stroller through a crowded terminal. Heero thought his lover deserved bonus points for not having run over or into anyone!

"Which gate did you say it was, Heero?"

"Aa." Heero glanced quickly at the overhead monitor screens. "Gate twenty-four."

"Roger that." Duo continued to pass through the crowd. Seconds later Duo located the arrival gate marked twenty-four. "Good, they're not out yet," he commented.

Heero's eyes scanned around the milling people. The arrival gate was closed which meant that the passengers were still going through customs. He spotted a slightly more 'open' space off to one side and pointed it out to Duo. "We should wait over there," he muttered.

"Agreed." Duo worked his way through the people to the spot Heero had indicated. Neither man was completely comfortable in crowded areas, soldier instincts tended to linger even when peace was prevalent. Eyes continued to sweep over the area looking for possible threats, not that there were usually any, the presence of the strong security force was a pretty good deterrent. Shame the rest of L2 didn't have such a good peace keeping contingent. Duo had to admit that the crime rate had begun to fall, and from his observations thus far, the government was trying to rebuild and take care of the less fortunate souls in the populace. His musings were brought to a halt as the doors opened and the first of the passengers began to filter through.

* * *

Quatre handed over his paperwork to the immigration official, Trowa following suit. The official checked the papers over, glanced at their passports and back to the two men before him. He grunted softly and reached for the rubber stamp. "Enjoy your stay on L2," he said quietly and handed back the papers.

"Thank you," Quatre replied and slipped the paperwork back inside the pocket of his suit jacket.

Trowa pushed his own into the back pocket of his trousers. Grabbing hold of the handle of the luggage trolley, he pushed it away from immigration and towards the exit.

"I hope they're here to pick us up," Quatre stated.

"They will be."

The doors opened and a pair of teal eyes flicked over the waiting crowd, emerald orbs were similarly scanning the area.

"Over there," Trowa said, his height giving him a little advantage over his smaller husband.

"There they are," Heero said as he spotted the familiar blonde head. He raised his hand and waved.

"Duo! Heero!" Quatre called out as he began to push through the milling people.

Rather than try to push the stroller through the gathered crowd, Duo remained where he was, letting the blonde and his husband make their way through the throng towards them. Besides, Trowa was pushing the luggage trolley and that was much bigger than a baby stroller; it also hurt more against a person's shins when they didn't move out of the way quick enough.

"Heero! It's so good to see you again," the blonde said happily as he embraced Heero in a bear hug.

"You too, Quatre," Heero replied and returned the hug before pulling away. "Barton." Heero shook the offered hand of the taller man.

"Duo!" Quatre pounced on the long haired man before he had a chance to react, arms wrapping around the slender frame. Finally releasing the American, Quatre took a step back to fully appreciate the other man. He shook his head. "You've lost weight," he snickered.

Duo rolled his eyes. "Good to see you too, Quat; and I should hope I've lost weight, the kind of crash diet I went on is supposed to ensure weight loss." Quatre wasn't listening though, his attention had turned to the baby in the stroller.

"Well, aren't you just a sweetie," Quatre cooed.

Keitaro blinked as his eyes focused on the new face. His arms waved around and a smile creased his lips.

"You're simply gorgeous, you know that?" Quatre continued his fussing over the child much to Keitaro's delight. "I'd say he's got your eye color, Duo. Maybe not quite so violet, but definitely not all blue either."

"Poor kid," Trowa commented, leaving Duo wondering if the comment was directed at Keitaro in sympathy of having inherited his eye color or in sympathy at having Quatre cooing over him. Trowa turned to Duo, leaving his husband to converse in baby talk with Keitaro. "How are you, Duo?"

"I'm fine, Tro. How about you?"

"Doing well. How are you, Heero? All healed up now after that last incident?"

"Hai. I'm back to full capacity. If you've all finished with the greetings I think we should get moving. Keitaro will be needing a feed soon and we don't have any formula left in the baby bag."

"No problem." Trowa turned to where his husband was still fascinated with the baby. "Quatre?"

"I want one."

"Eh?"

"I want one."

Three sets of confused eyes looked at the blonde businessman.

"Want one what?" Duo asked, clearly flummoxed.

"One of these."

"Um... Stroller?"

"No, I want a baby."

"Ohhh... kayyy." Duo turned to face Trowa who was looking decidedly pale. "When did you say he had his last psych evaluation?"

* * *

Heero managed to stow all the luggage in the trunk and was soon driving them away from the shuttle port and to the hotel, Quatre and Trowa were sitting in the back with Keitaro safely strapped into the baby seat. Trowa had shuddered when he spotted the innocent looking seat, a flood of memories, none of them nice, coming back to him. He'd quickly taken a good look at his friends and having seen no sign of bruising or injury to either man, he concluded that the seat must have been fitted to the car before the guys picked it up. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Quatre was still enraptured with the baby, cooing quietly to the youngster who was similarly enchanted by Quatre. Big, blue eyes gazed innocently at the blonde, the small mouth curling into a smile as Quatre 'played' with him. Little fists pummeled the air and legs kicked freely.

"I can see why you were complaining so much about sunshine using your innards for a punching bag," Trowa commented as he watched Keitaro's limbs flailing around. "He's certainly an active little thing."

"Yeah. That was one part of the pregnancy deal I could have done without," Duo replied with a wry grin.

"How is everything going now with your... umm, your unusual make up?" Trowa questioned. All of Duo's immediate 'family' knew of his decision to keep his female parts and whilst Trowa wasn't trying to pry, he _was_ curious.

"It all seems to have settled down quite well," Duo replied. "Sally has been monitoring me regularly and all my insides appear to have returned to normal and are no worse off for having carried Keitaro. She said that the female bits are still there and they have also returned to their pre-pregnant state, or at least what she determines their state to have been before I fell pregnant."

"When are you planning on having the next one?" Quatre asked out of the blue as he continued to amuse Keitaro.

"Uh, what?!" Duo spluttered.

Heero nearly drove off the road.

"The next one?" Quatre continued seemingly not in the least perturbed he'd caused such reactions. "Surely you don't want Keitaro here growing up to be an only child?"

"There's nothing wrong with being an only child," Heero growled. After all, he'd grown up without siblings - or at least he didn't have any that he knew of. Also, he wasn't sure if he was ready to deal with another hormonal, Crunchie addicted husband quite yet; actually, he wasn't sure if he'd ever be ready to go through all that again!

"I never said there was," Quatre continued. "I just think it would be nice for Keitaro to have a baby brother or sister to play with as he gets older."

"I think you should let them get over the shock of this one first, Quatre," Trowa put in.

"Yeah, and that could take a while," Duo muttered under his breath, "like a couple more years."

"I take it that Sally would have you on some form of birth control? I am assuming that you're still fertile," Quatre continued on, completely oblivious to Duo's uncomfortable state.

Seeing Duo's discomfort rising, Trowa did his best to intervene and control his wayward husband. "Quatre, I really don't think this is a good conversation to be having right now."

"Why not? I'm only curious. Oh." Quatre paused as he realized Duo was becoming a little agitated. "My apologies, Duo. I did not intend to pry and I'm sorry if I've upset you."

"It's okay, Quatre. I guess if I were in your place I'd be curious too." Duo sighed. "Look, I'm not sure of all the technical jargon Sally uses to explain things so I'll give you my version of it."

"Duo, you really don't have to."

"I know I don't have to, Quat, but if I do, it will make it so much easier all round."

"Only if you're sure."

"From the check ups Sally has been doing all my organs and internal workings have returned to normal. As for the female parts; we're still not sure if they are functional or not as I've not produced any further eggs, as Sally put it, since Keitaro was born."

"How would you know if you do?" Quatre asked, his curiosity really piqued now.

"I'd, ummm... "

"He would bleed, Quat," Trowa replied for Duo seeing as how the long haired man was turning a few interesting shades of red.

"Oh. Oh, of course. Sorry, Duo." Quatre mentally slapped himself. With twenty-nine sisters he should have known Duo would have a 'cycle'. Then another thought hit Quatre. "But if he was pregnant again he wouldn't bleed."

"Now you're really starting to confuse me, Quatre," Duo commented with a sigh. "Look, in a nutshell, I'm not pregnant, that would have shown up on the ultrasounds..."

"Plus you haven't been vomiting either," Heero put in.

"No, I've not, Heero!"

Heero snickered.

"There's no new baby, Sally is keeping a careful check on me and we are taking precautions to prevent another pregnancy at this stage. Sally isn't sure if my carrying another child would be a good idea, especially right now as it's not been all that long since Keitaro was born. Does that answer all your questions?" Duo was starting to get a little more agitated.

Quatre was about to ask a couple more when he saw the look his husband was giving him and quickly changed his mind. He could pry later. "Thanks."

"We're here," Heero stated as he pulled into the hotel's car parking area.

Moments later they had the luggage out of the trunk and Keitaro strapped into the baby stroller.

"Would you mind if I pushed him, Duo?" Quatre asked, his eyes shining.

Duo was unable to resist the pleading look. "Okay. Just be careful, this stroller isn't like a motorized wheelchair."

A blonde head turned slowly around. "I'll have you know I'm a very safe driver, be it car, stroller, Gundam or wheelchair."

"Not what I heard," snickered Duo.

"Then all I can say is _you_ heard wrong," Quatre huffed as he took hold of the handles to the stroller and proceeded to head for the elevator that would take them from the car parking area to the reception of the hotel.

Heero's blue eyes followed the blonde's every move, body tense and ready to spring into action should he be needed to save his child.

* * *

Trowa and Quatre's room was opposite Heero and Duo's so it didn't take long for them to negotiate the hotel's elevator to the third floor and room 33. The room was the same as Duo and Heero's; queen bed, dresser, television and so on. Duo and Heero left the pair to unpack and get settled, taking Keitaro back to their room to change and feed the baby who was starting to grizzle a little.

Once Keitaro was changed, fed and burped, Duo lay the infant down in his cot to sleep, the baby having had quite a busy day thus far. Remembering the night of restless sleep he'd had, Duo decided to let the babe sleep for a short while, they would wake him up when they went down for dinner and hopefully the child would sleep through the night. They were planning on having an early dinner as both men were needed to attend the wedding rehearsal that evening. The wedding itself would take place in two day's time which meant that the rehearsal had to be that night, the following day would be spent on last minute preparations. The wedding ceremony was scheduled to take place at eleven on the Saturday morning, the reception at twelve thirty.

Having unpacked, Trowa and Quatre joined Heero and Duo in their room to catch up on all the latest that had been going on since Keitaro's birth. Knocking lightly on the door and waiting for one of their friends to open it, Trowa spotted Nurse Brown stepping out of the elevator, weighed down under several bags. Being the gentleman that he was, Trowa immediately went down the corridor to assist the woman.

"Thank you, Trowa," Nurse Brown said as the tall man took several of the bags from her.

"Been shopping?" he asked.

"Just a little. I don't often get the chance to shop, and being on holiday so to speak the temptation is just too much," she chuckled.

Spotting the nurse, Duo stepped out into the hall and greeted her, pleased to see she was still in one piece. "Enjoy your day out?" he asked politely.

"Very much so. Thank you for the map with the places of interest. I did have fun exploring and learning more about this colony's history. The shopping wasn't bad either."

"I can see that," laughed Duo.

"Now though I'd like nothing more than to relax, have a nice cup of tea and take a bit of a nap. My feet are killing me."

"I've just put Keitaro down for a nap. Trowa and Quatre are going to join us for a bit of a chat and catching up. Would you like to join us?"

"Thanks, but I'm really tired, Duo. I can catch up with them over dinner, that's if they don't mind me skipping out now?"

"Not at all," Trowa replied. "Would you like these packages putting in your room?"

"Yes, please. Oh, Duo? If you're all going to be chatting away, would you like to put Keitaro in my room with me? I'm going to take a nap too and if he wakes I'll be right there to tend to him. Also you four can then chat away without having to worry about waking him up."

"That's a wonderful idea. Are you sure you don't mind?" Duo replied.

"Of course not. You have employed me to be the child's nanny after all; it's about time I started to earn my wages and look after him."

"Okay then. Thank you."

"My pleasure."

* * *

Dinner was a happy affair, all four men and one nurse were enjoying each other's company, swapping stories and reminiscing over times past. Keitaro hadn't been too impressed with being woken up and protested the action by crying. He soon settled though, his attention occupied by the many faces and noise around him. His eyes scanned around, little mouth curving into smiles whilst his fists moved about. Several people commented on what a lovely baby he was and both Duo and Heero positively beamed.

Once dinner was finished the group headed back to their respective rooms. Quatre was begging to be allowed to baby-sit Keitaro whilst his parents were at the rehearsal, Duo wasn't too sure about leaving his son with the blonde, Heero either. It wasn't that they didn't trust their friend - they did. They knew Quatre would never do anything to harm Keitaro, it was more their own protective instincts than anything. Duo hated the thought of someone else looking after his son, Heero was in a similar situation.

Nurse Brown came to the rescue though. She could clearly understand the men's dilemma, they needed to attend this rehearsal without the baby, but being completely new at this parenting thing they were naturally nervous about leaving their youngster with another. She spoke with Trowa and Quatre, explaining how the new parents would be feeling and that it wasn't anything personal, she also suggested that she spend her evening with the guys in their room catching up on all that was going on and maybe watching a movie as well.

Quatre wasn't in the least offended, he could understand what Duo and Heero must be thinking and no doubt he would be the same were it his child. He happily agreed to Nurse Brown spending the evening with them; in fact he was quite looking forward to it, he would have the chance to talk a little to the nurse about the advances in technology regarding cloning, test tube babies and the like.

With everyone happy, Duo and Heero changed and headed off to the rehearsal.

* * *

Pulling up outside the church, Duo swallowed the lump in his throat. Hilde's car was already parked out front and Heero pulled up behind it. They got out and Duo paused to take in the church again. It wasn't huge and yet it wasn't small either. Stained glass windows glowed in the evening cycle, the light from within penetrating the many colors and sending a rainbow of them to pattern upon the ground.

In many ways it reminded him of the Maxwell church. He could close his eyes and be instantly transported back in time. He half expected Father Maxwell or Sister Helen to step out from the doors.

"You okay?"

Duo turned at the sound of the voice and met with Heero's worried gaze. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit of a memory, that's all." He gave Heero a soft smile. "Come on, we'd better get inside or Hilde will have our asses." Shaking the thoughts from his mind, Duo grabbed Heero's hand and led them inside.

Heero frowned knowing that something had upset his husband, but he didn't want to pry. He'd ask Duo about it later.

Hilde greeted them as they walked inside, giving them both a hug and then introducing the pair to Father Reilly who would be performing the ceremony.

An hour later the rehearsal was finished. They had gone through the ceremony three times, the Father patiently explaining each step to them, starting from when Hilde would enter the church on Duo's arm to the greeting of the guests as a married couple.

Heero was informed of his role as best man to Mark, what was expected of him from supporting the groom to having the rings in his pocket.

"Don't you dare forget where you put them like Trowa did at our wedding," Duo had teased.

"He does and he'll be facing a fate worse than death," Hilde remarked.

Heero had quirked an eyebrow. He'd faced armies of mobile suits, suffered through and endured J's harsh training; hell, he'd even self destructed! Nothing that Hilde could come up with could be anywhere near as terrifying.

"You'll be answering to me if you do misplace them," Hilde growled.

Better correct that thought. Facing an enraged Hilde made the battle of the Libra look like a walk in the park. "I won't lose or misplace them," he said quietly, and crossed his fingers to be sure.

With the rehearsal finished, the four stopped at a small cafe on their respective routes home and shared a coffee, discussing the rehearsal, asking and answering any and all questions that came up. It was finally decided that Heero would get dressed at Mark's place and then head for the church from there. Duo would get dressed at the hotel and then travel to Hilde's where he would go in the limo with her to the church.

Seeing that their hire car had the baby seat in it, they decided to let Duo use their hire car. Heero could borrow Quatre's hire car and Quatre, Trowa, Nurse Brown, Keitaro and Duo could use theirs. That way Duo could be dropped off at Hilde's and the remaining four would have transport to get to the church. Heero would use Quatre's car to get himself and Mark to the church and then both cars would be there for them to get back to the hotel in.

The limo would return to the reception and transport the newlyweds to the hotel Mark had booked for their wedding night so the means of transport had been covered there. Duo and Heero had offered to pick the pair up from the hotel the following day and take them home to collect their luggage and then run them to the shuttle port for their flight to wherever it was Mark had booked their honeymoon.

No one but Mark knew where the honeymoon was going to be, not even Hilde. The man had decided to keep it a secret and surprise his new bride. He did plan on leaving an envelope behind with the destination and other details in it for Duo to open once they'd left. It did make sense to let someone know where they were just in case they needed to be gotten in contact with.

With everything in place, there remained nothing more to do than head back to their respective 'homes'. Wufei and Sally would be arriving the following evening, Heero having volunteered to pick them up but being turned down. Wufei had thanked the other agent for the offer but declined saying that he and Sally had already arranged for a hire car that they would pick up from the shuttle port.

With promises to meet the following day for lunch, everyone departed.

~ * ~

tbc...


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you to all who are reading!**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 11

When the guys made it back to the hotel they headed straight for Trowa and Quatre's room to collect Keitaro and let the others know of the arrangements for the following day. Trowa answered the soft knock on the door and smiled at the pair.

"Everything go okay?" he asked as he let the two men into the room.

"It all went off without a hitch. I only hope it does so on Saturday," Duo replied as his eyes scanned the room for his son. "Umm, where's Keitaro?"

Heero had been about to ask the same question. He'd done a thorough visual check of the room and couldn't see his son anywhere. For that matter, he couldn't see Nurse Brown either.

"He was getting a bit grizzly so Nurse Brown changed and fed him then put him down. She was also tired so she decided to call it a night, too, and took Keitaro through to her room to sleep. She only left a short while ago. I hope that was okay?" Trowa responded.

Duo heaved a sigh of relief. "That's fine." He would dearly love to see his son before retiring for the evening himself but he didn't want to disturb the nurse, or the baby either.

Heero felt a little put out that he wouldn't get to cuddle his son before going to bed but consoled himself with the thought that he could cuddle the baby all he wanted on the 'morrow. Whilst his protective and parenting instincts were still strong, he understood that he couldn't spend all his time with his child; he had to let the babe develop some independence and get used to being cared for by another. If he didn't, then they would never be able to go out anywhere as Keitaro would fret.

There was a fine line between being caring and concerned and smothering the child. Heero had just found that line.

The four discussed the wedding rehearsal briefly then called it a night. Duo was very tired and couldn't stop yawning. He was looking forward to a good night's sleep. Bidding the others a good night, Heero led his sleepy husband back across the hall and into their own room.

A soft knock came on the adjoining door as the pair entered and closed their main door. Heero walked over to the connecting door.

"Are you okay, Nurse Brown?" he asked the door softly. Behind him Duo snorted quietly - he found it rather amusing that his husband was 'talking' to a door.

"I'm fine, Heero. I was just reading when I thought I heard you two come in. I wondered if you wanted to say good night to Keitaro? He's asleep."

"Hai." Heero knew he would sleep a lot better himself if he'd reassured himself that everything was okay with his son.

The door knob wiggled and then opened, Nurse Brown pulling it back to admit the two men. "He's in his cot fast asleep," Margaret said quietly. "If you really want to you can take him back into your own room to sleep, but I'm quite happy to have him sleep in here with me."

Duo walked quietly across the room to the cot where his son slept. He gazed lovingly at his son, pulled the blanket a little tighter around the sleeping babe and gently ran the knuckle of his finger over the soft cheek.

Keitaro stirred a little, sighed and continued to sleep.

Heero moved across the room and checked over the sleeping infant, his heart warming at the sight of his son. "I think we should leave him be," Heero said quietly. "If we start to move him now he will probably wake up and it could take a while to get him back to sleep."

"I think so, too," Margaret said. "He's quite content and I really don't mind having him sleep in here with me. Besides, you both look like you could do with a night of uninterrupted rest."

"Thanks."

"The rehearsal go okay?"

"Yeah, it all went off without a hitch. I just hope it does on Saturday," Duo said quietly as he continued to watch his son sleep.

"It will," replied the nurse.

"If you need us at all, just knock on the door," Heero said as he moved to entwine his fingers with Duo's and lead his husband from the room.

"I will. You both go get a good nights rest. I'll see you in the morning for breakfast."

"Night," Duo murmured as Heero led him back through the connecting door.

"Night."

* * *

When the morning cycle came around, Duo yawned and stretched, feeling much better for having gotten a decent night's rest. He smiled to himself as he noted Heero still sleeping, his face relaxed. Duo began to feather soft kisses to the top of Heero's head, as Heero was currently using him as a pillow. The dark haired man began to stir.

"Morning," Duo whispered as his lover's eyes blinked open.

"Is it morning already?"

Duo chuckled. "Yeah, it's seven-thirty."

"Mmmm."

"Sleep okay?"

"I slept like a baby," Heero murmured. "Speaking of babies, how's Keitaro? I didn't hear him once during the night."

"I didn't either, but that's probably because he spent the night in Nurse Brown's room," Duo replied in amusement.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. Guess we should get up and see if they're both okay. Keitaro will be needing a feed, change and a bath."

"I can't hear any noises coming from Nurse Brown's room so I'd say they're both still sleeping. Why don't we take our own showers and get dressed before we disturb them?"

"Shower together?"

"Well, this is L2 and water _is_ a precious commodity." Duo's voice had lowered to a husky tone.

"Then we should be doing our best to contribute to the saving of water."

"I couldn't agree more."

* * *

By the time Heero and Duo had finished their shower and gotten dressed, Nurse Brown had woken up, bathed, fed and changed Keitaro and gotten dressed herself. Duo called Trowa and Quatre's room before the four of them headed down to the hotel restaurant for breakfast, Trowa promising to meet them there once he'd managed to wake Quatre up.

The day passed fairly quickly for them all after breakfast. Duo and Heero had taken Keitaro for a walk in his stroller, Trowa and Quatre accompanying them. Nurse Brown did a little more shopping, enjoying the different stores to be found.

They met up with Hilde and Mark for lunch, Hilde looking a little frazzled with the last minute bits of running around she had yet to finish regarding the wedding. The flowers were due to arrive that afternoon via cargo shuttle, Hilde still had to pick them up and then take the table decorations out to the hotel where they were having the wedding reception, along with the place cards, seating plan and small 'thank you' gifts.

Hilde had loved the ceramic swans that Duo and Heero had used for their wedding and asked if Duo would mind if she had a similar gift for her wedding guests. Duo had been touched and immediately agreed, offering to help out decorating them if Hilde needed the assistance.

She did.

After lunch, Duo went back to the scrap yard with Hilde to help her finish off the gifts and assist with anything else. Heero took Keitaro back to their room for a diaper change and nap, taking advantage of the silence to check his e-mails and catch up on all that was happening back on earth.

Quatre did a Nurse Brown; he went shopping, dragging Trowa with him.

Nurse Brown remained at the hotel and enjoyed the peace and quiet. She sat outside in the Hotel's garden area and caught up on some reading.

* * *

The swans didn't take too much time to finish off - the pair of them had done the ones for Duo's wedding so they were more than experienced in the art of 'tulle wrestling'.

Duo placed the last one in the box and stretched. "That's the lot," he said, as he looked at the swans all sitting neatly in their boxes.

"Thanks, Duo. I appreciate the help," Hilde replied as she smiled at her 'brother'.

"No problem. Happy to be of assistance. Now, would you like a hand to take them to the reception center?"

"I'm not going to hold you up?"

"Nah. Heero's looking after Keitaro and he's most likely sleeping, so there's not a lot for me to do back at the hotel."

"If you're sure then the help would be good. I've got to call at the shuttle port on the way and pick up the flowers, too."

"Then let's get going," Duo stated with a grin.

"I'll just grab my coat. Would you mind putting the boxes of swans in the car while I get my stuff?"

"Consider it done."

* * *

Hilde was lucky and found a parking spot close to the terminal. Locking the car, the pair walked into the cargo section of the shuttle port and to the desk. Duo left Hilde to sort out the paper work with the clerk and wandered over to the large, glass windows to take a look outside at the shuttles.

Five shuttles were in the cargo area and Duo could see that three were being unloaded, one had obviously just landed and customs were entering, whilst the fifth was being loaded up. Idly, he watched the people scurrying about, his eyes watching but not really concentrating.

He'd been watching one shuttle before his brain finally kicked in and he began to take more notice. The fork lift was traveling back and forth, disappearing inside the belly of the shuttle and appearing moments later with a pallet stacked with boxes. Sometimes it came out with wooden crates. Duo pressed closer to the glass, straining his eyes to see what was written on the side of those crates. When a hand touched his shoulder he almost jumped out of his skin. He'd seriously have to have a talk with his mind for allowing someone to sneak up on him like that.

"The flowers have arrived and we can pick them up now," Hilde said with an amused tone.

"Ah, okay." Duo tore his eyes away from the window and the goings on in the cargo bay.

"What had you so interested?" Hilde asked as they walked down the corridor the clerk had shown them to collect the flowers.

Scratching the back of his neck, Duo looked at the woman. "I was watching the unloading of a shuttle. It had a shit load of crates and boxes. There was a logo on the side and I was trying to figure out what it was."

"It's probably some foodstuffs or something."

That was highly probable, Duo knew. Given the artificial light, seasons and gravity of the colonies, growing food to feed the population wasn't very successful. Besides, there was also the area factor to consider - there wasn't much in the way of 'land' that could be used to cultivate crops or stock so, consequently, roughly ninety-five percent of all foodstuffs were imported from the earth.

"Ah, here we are, Bay Five," Hilde said as they turned the corner and were faced with another desk. Behind the desk big, black letters stated 'Bay 5'. Hilde checked the slip of paper in her hand, and then approached the desk clerk and handed over her slip of paper. "I'm here to pick up some flowers."

The clerk took the slip and matched it against his clipboard. "Right, Miss. Won't be a moment." The clerk pressed a buzzer on his desk and seconds later a tall, blonde man appeared dressed in coveralls.

"Ah, Richard. This lady is here to collect package 362. Could you fetch it through, please?"

The guy called Richard took the offered slip and nodded to Hilde. "This way, please."

"You can wait here if you like, Duo. I should only be a moment."

"Okay." Duo was quite happy to wait and wandered back over to the window where he had a slightly better view of the shuttle being unloaded. Left alone with the clerk, Duo decided to see if he could get any information. He had a niggling sensation in the back of his mind and couldn't put his finger on why he should be feeling that way.

Studying the crates again, he still couldn't quite make out the logo. "Hey, buddy?" Duo called to the desk clerk who looked up. "What's the cargo on the shuttle being unloaded?"

The clerk looked a little confused for a moment and got up from behind his desk to see what Duo was talking about.

"That one there." Duo motioned with his hand.

Studying the shuttle and the offloading for a moment, the clerk smiled. "That would be supplies for the rebuilding of the Colony."

"Ah."

"There's usually one shuttle a week that comes in with building materials and such, courtesy of the L2 government, tax payers and the ESUN. Why?"

"No particular reason. I was just curious. Thanks."

"No problem." The clerk went back to his desk.

Duo continued to look out the window and then it dawned on him where he had seen the logo before. It was a subsidiary company of Winner Enterprises. He didn't get much more time to study, though, as Hilde returned and handed him a couple of large boxes to carry.

"This all of it?" Duo asked.

"Yes. The bouquets are in those two along with the buttonholes. I've got the table decorations in these two boxes."

"Right, let's get going then." They left the shuttle port behind them and headed for the hotel to drop off the swans and table decorations. The thoughts of the shuttle and its cargo disappeared from Duo's mind as he focused on the road.

* * *

Having dropped off the flowers and swans, Hilde took Duo back to the hotel and thanked him for helping her out. Duo gave the woman a kiss to her cheek. It was getting late in the afternoon cycle and Duo's stomach began to rumble. He was hungry and dinner wasn't far off. He was also anxious to see his son again. Waving Hilde good bye and promising not to be late in the morning, Duo stepped back into the hotel and rode the elevator to their floor and his husband.

Heero looked up as he heard the snick of the lock. He smiled as Duo walked into the room. "Hey."

Duo smiled. Heero was sitting on the bed, legs set out before him and crossed at the ankle. In his arms, Keitaro was cradled and sucking happily on a bottle. "Now that's a sight I will never tire of." Walking across the room, Duo sat down on the edge of the bed beside his husband and son. "Miss me?" he asked as he gently brushed a fingertip across Keitaro's forehead, tickling the soft hair there.

"Of course," Heero replied and shifted slightly so he could partake of a kiss.

"Mmmm. Nice."

"Did you manage to get everything done?" Heero asked as he removed the now empty bottle from Keitaro's lips and set it to the side. Carefully, he lifted the babe and began the task of bringing up the wind.

"Yes, yes we did. The flowers were there and we dropped them off at the hotel, the swans too. I brought our buttonholes back here with me. Guess I should put them in the 'fridge."

"The 'fridge?"

Keitaro burped - loudly.

"That better, sunshine?" Heero chuckled as he continued to rub and pat the infant's back just in case there was any more wind.

"Yeah. Hilde said to put them in the 'fridge, something about the cool air keeping them fresh. Oh, I'd better pop them in a little water, too."

Duo got up from the bed and went through to the bathroom, returning with a glass half full of water. He lifted the two buttonholes from inside the small box and stood them in the water before placing the glass into the small bar 'fridge.

"We're meeting Trowa and Quatre for dinner in half an hour," Heero said as he cradled Keitaro in his arms again, the infant blinking sleepily at him.

"In the Hotel restaurant?"

"No. We're going to meet in the lobby and go out for dinner."

"Where?"

"Quatre said there was a nice Italian place a couple of blocks from here. He thought we might like it, so he's booked a table for the five of us plus a high chair."

"Sounds good to me. I'm starving."

"You're always starving," Heero snickered as he got up off the bed and laid Keitaro in his cot. "Ill leave him to sleep for a bit. He's just been changed and fed, but I think he'll soon be awake once we head out."

"Guess we should get showered and changed too then,' Duo stated with a lustful leer in Heero's direction. "Fancy saving water again?"

"Love to."

~ * ~

tbc...


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you to all who are reading.**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 12

The Italian restaurant wasn't all that far from the hotel and, as Quatre had promised, it served delicious food. The atmosphere was pleasant, quiet and relaxed with soft background music playing. Keitaro sat in his high chair, eyes wide as he took in everything around him. He was completely absorbed in all the new sights and sounds, his head continuously on the move, much to Quatre's amusement.

Several of the other patrons smiled at the babe, the women especially making cooing noises in his direction, and Keitaro lapped it all up.

"Looks like he's going to be a lady killer," Trowa said with a smile as he watched the infant waving his arms around and the delighted chuckles he got from his crowd of female admirers.

"He's only a baby," Heero returned. "All women seem to go weak at the knees around infants."

"Oh, I don't know, I think Trowa has a point," Duo snickered.

"Huh?" Heero turned his confused eyes towards his husband.

"How could he not be a chick magnet when he has me for his mother? All those good looks and charm had to come from somewhere."

Heero blinked, Quatre had to shove his napkin into his mouth to stop the laughter. Trowa looked amused whilst Nurse Brown opted to duck her head and look like she hadn't heard.

Duo gave his partner a wink. Heero thought he'd better shut up now; besides, his mind was fresh out of any sort of comeback line. Looked like his husband had won again - for now at least.

"What time are Doctor Po and Mr Chang due in?" Nurse Brown asked in an attempt to divert the subject.

Quatre glanced at his watch. "They should be arriving in fifteen minutes. They were picking up their hire car from the shuttle port and driving out to the hotel. I'd say it'll take them roughly an hour to an hour and a half to clear customs and immigration and make it to the hotel. Allowing for traffic, of course."

"I thought Sally wasn't going to be able to make it? She couldn't get time off work or something?" Duo asked.

"At first it didn't look like she would, but Wufei contacted me a few days ago to say that Sally would be able to get the time off now and would I mind increasing the booking by one." Quatre turned to Nurse Brown. "They should be at the hotel by the time we get back."

"Right. Thank you, Quatre." Nurse Brown picked up her fork and continued to eat.

Duo absently handed Keitaro a piece of bread stick. As the child grew older, they had started to give him little bits of solid food – nothing much as yet, just things like bread crusts or rusks for the baby to 'chew' on. Keitaro took the offered item in his chubby hand and began to examine it.

"He gets the analytical side from you," Duo stated. He couldn't resist the teasing of his husband.

"At least we know he has intelligence then," Heero quipped.

It was Duo's turn to blink and Trowa's turn to shove the napkin in his mouth to stop the laughter.

* * *

Stepping into the hotel lobby after dinner, Duo immediately spotted a familiar head of dark hair. "Wuffy!" he called out and dropping Keitaro into Heero's arms, sprinted across the lobby to engulf his friend in a bear hug.

"Maxwell! Get off me!"

"Aww, Fei-Fei, don't be like that. And it's Yuy-Maxwell, remember?"

"Baka Maxwell is more to the point, and mine is _Wufei_. I bet that kid of yours has more manners than you," Wufei gruffed, but his eyes betrayed him. There was a warmth in those onyx pools.

"Duo."

"Sally!" Duo left his tormenting of Wufei and grabbed the doctor in a hug. By the time he let her go, the rest of the group had caught up to them and were busy exchanging greetings.

"When did you get in?" Nurse Brown asked Sally.

"About an hour ago. We would have been here sooner but someone got hauled in for a full baggage search."

"Wasn't my fault," Wufei huffed.

"Maybe if you hadn't glared at the customs official when he asked to see your clearance for your firearm, you could have avoided it."

"It was on my passport that I have Preventer clearance to carry any and all firearms."

"Maybe, but how were they to know you're only carrying the one? Especially after you looked down your nose at the guy and practically called him an idiot."

"I did not call him an idiot." Wufei folded his arms across his chest and scowled.

"Last time I checked, incompetent fool translated to pretty much the same as idiot."

"You want to be careful, Wuffers. These L2 officials, they don't take too kindly to people being smart around them. I'd say you got off fairly lightly with just a baggage search,' Duo teased.

"For your information, Yuy-Maxwell, I did not get off lightly. They went through all my luggage, my clothing and personal belongings. You might not object to people searching through your stuff, but I do," Wufei snapped.

"Afraid they're gonna check out your underwear?" Duo couldn't help it. It had been a while since he'd gotten to tease Wufei and the man did bite easily.

"I have nothing to hide." Wufei began to turn a little red.

"Next time you may not be so lucky," Duo informed the Chinese man.

"And what do you mean by that?"

"Next time they might do a full body search, you know? _All_ the body cavities." Duo raised an eyebrow and wiggled it.

"They wouldn't dare!" Wufei growled as he paled. "Would they?"

"Trust me, Wuffers, they would. It's a case of snap on the latex glove, then the order to drop 'em and bend over."

"Duo!" Nurse Brown rounded on the long haired man. "I think that's quite enough."

"Sorry," Duo replied, although his eyes still glinted with mischief.

The rest of the group watched in amusement.

"Have you got your room cards yet?" the nurse asked, diverting the attention away from the Chinese Preventer.

"Ah, yes. We were just on our way to the elevator when you all showed up," Sally said as she looked at the pass card in her hand.

"What room are you in?" Quatre asked.

"I'm in thirty one, Wufei is in thirty five." Hearing a snort from the American, Sally whirled around. "And what, pray tell is so funny? You didn't think we would be sharing a room, did you?"

"The rest of us are all sharing rooms," Duo quipped.

"But you're all the same sex and married," Sally returned.

"Ah, correction there, Sally. Nurse Brown and Keitaro are opposite sex and not married."

"There's also a very large age difference! He's a three and a half month old baby, Margaret's... well, middle aged - no offense, Margaret."

"None taken," Nurse Brown replied, the amusement clear in her voice.

"If everyone has quite finished, I'd like to go to my room and freshen up," Wufei stated.

Keitaro chose that moment to screw up his face and grunt softly, his skin turning slightly red with the effort of doing what it was he was doing. With a sigh and then a series of whimpers, Keitaro voiced that he was tired too and wanted a nap, preferably after a diaper change.

"Phew!" Quatre waved is hand in front of his nose. "I think someone needs to be changed."

"It's Wufei's fault,' Duo snickered.

"How do you figure that?" Trowa said as he stepped back a dozen paces into cleaner air.

"For some reason, whenever Keitaro is around 'Fei, he fills his diaper."

"I resent that!" Wufei snapped.

"Face it, Chang. You're always giving the kid the shits." Duo quickly grabbed Keitaro from Heero as Wufei's face darkened. "You wouldn't attack a man with a baby, would you?"

Wufei had made a strangled sound and lunged at Duo, only to pull up short when the American grabbed the child. "It's hard to figure out which one is the baby," he retorted. "In any case, I think the child has had my revenge for me," he added with a smirk.

"Eh?" Duo had a confused look on his face, which soon turned to horror as he felt the wetness begin to seep through his clothes and the smell grew stronger, reminding him of his son's need for a diaper change. "Ah, shit."

"Exactly," Wufei smirked. "Strike one for justice."

Everyone retired to his or her room for a while. Heero changed and cleaned Keitaro up before passing him over to Nurse Brown, who tucked the infant into the cot to sleep. Duo took another shower, rinsing his soiled clothes off in the bathroom sink. Wufei and Sally unpacked and freshened up while Trowa and Quatre simply relaxed and let their dinner settle.

With Keitaro sleeping soundly, Nurse Brown stated she was going to have an early night herself after showering and would meet with everyone in the morning. The remaining six went back down to the hotel lobby and into the cocktail bar where they shared a couple of night caps and brought Sally and Wufei up to date with the wedding plans for the following day. Once all had been discussed, questions asked and answered, they retired to their respective rooms for the night, the wedding the following day on all their minds.

* * *

The morning cycle came around and blearily, Duo blinked as his partner woke him up.

"Duo, time to wake up," Heero said softly as he pressed kisses to the forehead of his husband, the only part visible above the blankets.

"Don't wanna."

"Come on, you have to get up and have breakfast, Hilde will be expecting you soon."

The realization that it was the day of Hilde's wedding hit Duo then and he jolted up, fully awake.

Heero watched in amusement as his husband yawned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Awake?"

"I'll be more awake once I've had coffee. What time is it anyway?"

"A little before eight," Heero replied as he slipped from the bed and went to put the coffee machine on.

"What time are you heading to Mark's?"

"After breakfast, around tenish," Heero replied as he walked back to the bed with the coffees in hand.

"I hope the others are all awake. I've got to get to Hilde's by ten-thirty and we still have breakfast to eat."

Heero rolled his eyes. Duo and food.

"What?" Duo asked as he sipped his coffee.

"Nothing, nothing at all."

* * *

Breakfast had been a rather noisy affair with chatter going back and forth over the table at an alarming speed. Keitaro had been changed and fed, Nurse Brown opting to wait to bathe the baby until shortly before they were due to leave. Originally, Duo was going to drive to Hilde's with Trowa, Quatre, Keitaro and Nurse Brown whilst Heero used Quatre's hire car to get to Mark's and then the church, but that plan had been changed.

Nurse Brown had suggested it would be easier if maybe Wufei or Quatre drop Duo off then return to the hotel for the rest of them, as it was going to take a little longer than they'd originally thought to get everyone ready - especially Keitaro.

Duo had conceded. Babies had a knack for getting their pristine clothes dirty within seconds and Duo really wanted his son to look good for the wedding. With the slight change of plans in motion, everyone headed back to their rooms to begin their final preparations.

Heero stood waiting, Duo in his arms, as Quatre fetched his hire car. "I'll see you soon," Heero murmured and swooped in for a kiss.

"You can bet on it, Heero," Duo replied as the kiss broke. "Make sure you have the rings."

Heero grimaced. "Don't worry, I'm not about to risk the wrath of Hilde. Self destructing was less painful."

Snickering, Duo stole another kiss as Quatre appeared with the hire car and got out. "Time to go," he stated and passed the keys to Heero. "We'll see you at the church."

"Thanks, Quatre," Heero replied as he took the keys. Duo picked up the suit bag and carried it over to the car, laying it carefully on the back seat. With one last kiss to his husband's lips, Heero got into the car and drove off, Duo waving as the tail lights receded.

"Come on, Duo," Quatre said from beside Duo's hire car. "I have to drop you at Hilde's and get back with enough time to get myself ready."

"Okay, okay," Duo protested. "I'm coming." Checking his suit was safe in the other suit bag on the back seat, Duo got into the passenger side and reached for the seat belt. "You sure you don't want me to drive?"

"After that last time I was in a car with you behind the wheel, I'm positive," Quatre replied dryly. He still hadn't forgiven Duo for that stint in checking out the sedan around the mansion grounds. It had cost him a good pair of underwear!

"Okay then." Duo settled back in his seat and let Quatre drive them sedately to Hilde's home in the scrapyard.

* * *

Quatre had dropped Duo off and left, excusing himself from going inside, citing his need to get back to the hotel and get ready himself. When Duo stepped inside the house, he began to wish he'd gone with Quatre too and simply met Hilde at the church. The house was a mess, make-up sat in a heap on the kitchen counter, a peek into the bathroom had Duo almost running for the hills, hair care products, brushes, combs, hot rollers and hairspray lay scattered on every surface.

"Ah, Duo!" Hilde pounced on her 'brother'. "I was beginning to worry you weren't going to get here on time."

"Would I be late for the most important day of your life?" Duo teased.

"Knowing you, anything is possible. You did bring your suit? The button hole?"

"All here," Duo replied as he held up the suit bag.

"Good." Hilde breathed a sigh of relief.

A shorter, dark haired woman stepped out of the bedroom. "Hilde, you really should get dressed now."

"What" Oh... OH!" Hilde turned red, realizing she was standing in front of her brother dressed only in her bra, panties and slip. "Shit! Sorry Duo," she yelled over her shoulder as she shot back into the bedroom.

Duo began to laugh; he found the entire incident rather amusing.

"You must be Duo," the dark haired woman said.

"The one and only." Duo took the woman's offered hand and turned it over to kiss the back of it.

"Ohhh, Hilde said you were a charmer and she wasn't lying either." The woman giggled and blushed. "I'm Sasha, Mark's sister. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine,' Duo replied. "At the risk of being blunt, how much longer before Hilde is ready and the limo gets here?"

"Shit!" Sasha looked at the clock. "Limo should be here in another half an hour, and Hilde still has her make-up and hair to finish."

"I think you two had better get a wriggle on then. Where would it be best for me to get changed?"

"Ah."

Seeing how Sasha wasn't too sure, Duo took matters into his own hands.

"Look, you go help Hilde, I'll get changed in one of the spare rooms."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Sasha returned to Hilde's room to help finish off Hilde's hair and make-up, Duo located the spare room he'd used when staying with Hilde and hung the suit bag up. Stripping out of his shirt and jeans, he hoped that Heero was having a smoother time with Mark.

* * *

"Are you sure the tie is okay?"

"It's fine, Mark."

"What about the buttonhole? It doesn't seem to be sitting properly."

Heero took a deep breath. "The buttonhole is perfect, the tie is knotted correctly and also in the right place."

"What about..."

"Your shoes are shiny enough and if you put any more water on your hair to flatten it you will drown," Heero interrupted. Geeze, anyone would think Mark was going to his funeral, not his wedding!

"Sorry," Mark said with a sheepish smile.

"It's okay, you're bound to be nervous. I know I was when Duo and I got married."

"You were?"

"Hai. I couldn't help thinking he might not want me, that he would suddenly decide he didn't want to get married and leave me at the altar. Aa, sorry." Heero realized that Mark was staring at him funny.

"Hilde wouldn't do that - would she?" Mark had gone rather pale and felt the butterflies beginning to swarm in his stomach.

"My, is that the time? Come on, Mark, we need to get going or we will be late," Heero felt quite smug at changing the subject. The smug look lasted all of two seconds.

"You have the rings?"

"Errr..." Heero began to pat down his pockets. "Shit! I had them a second ago. Where the hell did I put them?"

Mark picked up a couple of velvet boxes from the small side table and handed them to Heero. "This what you're looking for?"

"Ah. I remember now. I put them there whilst I put my jacket on and slipped the buttonhole in place so I wouldn't forget them. I guess I kind of forgot when you were asking me all those questions." Heero took the boxes and placed them carefully in the pocket of his suit jacket, patting the pocket to reassure himself they were definitely there. "All set?"

Mark nodded.

"Then let's get going. You have a wedding to attend."

"I think I'm going to be sick."

* * *

Soft organ music played from the church organ, spilling out amongst the pews and into the area immediately surrounding the church. Guests began to file into the church and find a place to sit. In the vestry, Father Reilly spoke quietly to Mark and Heero.

"The guests are almost all here and seated. The bride is due in about ten minutes. I have a choir boy positioned to let me know when the wedding car arrives. As soon as I get the okay from him, we will move out to the altar and get into position to await the bride. Any questions?"

"Yeah. Where's the nearest exit?" muttered Mark.

Father Reilly chuckled and patted Mark's arm. "The exit is through there and into the church. Don't worry so much. Once you're out there and you see your bride walking towards you, all the nerves will go away and you'll have eyes only for her."

"So will the rest of the people," Heero mumbled in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Thanks, I think, Heero."

"Ah. That's the signal. Come on you two. We have a wedding to attend." Father Reilly picked up his prayer book and with one last look at the pair, he opened the door from the vestry and began to lead the way to the church and the waiting altar.

Mark took a deep breath, willed his arms and legs to stop shaking and began to follow the priest. Heero walked beside him, ready to catch the man if the need arose.

* * *

The limo pulled up outside the church and the driver got out to open the door. Sasha stepped out and waited beside the door as Duo got out and then gave Hilde a hand to get herself and all the white stuff that was her dress out as well.

Once they were out and standing in the small courtyard in front of the church, Sasha busied herself straightening Hilde's dress out and settling the veil around her face. Once she was done she walked towards the church doors and waited.

Offering his arm, Duo smiled. "You look simply lovely, Hilde. I'm proud and honored to give you away." The tears shone in his eyes with the fierce pride he felt.

"Thank you, Duo." Hilde took Duo's arm and balanced her bouquet in her other hand. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she turned to her brother. "I am doing the right thing, aren't I?"

"No one can truly answer that for you, Hilde. But if it helps, then, yes. I think you're doing the right thing. Mark is a good guy and he will take care of you."

Hilde smiled, happiness radiated off her and she gave Duo's arm a squeeze. "Thanks for being here for me."

Duo reached out and gently lifted the veil. Hilde was a vision of loveliness underneath the thin material. He leaned in and gave her a quick peck to the cheek before letting the veil drop again. "Come on, you have a man in there waiting to marry you and keep you happy for the rest of your life. Let's not keep him waiting any longer."

Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Hilde straightened her spine, pushed her shoulders back and prepared to walk down the aisle.

~ * ~

tbc...


	13. Chapter 13

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 13

Mark stood between the pews and the altar, Heero beside him and Father Reilly to his right in front of the altar. The pews were filled with family and friends, all smiling, all eager and happy to be there and witness the couple take their vows.

Glancing over the assembled crowd, Heero noted Trowa, Quatre, Wufei, Sally, Nurse Brown and Keitaro all sitting in the front pew across from him. He gave a soft smile when he observed his son. Keitaro looked gorgeous dressed in a pale blue shirt and pants, pale blue socks on his little feet and his little bit of hair neatly brushed while blue - violet eyes gazed all around him.

The organ began to play and Heero's attention was switched abruptly to the main doors at the end of the aisle. He felt Mark stiffen and then relax beside him as the rest of the wedding party entered the church.

"Ready?" Duo whispered to Hilde as the usher gave the signal and the organist commenced playing.

"Ready as I'm ever going to be," Hilde replied and took a deep breath.

Sasha smiled, fluffed her hair and did a double check over Hilde and her dress. Satisfied that everything was perfect, she began to walk into the church and down the aisle.

"Here we go," Duo said softly. "No running away now."

Hilde laughed lightly and on shaking legs, began her walk down the aisle.

Inside the church the gathered people all turned as Sasha entered, murmurs of appreciation flitted around as the tall, dark haired woman walked slowly between the pews. She looked lovely in her three quarter length, peach colored dress, the bouquet, a mix of cream roses and peach carnations held in front.

If everyone thought Sasha looked lovely, they gasped when Hilde walked in.

Duo held his head high, heart thumping in his chest with pride as he escorted his 'sister' down the aisle. He already knew Hilde looked stunning, the gasps and murmurs around him only confirmed that fact. Hilde's dress was snow white, early Victorian in basic design with a high collar and small ruffle around her slender throat. Full length sleeves with tear drop imitation diamonds sewn in encased her arms and the bodice drew in at the waist accentuating her slimness. The skirt fell full from the waist, soft satin covered with organza, again with tear drop imitation diamonds sewn in. The thin veil, kept in place by a simple tiara, covered her face, but still allowed her to be seen through the sheerness of the material. A bouquet of cream and peach roses with carnations to match topped the entire ensemble.

Beginning her walk, Hilde searched for Mark and Heero waiting at the altar. A soft sigh of relief escaped her lips when she spotted them both there.

"Didn't think he was going to stand you up, now did you?" Duo whispered, teasing her.

"Never crossed my mind," Hilde replied. "At least I know he's here willingly, I don't see a gun in Heero's hand pointing at his back."

Duo snorted softly. "I should hope not. Chang's the only one that brought a firearm with him that I know of. If Heero does have his gun, I'd like to know where he hid it to get through customs."

Hilde laughed quietly and continued to walk. She smiled at Heero and then fixed her complete attention on Mark.

Watching the entry to the church and seeing his sister walk in, Mark tensed up again. Seconds later, Hilde entered on Duo's arm and he felt as if all the air had been sucked out of his lungs.

She was simply breathtaking - and all his.

His eyes never left her for a moment, drinking in the sight as she drew closer to him. He could see the smile in her eyes, the way it lit up her entire face and he felt his own lips curl in appreciation.

Duo looked for and found Heero's eyes, his husband giving him a loving smile before turning to glance at where their friends and family sat. Duo followed the gaze and his eyes lit up when he spotted their son. Sitting happily in Nurse Brown's arms, the child was busy looking all around, taking in all the sights and sounds and gurgling quietly to himself.

Hilde was happy when she finally made it to the altar without tripping. Turning to look at Mark, she mouthed 'I love you' and then turned her attention back to Father Reilly.

With a warm smile to the couple before him, Father Reilly opened his prayer book. The organist stopped playing and silence took over until Father Reilly's clear voice echoed through the church. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today..."

The ceremony was short, Hilde had chosen a traditional wedding, still popular from pre-colony days. The words were suited to what she felt and wanted and Mark had agreed. The ceremony proceeded with minimal fuss until Father Reilly got to the part where he asked 'who was giving this woman away?'

Duo had been switching his attention from the priest to Heero and was currently fixated on his husband.

"Duo!" Hilde hissed. "That's your line."

"Ah. Oh shit. Umm, what was the question again?"

Several people in the first couple of rows heard the small slip and chuckled. Heero had to bite his lip to stop from laughing.

Patiently, Father Reilly repeated the question. "Who giveth this woman away?"

"Ah, that would be me," Duo said clearly and proudly. For a moment he'd toyed with saying something along the lines of, "Give her away? Geeze, you'd have to pay someone to take her," but thought he'd better not, those roses looked like they still had their thorns and he really didn't fancy joining the savior wearing a crown of thorns himself.

"Thank you," Father Reilly whispered to Duo. "You may step away."

Duo gave Hilde a cheeky grin, resisted the urge to wave and stepped back to sit in a spare space in the front pew, next to Nurse Brown with Quatre on his other side.

The ceremony progressed and finally Father Reilly came to the part where the couple exchanged their vows. Hilde's clear 'I do' rang through the church, Mark's was a little more subdued but no less sincere.

"Now for the rings."

All eyes turned to the best man. Heero felt like he was going to wilt under the stares. He broke out in a nervous sweat and reached for the pocket in his suit jacket.

"You better have them," Hilde whispered, the threat of a slow, torturous death in both her eyes and tone.

Heero swallowed, his fingers turning to jelly as he fumbled with the small boxes trapped inside the suit pocket.

"Ten bucks says he's forgotten them," Trowa whispered to Quatre.

"I'll take that bet. Ten bucks says he's not as dumb as _you_ were to misplace them," Quatre whispered back from the corner of his mouth.

Trowa blinked. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

With Hilde's eyes boring holes through him, Heero managed to grasp the ring boxes and pull them from his jacket pocket. With a triumphant smile, he handed the boxes over to Father Reilly who removed the rings from inside them.

"You owe me ten bucks," Quatre hissed.

"You'll get it," Trowa huffed.

"I'd better."

"Or what? You'll send out the debt collectors?"

"Worse."

Trowa paled. "You wouldn't?"

"I would."

"I swear, you'll have it when we get back to the hotel."

"Good." Quatre turned his attention back to the ceremony.

Trowa went silent again, brooding over his close shave with nearly losing his kitchen privileges.

"With this ring, I thee wed. With my body, I thee worship..." Hilde repeated the words that Father Reilly spoke as she slid the ring along Mark's finger. Mark repeated the same words moments later as he too slipped the wedding band onto Hilde's finger.

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Mark grasped the edges of Hilde's veil and raised it, lifting it carefully and laying it over the back of Hilde's head. He smiled warmly at Hilde and leaned in close. Lips met and a soft kiss was exchanged. Cheers rang out along with applause and a rather loud wolf whistle that could only have come from Duo.

When the kiss broke, Father Reilly led the couple through to the vestry to sign the necessary paperwork leaving the guests to enjoy the sounds of the organ whilst they waited. Duo took advantage of the 'free time' and took his son from Nurse Brown, cuddling the infant close to his chest and murmuring endearments into the child's ear. Nurse Brown took the quiet moments to settle herself. She fetched a fresh tissue from her hand bag and began to dab at her eyes, mopping up the moisture that had formed during the last part of the ceremony.

"Why is it that women always seem to cry at weddings?" Duo asked in a teasing tone. Sally was sniffling and using Wufei's handkerchief to mop up her own tears.

"Probably because they are the weaker sex," Wufei offered. "You don't see men crying at weddings." Wufei folded his arms across his chest and looked quite smug, until Duo poked him in the ribs and nodded in Quatre's direction.

The blonde was a weeping mess. Tears flooding from his eyes as Trowa sat helplessly beside him, offering fresh tissues as previous ones became water logged.

"Ah. Let me re-phrase that. _Real_ men don't cry at weddings."

"Unless they are the groom and don't want to be there," Duo quipped with a grin.

"If I may remind you, Yuy-Maxwell; you put on a good show of the water works at your wedding."

"Maybe, but it was all happiness. Besides, Heero's a real man and he cried at his wedding too," Duo countered.

"Probably because he knew there was no way out, that he was stuck with you for the rest of his days," Wufei quipped.

"Ohhh, low blow there, Wuffy."

"Gentlemen, if you please. The bride and groom are returning," Nurse Brown interrupted the pair.

Leaving the bantering for now, Duo and Wufei returned their attention to the bridal party.

Father Reilly once again took center stage and spoke clearly. "Congratulations," he said as he shook Mark's hand and passed over the wedding certificate. With that done, he turned to the waiting guests. "May I present to you all, Mr and Mrs Mark Watson."

Hilde and Mark positively beamed at the crowd and hand in hand they made their way from the altar and along the aisle to the outside. Heero and Sasha linked arms and fell into step behind them, Heero giving his husband a smile as they passed.

Once the bridal party had made it outside, the rest of the guests all filed out after them to congratulate the happy couple and share in the photos. Several group shots were taken along with many of just the bride and groom with some of their guests. Heero, Duo and Keitaro got their chance as well, Keitaro behaving perfectly and even smiling. After a short while, the couple left along with Heero and Sasha to have a few more photos taken in the botanical gardens that L2 had recently finished and opened to the public. The rest of the guests began heading for their own cars and the following reception.

* * *

Arriving at the hotel where the reception was being held, Duo made a beeline for the parenting room to change Keitaro. The baby had been as good as gold throughout the ceremony and following photos, now though he was starting to voice his displeasure at having a wet diaper and empty stomach. Whilst Duo changed his son, Nurse Brown went in search of a staff member so she could have the baby's bottle warmed. It didn't take her long and when she stepped back into the cocktail bar area of the hotel that had been set aside for the guests to enjoy pre-dinner drinks, she met Duo just coming out of the parenting room. Passing him the bottle she took Duo by the elbow and steered him through the crowd to an empty chair. Duo gratefully sat down in it and began to feed his son. Keitaro latched on and sucked for all he was worth. While Duo fed the infant, Nurse Brown grabbed a cloth diaper from the baby bag and held it ready. Duo quirked an eyebrow.

"For when you burp him," the nurse explained. "Put the diaper over your shoulder to protect your suit, if he brings up anything else besides the wind at least your clothes won't be soiled."

"Ah, thanks." With Keitaro fed, Duo burped the child and then sat with Keitaro in his arms, watching the rest of the people. Nurse Brown stayed close to relieve him if necessary. Several people stopped to chat, many of them knowing him as Hilde's 'brother'. Some he had met before, others were complete strangers to him, but with Duo's personality, he got on with everyone.

Everyone was mesmerized by Keitaro though. Many were the compliments Duo got regarding his son's good behavior and all the women seemed to want to fuss over the baby. Keitaro was simply happy with all the new faces around him and eagerly took it all in. He gurgled and squealed when people cooed at him, his little face lighting up with a toothless grin.

"Come on, everyone is starting to head inside," Trowa said as he approached Duo and Nurse Brown.

"Anyone know where we're sitting?" the nurse asked as she picked up the baby bag.

"There's a floor plan by the door and place cards on the tables," Trowa replied as they made their way over to the double doors that had been opened to permit the guests entry into the reception room.

They paused at the door, glancing at the floor plan and noting where they were sitting. Duo was on the bridal table along with Heero, Mark's parents and the rest of the bridal party. Trowa, Quatre, Wufei, Sally and Nurse Brown were sitting on table two. With that knowledge in mind, they walked into the reception room.

They found table two easily enough and Duo smiled when he spotted the high chair that had been provided for Keitaro placed between Nurse Brown and Sally. He gave an internal grin, knowing the two women would be spoiling his son rotten throughout the meal. With Keitaro safely strapped in, Duo left his friends to take his own place at the bridal table. He was sitting at one end, Heero next to him, then Sasha, Hilde, Mark and Mark's parents. Duo gave a nod of recognition to Mark's parents and took his place.

Silence descended over the room as Mark's cousin, Peter, who was the emcee for the reception, announced the imminent arrival of the bridal party. Everyone stood up as Hilde and Mark entered, Heero and Sasha right behind them and took their places. Once the applause had died down, everyone sat and the wait staff began to bring around drinks.

With the drinks served, the first course was brought out, the bridal table being the first one to receive their food. It was a spring vegetable soup with warm bread rolls. Duo dug into his with enthusiasm - he loved vegetables. Fresh fruit and vegetables had been scarce during his childhood and Duo took every chance he got to savor them.

During the first course, people began to chat amongst themselves, Duo asked Heero about the photo shoot, Heero relaying all that had occurred. The topic changed to the moments preceding the wedding, how both Mark and Hilde had suffered from attacks of the nerves, how Heero nearly had to stop on the way to the church for Mark to be sick. From time to time, both men's eyes would dart over to the table that their friends and son sat at, not that they were worried about Keitaro. Their son had both Nurse Brown and Sally wrapped around his little finger.

With the first course finished, the wait staff cleared the tables and checked with each guest what they would like for their main meal. Hilde had chosen the menu wisely, knowing not everyone's tastes in food were like her own and Mark's. The main course consisted of a choice of chicken, fish or beef. There was also a vegetarian option available if anyone wanted it. Duo chose the beef, Heero the fish.

The allocated time between courses let Hilde and Mark circulate amongst their guests, it also gave Heero and Duo the chance to check on Keitaro and the rest of their friends. The banter was light, everyone in high spirits and enjoying themselves.

Duo sat himself down next to Quatre and chatted for a while about the wedding and ceremony. After a few minutes discussing the vegetable soup with Trowa, Duo focused back on Quatre and asked about what had been bothering him since his trip to the shuttle port with Hilde the previous day.

Explaining what he'd seen in the cargo bay, describing the boxes and the logo, along with a description of the shuttle and the clerk's information, Duo asked Quatre if he knew anything about it.

"The boxes had a logo on them?"

"Yeah. It was two scimitars, side by side, top of their blades touching, also their handles at the base; there was also a star in the middle," Duo said as he recalled the logo from his memory. He grabbed a pen and napkin, quickly sketching the logo for Quatre.

Quatre studied it for a second. "That's 'Sandrock Construction', a subsidiary company of Winner Enterprises. It deals mainly with building materials and such."

"The clerk said it was materials for the reconstruction of the colony," Duo replied absently.

"But?" Quatre prompted.

"I dunno, Quat. Something doesn't quite add up. I can't put my finger on it."

"How so? I can double check with the company director when I get back home, get him to send me the inventory of the stuff they're sending and such if you wish?"

"Would you mind?"

"Of course not. Were there many crates?"

"Quite a few from what I saw being unloaded. Look, it's probably nothing but I'd feel a lot better if you don't mind me just checking on what's being imported in."

"No problem at all. I'll get onto it as soon as I return home."

"Thanks, Quat."

"My pleasure." Quatre could clearly tell that something was niggling at Duo, but until the man had checked out whatever it was that was causing his unease, they would have to wait for him to tell them of his suspicions. Quatre was well aware that Sandrock Construction was supplying necessary building materials to the colony for the re-building projects that were going on; they usually sent a shuttle load once a week and he had no doubts to the legitimacy of the items in the crates. He'd check though and send Duo the information as requested. If for any reason his company wasn't doing what it was supposed to be doing, then Quatre wanted to know about it!

Duo left them then as the main course was being served.

* * *

During the break between the main course and dessert, Peter got up again and started the speeches. As emcee he thanked all the guests for attending, spun a couple of tales about Mark in his younger days and then after a toast to the bride and groom, handed the floor over to Mark to reciprocate. Mark's speech was simple. He thanked everyone again for attending, especially Heero for being his best man, Duo for giving Hilde away and his sister for playing bridesmaid. Then he paid tribute to Hilde, stating he was the luckiest man alive for having found her and for Hilde to have accepted him as her husband.

Cheers and whistles broke out as he toasted his new wife. Hilde was in tears.

Heero made his speech, thanking Sasha for her assistance with Hilde and even spilling a tale of his own, letting everyone know how she was the one to give him a kick in the butt when it mattered most. "If she hadn't been on my case, I would have let the one thing that is dearer to me than life itself, slip through my fingers. Hilde is a warm, caring person and Mark has gotten himself a true treasure; just don't get on her bad side!"

Everyone laughed, Duo joined Hilde in the tears department.

The wedding cake was next to be cut, a magnificent piece of culinary creation. Three tiers of snow white icing, encircled with peach colored roses hiding the rich fruit cake beneath. Atop sat the figures of a bride and groom.

"No offense to anyone, but I think your wedding cake for Duo and Heero's wedding was better," Quatre whispered to his husband.

Trowa smiled.

With the cake cut, the desserts were served followed by a piece of wedding cake. Once the dishes were cleared away it was time for the traditional bridal waltz. Mark led his bride by her hand and the couple took the floor. Heero followed with Sasha a moment later, then Duo joined them with Mark's mother. Soon most of the guests were dancing too. Once the bridal waltz was completed, Heero danced with Hilde, Duo found himself with Sasha and much to Duo's amusement, Mark was dancing with Nurse Brown.

The reception wore on, the dancing continuing along with more drinking. Cheese and crackers were served and even Duo found himself stuffed to the gills and unable to eat much more. Eventually the celebrations had to come to an end and Peter called everyone to form a circle to bid the couple good evening.

Hilde and Mark passed around the circle, thanking people for coming, sharing a couple of words and then moving to the next person. When Hilde got to Heero, she was fighting tears.

"Thank you for being Mark's best man,' she said softly.

"My pleasure, Hilde. He's a good man and a loyal friend. You take care now."

"I will." Hilde gave Heero a peck to the cheek and a squeeze. Releasing him, she moved on to Duo.

Duo's eyes were misted with tears of happiness for his 'sister'. He enveloped her slender frame in a bear hug, holding her close as he whispered into her ear. "I'm so proud of you, Hil."

"Thanks, Duo, not only for giving me away, but for everything. You're the best brother a girl could have."

"Aww, don't go getting all sappy on me."

"I'll get sappy if I want to," Hilde replied but hugged Duo closer. "Thanks," she repeated and gave Duo's cheek a kiss.

Mark had shaken hands with Heero, thanking the man for being there for him. Heero reciprocated the handshake, stating it had been an honor and privilege, and if Mark didn't take care of Hilde, then he would have Heero to answer to.

Mark laughed and vowed he would never do anything to hurt Hilde, he didn't need a former Gundam pilot on his case. Correction, two former Gundam pilots as Duo made it quite clear that he would also be looking for blood if Mark hurt his sister in any way.

The one thing that remained was for Hilde to throw her bouquet. All the single females lined up and Hilde turned her back. On the count of three, Hilde tossed the bouquet over her shoulder. All the women dived frantically for the flowers, Sasha emerging the victor.

With the good byes finished, the couple made their way to the front of the hotel where Mark's car waited - and stopped. The once pristine red duco was completely covered in shaving cream and streamers. Inside the car wasn't much better, rice, balloons and toilet paper were everywhere and some balloons slipped out as Hilde tried to get in. She glanced at Duo and growled at him. Duo held his hands up in defense.

"Hey! It's tradition," he called out. Beside him, Quatre waved an empty shaving cream can, Trowa carried an almost empty packet of rice whilst Wufei hung onto a toilet roll.

Was that a balloon Hilde spotted hanging out of Sally's pocket? And what was Heero doing trying to stuff a steamer down his shirt? "You'll keep, Duo!" Hilde called as she got inside the car.

"Thank god for the automatic car washes," Mark muttered. "I'll be taking this baby through one on the way to the hotel." Starting the car, Mark drove off, everyone waving furiously, Hilde hanging out the window and waving back. Behind them the rattle of empty cans followed along the streets.

~ * ~

tbc...


	14. Chapter 14

**Many thanks to all who are reading and hugs to those who have left a review. Feedback is very much appreciated, treasured and adored. ^__^**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 14

Once Hilde and Mark had left the reception the guests all returned inside to finish off their drinks and make their own farewells. Duo and Heero joined the rest of their friends and swapped stories for a little while. Keitaro had begun yawning earlier and Nurse Brown had fed and changed the infant, Sally then taking the baby and rocking him in her arms. Keitaro had fallen asleep soon after.

Most people had already left the reception when Duo stood up and stretched. "I think we should be making a move too," he said softly with a glance at his son still sleeping in Sally's arms.

"I agree," Heero replied and began to gather up their things. Nurse Brown picked up the baby bag, checked the contents and prepared to leave.

Sally handed over the infant to Duo's waiting arms, the long haired man taking his son and carefully embracing him in those strong arms. Keitaro snuffled and shifted, then scenting his 'mother' went back to sleep.

Wufei and Sally bid their good byes at the hotel lobby, promising to meet up for breakfast in the morning. Trowa and Quatre also bade everyone farewell and headed for their car. Duo slipped Keitaro into the baby seat and secured the straps, Nurse Brown hopping in beside the infant and covering her mouth as she yawned. Heero started the car up and they were soon on their way back to the hotel.

"It was a lovely wedding and reception," Nurse Brown said sleepily from the back seat.

"I agree," Duo replied. "Hilde did a marvelous job of organizing everything."

"She certainly did. I admire that woman," Nurse Brown mused.

"Keitaro was good too," Heero added.

"He's a perfect baby," Nurse Brown said softly, her eyes warm as she gazed at the sleeping infant. Keitaro hadn't made so much as a murmur when he'd been placed in the baby seat.

Heero snickered.

"What?" Duo asked, sensing his husband was enjoying a private joke.

Heero snickered again then spoke. "Of course Keitaro is the perfect baby, he has the perfect soldier for his father so what do you expect?"

Duo rolled his eyes. "Just don't go getting too cocky there, buddy; remember who his mother is."

Heero shook his head and drove on.

* * *

The others had all arrived back at the hotel by the time Heero and Duo got there and were in their respective rooms. Nurse Brown and Heero took all the baby's things and anything else they had used back into the hotel, Duo picked Keitaro up and carried him inside. Once they were back in their rooms, Heero began to put away their things whilst Nurse Brown took care of Keitaro's stuff. With everything put away, the nurse heated up a bottle for the baby and proceeded to undress and change the infant. Keitaro woke up and blinked sleepily, letting the nurse change him and dress him in his pajamas. Once the babe was organized, Nurse Brown fetched the bottle and began to feed him, the warm milk settling the child and helping him to return to sleep.

"I'll keep him in here again tonight if you like?" Nurse Brown offered.

"Thanks, that would be good," Duo replied. He didn't know about Heero, but he was bushed and looking forward to a decent night's sleep. Kissing his son's head and running a finger down the soft cheek, Duo bade the nurse and his son good night. Duo stepped back through the connecting door and closed it quietly behind him. Turning he spotted his lover over by the small coffee maker.

"Coffee?" Heero asked as he offered Duo a steaming cup.

"Thank you." Duo took the cup and sat down on the edge of the bed, toeing his shoes off and pushing them under the bed with his foot. He opened his jacket and tossed the tie to the side before taking a sip at the coffee. "Mmm... Much better."

Heero also removed his shoes, then setting the cup down, he proceeded to remove his jacket and tie as well. "God, it feels good to get out of that," he stated and scratched his neck. Picking up his cup, he sat next to Duo and stole a kiss.

Draining his coffee, Duo set the empty cup aside and flopped back on the bed. "It was a great day though."

"Hai, it was," Heero replied as he placed his own, empty cup next to Duo's and lay on his side next to his partner, head resting in his hand. His eyes traveled over the form of his husband, eagerly drinking in the sight. He raised a hand and began to run his fingertips lightly over Duo's chest, the fabric of Duo's shirt preventing any skin to skin contact. He could feel the muscles shiver beneath the cotton as he moved up and circled a nipple.

"Ahhh," Duo moaned softly.

"I wonder how Hilde and Mark are getting on?" Heero mused as his fingers sought the buttons to his lover's shirt and began to slowly flip them open.

"I really _don't_ need that image, thanks."

"Sorry," Heero chuckled and brushed the shirt aside, revealing his husband's chest to his eyes and touch.

"It is their wedding night and I don't think we should be intruding, even if it is just in thoughts. Besides, it's an image I can well do without, Hilde's my sister in all but blood," Duo muttered softly.

"Remember our wedding night?" Heero whispered, changing the subject slightly.

"How could I forget? You were so warm, tender and loving."

"You were everything I ever dreamed of and more. I'm so happy you said yes, proud to have you by my side and honored that you love me in return," Heero breathed as he leaned over Duo's chest and blew lightly over a nipple.

"Funny how weddings always manage to bring out the sappiness in people," Duo mused. "Ohh, that's nice."

Heero opted not to reply for the moment, instead, he lowered his lips and began to suckle lightly on Duo's chest, flicking his tongue over the nub and causing it to harden.

"Someone's feeling frisky, not that I'm complaining," Duo huffed as he squirmed a little.

"Let's just say that the wedding brought back happy memories for me and I'd like to show you just how much I love you, Duo. Indulge me, please? Let me make love to you like it's our wedding night all over again."

"Well, when you put it that way, who am I to resist?" Duo moved forth and captured Heero's lips in a torrid kiss.

They kissed for a while longer, exploring familiar territory and teasing each other to greater arousal. Heero managed to remove Duo's jacket and shirt, his own shirt soon following. Clad only in their pants and socks, kisses continued to rain down, Heero having pushed Duo completely onto his back and worshiping his husband's chest with rapt attention.

Duo opted to lie back and let his lover take charge, the sensations of Heero's tongue, lips and teeth were causing his body to jolt and shiver with pleasure.

Heero worked lovingly over the flesh bared before him, nursing on Duo's nipples then feathering kisses over the taut stomach muscles that fluttered beneath his touch. He smirked to himself as he began to kiss around the waistband of Duo's trousers, the thin trail of hair that led from his navel and disappeared under said trousers exciting him further. His fingers were quick to come forth and flip open the button before grasping the tab and sliding the zipper down. Duo's scent invaded his nostrils, a mixture of soap and muskiness that could only be Duo's desire. Carefully he parted the cloth, Duo's erection pushing at the thin material of his boxers and leaving a wet spot on them.

"Please," Duo moaned and wriggled his hips. He wanted to be free from the cloth.

Chuckling lightly, Heero obliged, grasping the waistband and pulling the trousers from Duo's hips, taking his socks as well and tossing the garments to the floor. With his husband now bared to his view, Heero took a moment to appreciate the body spread out before him. Hungry eyes roamed over the creamy flesh, noting the flush to the skin. Duo's cock lay against his belly, the head was wet with need, shaft stiff and pulsing. Heero lowered his lips again and swiped his tongue over the swollen tip.

"Oh, yeah, baby," Duo groaned, his hips bucking in an attempt to gain more friction.

Heero placed his hands on Duo's hips, keeping his lover still as he proceeded to kiss, lick and nibble on the engorged length from tip to root. He bathed the shaft with love, teased the head with gentle licks and finally took the entire length into his mouth and sucked lightly.

"Oh, yeah," Duo moaned as his hands wandered down and threaded through chocolate locks. He kept his touch light, just enough to hold Heero in place as he thrust leisurely into the warm cavern of Heero's mouth; not that Heero needed keeping in place, he wasn't planning on going anywhere.

Continuing to suck, Heero's fingers ghosted over Duo's sac to the sensitive patch of skin behind where they teased lightly. Moving on from there, he traced along Duo's cleft, smirking as Duo's thighs parted further for him. His finger tip found the tiny entrance and began to circle it with lazy strokes. Mindful that he didn't have any lube on his finger as yet, Heero continued to massage the small hole, teasing the nerve endings and driving his lover mad with need.

"Ahhh, can't take much more, Heero. I need to feel you inside. Here." Duo fumbled around under the pillow, searching for the tube of lube, only it wasn't there. "Damn!"

Heero released Duo's cock from his mouth with a soft 'pop' and turned his eyes to meet his lover's. "Can't find the lube?" he chuckled.

"Not funny," Duo huffed. "I'm all hot and bothered here, I want you inside."

"Hang on a tic. We left the lube in the side pocket of the bag," Heero reminded his husband. They'd done that so as not to upset the house cleaning staff. Heero didn't think the maid would appreciate finding a tube of Astroglide under the pillow or on the side table. Much better to be discrete.

"Oh yeah, I forgot," Duo mumbled as he blushed. He watched as his partner got up from the bed and went in search of the lube, returning moments later with the tube in hand and a foil packet.

Heero set the condom and lube down on the bedside table before removing his own pants, underwear and socks. Completely nude, he joined his lover back on the bed and kissed Duo soundly. "I think it would be better to use a condom," Heero stated quietly.

"Good idea," Duo replied and opened his legs wide. "Prep me, Heero."

Needing no further encouragement, Heero grabbed the tube and squeezed a generous amount over his fingers. Tossing the tube aside, he returned to his task of tormenting the tiny entrance. With the lube slick around the puckered entrance, Heero began to press a finger forward, easing past the restrictive muscles and into the heat and moistness of Duo's channel.

Violet eyes closed in bliss as Heero's fingers began to invade his passage, the lube allowing easier intrusion. It was a little uncomfortable at first, but that soon passed and Heero was quick to slide a second finger in and scissor them. Muscles soon gave and stretched to the demanding fingers, a third added and worked around ensuring the passage was well and truly slick. When Heero crooked his fingers and found Duo's sweet spot, the American almost shot off the bed.

Moaning loudly, Duo reached out and grasped Heero's rigid shaft and tugged. "In me, now," he demanded.

"Okay, okay. I get the message," Heero chuckled. "Have patience and let me put the condom on first." Heero removed his fingers but wasn't quick enough to grab the foiled packet. Duo beat him to it.

Ripping the packet open with his teeth, Duo removed the condom from inside, tossed the packet to the floor for now and placed the condom over the head of Heero's cock, rolling it quickly down the shaft. "Always knew this gift from Trowa and Quatre would come in handy," he snickered. "There, all we need now is a little lube." Duo reached for the tube and quickly slicked Heero's latex covered length. "Ohhh, that ribbing feels good against my hand, I think it's gonna feel real good inside."

Heero chuckled. He'd forgotten that the gifts were ribbed, Quatre stating they felt very nice and then promptly shut up as he turned a very interesting shade of red given the curious glances that had been sent his way. Pushing his love's thighs even wider apart, Heero settled between the spread legs and positioned the head of his cock at Duo's entrance. He gazed deep into swirling amethyst and proceeded to push past the resisting muscle and into Duo's body.

The muscles protested at first, it had been a while since Heero had made love to Duo, usually Duo topped for the moment, at least until they had managed to figure out his 'cycle'. Once Sally had a better idea of what she was working with she would be able to advise Duo of the best method of birth control to suit him and his lifestyle. For now she'd advised them to be careful, letting Duo take the role of seme and if they did decide to reverse then condoms were the safest way to go.

There was a certain amount of sensation lost being encased in latex. It didn't matter how thin the manufacturers managed to get their product it was never going to be as good as 'bareback', but it was a small inconvenience to Heero, he was happy enough just to be able to enjoy his lover's channel surrounding him, the heat and tightness driving his excitement higher. The muscles of Duo's body relaxed and parted, allowing him to enter paradise. Once completely seated, Heero paused to gain back some control and watch his husband's face carefully for any sign of discomfort.

The initial burn of entry made itself known and Duo briefly closed his eyes, willing himself to relax. As Heero's length sank completely into him the burn faded and was replaced with a feeling of fullness. Duo sighed contently.

Lowering himself a little, Heero brushed a kiss over Duo's lips. "You okay?"

"Fine, just takes a moment to adjust, it's been a while," Duo replied, his voice husky.

Feathering kisses over Duo's neck and jaw, Heero was happy to wait as long as his lover wanted. The muscles surrounding his length began to squeeze lightly, a clear indication to Heero that his partner was ready for him to move. Carefully, Heero began his retreat, hips moving slowly as his cock left the warmth and tightness. Seconds later he was pushing back in.

"Good, feels so damn good," Duo moaned as his hands wandered over Heero's back and down to Heero's buttocks. Slender hands grabbed a hold and gave Duo some form of purchase as he thrust his own hips up to meet with Heero's inner push, taking his lover's shaft deep inside.

Heero found his rhythm, hips rocking steadily as he made love to his husband. He didn't go fast or hard, yet he wasn't slow either. A steady pace that had them both steadily climbing the ladder of pleasure, the ultimate goal just out of reach.

The ribbing of the condom felt exquisite to Duo. He'd never imagined his channel would be so sensitive, that the small bumps in the latex would ripple and tease the rich supply of nerve endings that resided inside in such an erotic way.

It was a huge turn on.

"Yes, more. More, baby, need to feel you deep inside," Duo ground out as his own body rose up to meet his partner's.

The pace increased a little, Heero not wanting to push too fast and lose his sanity too quickly. Judging by Duo's moans, the condom and its ribbing must be feeling good. Duo confirmed that fact a moment later.

"Oh, Heero. You have no idea how good that feels, the ridges really add that something extra," Duo informed his partner, his voice thick with need.

"Tell me. Tell me what it feels like," Heero husked out.

"Feels like a thousand fingertips all teasing and caressing," Duo moaned. "It's hard to explain, but next time I take you I'll wear one and you can feel for yourself. Ahhh..." Duo's body convulsed as Heero found his sweet spot.

A loving smile graced Heero's lips as he plundered Duo's body, trying to stroke over that special gland whenever he could. The ribbing of the condom added further torment for Duo. When Heero's cock managed to connect with his prostate, the ribbing sensation became even more defined. At this rate, Duo knew he would be losing his trembling hold on his orgasm very soon.

The pace sped up a little, Duo doing his best to muffle his moans of pleasure. The last thing he needed was for Nurse Brown to be knocking on the connecting door and asking if they were okay. Heero buried his face in the crook of Duo's neck, breathing hot and heavy against the heated skin of his partner, his moans stifled by the contact. Heero's arms wound themselves under and around Duo's shoulders, his thighs straining as he continued his advance and retreat. Given how Duo's channel was pulsing around him, he knew he wouldn't be lasting much longer.

Gradually the pleasure built to the point of no return. The ribbing on the condom was Duo's end, the sensations of those bumps brushing across his prostate finally sending him over the edge and into nirvana. Thick seed pulsed from his cock, the organ needing no stimulation to find release, Heero's pounding combined with the condom had taken care of that.

With Duo's fall into bliss the heated passage began a series of rhythmic contractions, alternating between squeezing and releasing Heero's length. It was all it needed to send Heero spiraling after his partner.

Slumping against his husband, Heero felt Duo's arms slide up and wrap securely around his waist, holding him close as they both enjoyed the last vestiges of their respective orgasms. They lay together, entwined in each other's arms as the afterglow bathed them in her warmth, Heero's softened cock still remained inside Duo's body, both men reluctant to break the connection. Gradually the cool kiss of the evening air made its presence known and Heero carefully pulled away from his lover, his cock sliding from within the loose passage and he rolled to the side, pulling Duo with him.

They continued to lie in post coital bliss, semen and sweat alike drying on their skins. Heero had removed the condom, tied the end off and dropped it into the trash bin. "Shower?" he suggested as his belly began to itch from Duo's drying semen.

"I think that would be lovely," Duo replied. "Now if only I can get my limbs to cooperate."

The pair managed to get off the bed, Heero heading into the bathroom and turning the spray on before returning to assist Duo whose legs seemed determined to stay in a jelly-like state. The sex had been incredible, the condom having added to Duo's enjoyment and thus being responsible for his current state of lack of control over his body.

The warmth of the water was welcome, washing away the evidence of their lovemaking and relaxing tired muscles. Drying off with the large, fluffy towels, the pair tumbled back into the bed, naked and tired. Heero pulled Duo close, spooning behind his husband and resting a hand on Duo's belly.

"Sleep well," Heero whispered as he nuzzled Duo's neck.

"You too, Heero. Love you." Duo wrapped his hands over the top of Heero's and drifted off to sleep, Heero was seconds behind him.

* * *

Quatre covered his mouth as a large yawn overtook him. "Over there," he muttered to Trowa as they entered the hotel dining room for breakfast.

Trowa grabbed his husband's hand and weaved his way between tables to where their friends were gathered. Heero, Duo, Keitaro and Nurse Brown were all sitting at a long table, Sally joining them with a plate of food just as Trowa and Quatre arrived.

"Morning, Quatre," Sally said as she sat down.

Quatre mumbled something unintelligible and flopped down into an empty seat.

"I'll go get a coffee, shall I?" Trowa asked his husband.

Quatre nodded.

"Someone's not a morning person," Duo chuckled. "Hard night?"

"Not as hard as yours sounded," Quatre retorted.

Duo promptly blushed and shut up.

"Did we have a little too much to drink, by any chance?" Sally teased.

Quatre refused to answer, opting instead to take the coffee from Trowa's hand as the tall Latin reappeared.

"Weddings always leave him emotionally drained, it's his empathy or something like that," Trowa said as he caught the tail end of the conversation and sat down. Quatre gave a glare, Trowa just shrugged as if to say; 'Next time you figure out the excuse'.

"It would appear that we're not the only ones to be late rising this morning. I don't see Wufei," Quatre stated in an attempt to divert the attention away from himself. He was feeling quite smug about it too, until Sally shot him down in flames.

"Wufei was here earlier. He's had his breakfast and is in the hotel gym doing his morning routine," she informed the blonde.

"Oh."

The conversation switched to talk about the previous day's wedding whilst everyone finished their meals. Duo managed to shift positions and sat next to Quatre.

"When are you two flying out?" he asked.

"Shuttle's booked for this evening," Quatre replied. "What about you?"

"We're leaving tomorrow morning.""Sally and Wufei?"

"I'm not sure, I think they fly out this afternoon."

"Ah."

"Quatre?"

"Yes?"

"You won't forget to look into those crates and the Winner shuttle, will you?"

"Of course not. Once we get back to L4 I'll get right on it."

"Thanks, Quat. I owe you one."

"Not at all, Duo. Like I said before, I know Sandrock Construction is doing quite a bit of re-building of L2 and I'm curious myself to know how things are progressing and what sort of materials they're bringing in. There's more to this though than you're letting on, isn't there?"

Duo rubbed the back of his neck and thought for a moment. "I don't know what's going on, Quat. I've just got this funny feeling that all is not as it should be."

"Care to share?"

"You'll probably think I'm overreacting, I don't have much in the way of anything tangible, just a hunch really."

"Duo, I've never known your hunches to be wrong."

With a sigh, Duo gave in. "From what I've seen regarding the re-building, it _is_ going on, supplies are coming into the colony..."

"But?" Quatre raised an eyebrow.

"But it doesn't seem to be progressing as fast as one would think it should." Duo sighed again. "I can't be sure, but from what I can gather, given the support, the funds allocated for the re-building, plus what I know of the other colonies and their reconstruction, L2 doesn't seem to be progressing as fast."

"Ah." Quatre scratched his chin in thought. "Look, I'll find out what I can regarding the supplies and stuff from Sandrock Construction. I'll get a copy of the inventories and such and see what matches up. Once I have that information I'll contact you. I'd also suggest contacting Relena too, ask her what she knows of the funding and other stuff relating to the re-building of the colony. Once we have that information you will know a little more and be able to decide if it needs to be taken further."

"Thanks, Quatre. Sorry if all this seems a little odd..."

"Duo, you don't have to explain to me. I've never known your instincts to let you down before. I trust you and if you think there may be a problem then I'll do all I can to help you solve it." Quatre gave a soft smile.

Duo returned the smile.

"Guess we should be going," Quatre said softly and nodded towards the rest of the table.

The restaurant was deserted except for their table and the wait staff were moving around, clearing up and getting set for the lunch rush. Keitaro was in Heero's arms, Heero and Nurse Brown waiting for Duo who obviously hadn't heard them calling him.

"I'll catch up with you later, Quatre. We'll come to the shuttle port to see you both off."

"Okay. See you later then."

Duo rose and went to his waiting husband and son, his mind a little easier now he had something a bit more solid to work with.

~ * ~

tbc...


	15. Chapter 15

**Thank you to all for the kind reviews!**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 15

True to his word, when Quatre arrived back home the first thing he did when returning to work was have his secretary gather all the relevant files and information on Sandrock Construction and the supplies it was carrying to L2. He went through the inventories, matched them with the order slips and delivery slips, checked the departure and docking times of all the shuttles; he even went as far as to check the weight of each shuttle empty, loaded to leave and weight upon arrival.

Everything checked out. Quatre couldn't find anything at all amiss. Trowa had noticed his husband's distraction and questioned him. When Quatre had repeated Duo's concerns, Trowa had offered whatever assistance he could. He'd been the one to double check the facts and figures Quatre had dug up and verified that everything matched.

Quatre contacted Duo with the information, apologizing that he couldn't be of more assistance. Duo had accepted the information, knowing that Quatre would have been thorough in his investigation. He still couldn't shake that feeling that all wasn't right though.

They had been back on Earth for a week before Heero decided he'd waited long enough for Duo to tell him what was bothering him and would confront his partner. He found his husband in the nursery, Keitaro in his arms as he rocked the baby to sleep. Leaning against the door jamb, Heero silently observed the scene before him, his heart warming at the sight.

Duo was oblivious to Heero's presence, his attention completely absorbed in the baby he held in his arms. He was sitting in one of the rocking chairs, gently rocking back and forth, humming softly to the child. Keitaro blinked a couple of times, his little fist curled in the top of the blanket as he listened to his mother's quiet humming. His eyes became heavy with the rocking movement soothing him and he yawned. Closing his eyes, Keitaro snuggled his face into the blanket and gave a soft sigh. Moments later he was sound asleep. Duo continued to rock and hum for a little longer, making sure his son was sleeping deeply before getting up to place the infant in the cot.

He spotted Heero as he rose from the rocking chair. "Hey," he said softly.

Heero pushed off the door jamb and walked silently across the carpet. He smiled at Duo then went to the cot and pulled the covers back. When Duo had placed Keitaro in the cot and checked the child was okay, Heero pulled the covers up, pressed a kiss to his son's forehead and finished tucking the child in. With one arm wrapped around his husband's waist, Heero watched their sleeping child for a moment then turned and placed a kiss to Duo's cheek.

They left the nursery together, hand in hand and went down to the lounge room. Duo checked that the baby monitor was switched on before sinking into the couch cushions and Heero's welcome embrace.

"Tired?" Heero asked as he wrapped his arms around Duo.

"A little."

Heero pressed a kiss to the top of Duo's head. He rubbed his hand along Duo's arm as he tried to sort his thoughts out in his head, finding the best way to bring up the subject of what was troubling his husband. "Are you okay? You seem distracted by something." The words were out of Heero's mouth before he could think. Maybe that wasn't the best way to start this conversation off, but he'd opened his mouth now and there wasn't any going back.

"I'm fine, Heero," Duo replied with a frown.

"Duo? Please don't be mad at me, but something is bothering you. I can tell. You haven't been yourself since we went to Hilde's wedding and I'm worried. Is it something to do with Hilde? Do you have concerns for her safety? Is there something I should know about Mark?"

Duo gave a light chuckle. "No, Heero. Nothing's wrong with Hilde, or Mark either for that matter. They're a good couple and Mark would never do anything to hurt Hilde; Hilde hurting Mark... well, that's a completely different kettle of fish."

"Baka." Heero gave his lover a light swat to the arm.

Duo snickered.

"Something's bothering you though. Tell me?"

With a sigh, Duo shifted to a more comfortable position. "I'm not sure what it is, Heero. It may be nothing, but then again, it could be something."

"Duo? You're not making any sense here."

"Sorry."

"Try starting at the beginning."

"Okay." Duo thought for a moment and then began. "As you already know, after the war finished the ESUN was formed along with the Preventer organization to maintain the ongoing peace."

"Hai, and that's what they're doing."

"Yes, they are. But the ESUN also promised aid to the colonies, aid in the form of materials for rebuilding, medicines to combat illness, money and trade to assist the colonies in getting their economies going again."

Heero frowned. He was well aware of the assistance that had been promised to the recovering colonies and as far as he knew, that assistance was being given. He'd seen the difference with his own eyes whilst traveling around, had even helped out here and there when he'd been drifting, looking for his purpose in life after the war. Eventually, he'd gone to find Duo, knowing his life lay with the former Deathscythe pilot; to see if Duo would forgive him for his sudden departure. Duo had and the past few years had been the happiest of his short life so far.

"I don't know about you, Heero, but there didn't seem to be an awful lot of change on L2 given that they're supposed to be getting all this aid."

"I'm not sure I quite follow you, Duo. From what I saw whilst we were on the colony, there was a fair bit of rebuilding going on. There didn't seem to be so many sick people either. Compared to what the colony was like when we were there with Hilde and working for her and what it's like now, there is a difference."

Duo sighed. "I'm not disputing the fact that there is some rebuilding going on, what I'm saying is, given the length of time this assistance has been going on for, there should be a lot more of a difference than there is. There should be more buildings repaired or built. Take a look at L4 for example. Most of that colony is almost completely rebuilt. L3 is about three quarters repaired and they've even started construction on replacing the L5 cluster. Then take a look back to L2. It would be lucky to be even a third of the way along."

Heero remained silent, chewing on his lip as he thought about Duo's words.

"If the rebuilding on L2 is supposed to be in alignment with the other colonies, then why are there still so many street kids? Homeless people? Why hasn't the economy picked up to fall in line with the other colonies? I know L2 is one of the poorer colonies, but the economy doesn't seem to have picked up at all." Duo shifted so he could see his husband's face and possibly read what was going through his partner's head.

"I don't know, Duo. Maybe there's a lack of skilled workers?" It was a weak excuse, but the only one that Heero could come up with right now.

"When I went to the shuttle port with Hilde to pick up the flowers, I noticed a shuttle there being unloaded. Its logo looked familiar to me and I mentioned it to Quatre. Its one of his: Sandrock Constructions. It was bringing in building materials. I asked Quatre to check on it for me and he did."

"What was the result?"

"Everything checked out. All the materials on the invoice were loaded onto the shuttle and all were accounted for upon arrival on L2. He's checked all the other shuttles that are carrying supplies to the colony too, and they all check out as well."

"Then surely everything is okay?" Heero questioned. If it all checked out then Heero couldn't see what the problem was.

"Yeah. It would appear so."

"But?" Heero pushed.

Duo sighed again. "It still doesn't add up to me. I can't help it, Heero. I've got this niggling feeling that something isn't quite right and despite the facts and figures, I can't shake it."

"Well, I've never known your instincts to be wrong before."

"Me either. Heero? There's something here, something I can't put my finger on and it's driving me nuts."

Heero chuckled softly and pressed a kiss to his lover's lips. "Like a dog with a bone," he teased.

Duo huffed.

"Look, we go back to work next week, how about we see if we can't do a little investigating on the side using the Preventer network and resources?"

"You think Une would allow that?" Duo's eyes were wide.

"Probably not, but then again, we were pretty good hackers during the war." Heero raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure we would be able to utilize the resources without anyone knowing what we're up to."

"If we're caught it could cost us our jobs."

"Better not get caught then," Heero replied.

It was Duo's turn to chuckle. "You'd do all this, help me out, risk your job, on a hunch I have?"

"Why not?"

"But if I'm wrong and we get caught?"

"What if you're right and we find something?" Heero countered.

"Well, yes, there is that."

"Stop worrying about it. There's nothing more you can do until we go back to work next week." Heero began to feather kisses over Duo's jaw.

"I suppose so." Duo offered more of his skin for Heero to worship.

"Want to come to bed and let me help you forget about this for a while?" Heero purred.

"Now that's the best offer I've had all day."

"It had better be the _only_ offer," Heero growled. "Mine."

"All yours, Heero. All yours."

* * *

The week seemed to fly by for Duo and Heero. They spent every spare moment they had with Keitaro, playing with the infant, watching him grow, delighting in the wide eyed awe the baby displayed when encountering new things. He was a constant source of joy to both parents. Heero often spent his time simply watching, enjoying the child and still coming to terms with the miracle of his son. Duo was similarly enthralled and still found it hard to believe that this little human had actually come from him. Well, Heero as well.

Over the passage of time, Duo's body had returned to its former, pre-pregnant state. It hadn't been easy and Duo had gotten frustrated on more than one occasion with himself when his body didn't seem to be recovering fast enough. Sally and Nurse Brown had been quick to assure him he was progressing normally, actually he was returning to shape a hell of a lot quicker than most women did!

Doing the exercises Sally had given him saw the excess skin of his stomach disappear and once again he had his six pack. Duo took great delight in trimming his toenails, something that amused Heero to no end, but Duo had retorted that he hadn't seen his feet in so long he'd forgotten what they looked like and intended to get reacquainted with them and Heero could simply fuck off.

The ultrasounds gave Sally the information she needed on Duo's insides, combined with a series of tests on his major organs, Sally was both pleased and relieved to find they were all okay and adjusting back to their former positions and places within Duo's abdomen. There was no damage to any of them that she could determine and that in itself was a blessing.

Keeping tabs on Duo's cycle though was proving to be difficult. He'd bled for two weeks after the birth, not much, but enough to be irritating to Duo. He felt embarrassed and a touch ashamed that he'd needed to use female products to keep himself protected. Heero didn't seem bothered by it and knowing it was a sensitive issue with his husband, he'd kept quiet. He'd offered his support and constantly reassured Duo that he was still desirable, still adorable and very much loved.

Sally had explained and shown Duo the different products he could use to keep himself clean and protected whilst bleeding. Duo had drawn the line at using tampons. He flat out refused. It was bad enough he had to suffer the humiliation of enduring a period, without having a fluffy white butt plug as well as he'd called it.

It had taken every ounce of Heero's self control not to lose it there and then. He had no illusions as to what his fate would be if he were to make even the tiniest of snickers.

Sally had given Duo a full medical and pronounced him fit to return to work. Heero was due back anyway, his leave having run out already and he'd cashed in a couple of weeks holiday owing to be able to remain at home with Duo and Keitaro until Duo was fit to return to work.

Duo was itching to get back, but reluctant at the same time. He wasn't looking forward to leaving his son at home without him. Nurse Brown reassured him that this was quite natural for all new parents. He was bound to feel apprehensive, uncertain, but he really had nothing to worry about. Keitaro would be taken care of.

The morning finally arrived when the pair had no choice but to don their Preventer uniforms and face the fact that today was the day. Breakfast was rather quiet, Nurse Brown feeding Keitaro who sat in his high chair looking around him, taking in all the sights and sounds. His chubby fingers waved in the air as his mouth opened to take in the small spoon with his cereal on it.

"Time to go, Duo," Heero said as he rose from his chair and went to the 'fridge to remove their lunches.

"Be right with you, Heero," Duo replied as he took his dishes to the sink to rinse through.

Nurse Brown picked up the box of wet wipes she had close by on the table and began to clean the baby up a little.

"I've left my cell number and Heero's cell number on the pad by the 'phone. I've also written down the number to our office. If there's any problem at all, just call us. Sally's number is there, Wufei's and I've put down the emergency number too," Duo began as he looked at the nurse.

"Duo, you didn't have to do that," the nurse replied with a smile of amusement.

"I feel safer knowing you have all the contacts you might need."

"Thank you." The nurse couldn't help it, she shook her head.

"Just call if you have any concerns at all."

"I'll be sure to do that, Duo."

"Duo? If we don't get moving we will be late," Heero called from the door way. He couldn't help his own amusement at the scene before him.

"Just coming, Heero." Duo bent to kiss his son's forehead. "You be a good boy now, Keitaro. Daddy and I will be home before you know it."

Keitaro gurgled and grabbed Duo's braid in a chubby fist.

"I know, I don't want to go either," Duo mused as he tried to disentangle his hair from Keitaro's fingers. Finally he managed to free himself. "See you soon, sunshine."

Duo went to join his partner. "You will remember to call..."

"Of course."

"He has his nap right after his bath at..."

"Duo!" Heero grunted. "Nurse Brown is more than capable of looking after Keitaro whilst we're at work."

Duo held his hands up in mock defense. "Okay, okay. I give. Sorry but I can't help my worry."

"I know," Heero soothed. "I'm worried too. I don't like leaving Keitaro behind to go to work any more than you do, but we have to, Duo. Keitaro will be perfectly okay, Nurse Brown knows exactly what she's doing and has been around infants a lot more than either you or I have."

"Duo, you don't have to worry, even though I know you will. I'll take good care of him, now, you two get going to work, do your jobs and leave me to do mine." The nurse gave Duo a warm smile and patted him on the arm.

Giving the nurse a sheepish grin, Duo followed his husband out to the pick up and off to work.

* * *

When both men returned to the Preventer headquarters they were greeted warmly by those people they knew and passed on their way to their floor and office. No one other than their immediate circle of friends and a couple of other trusted souls knew of the real reason for Duo's absence.

Une had covered up well, having had bogus files inserted into the system to cover anything that may arise. All that anyone knew was that Duo had gone on an assignment, one that had required him to go deep undercover for quite some time - hence his disappearance. No one questioned the fact, agents were often going undercover and the rumor mill had it that Duo's assignment had been a very dangerous one, one where he had been forced to cut all ties with everyone he knew and simply 'disappear'. Once the assignment had been completed and Duo resurfaced, the rumor mill began again, stating he'd been pretty badly injured and had been recovering for some time. Heero had been given time off to nurse his partner back to health and now Duo had been given the all clear to return to work.

Une didn't bother to squash the rumors, she let them continue. It was safer that way. Wufei had even let a couple of 'hints' drop that served to continue the rumors and keep them away from the real reason for Duo's absence.

Now Duo was back and despite having to leave his son at home, he was happy to return to work. Knowing it would be virtually impossible to keep Keitaro a secret regardless of how hard one tried, Une had come up with another cover story to explain the child's presence. Keitaro was simply part of the result of Duo's undercover operation. Once the assignment had been completed and the dust settled, the child had been adopted by Duo. There was no reason to go into things any further, every agent knew assignments were classified and didn't dare question another agent. Une had let it be known that the child had been caught up in the assignment, an innocent, and as a result had been adopted by Duo and Heero.

All the female agents thought this was an extremely noble and selfless act on behalf of the pair and offered warm wishes to the guys. A lot of the male agents also looked in admiration to the two. It made Duo feel a little guilty, although he knew there was no way he could reveal the truth behind Keitaro's true parentage without risking both their lives and when he seriously thought about the fabrication, it wasn't a complete lie, just a bending of the truth - a lot.

Duo was surprised to find his desk pretty much the same as he'd left it all those months ago. The files he'd been working on had obviously been removed, but everything else was the same. He gave his lover a small smile, knowing Heero must have been the one to keep things as they were. Hanging his jacket up and booting up his computer, Duo sat down behind his desk and prepared for the day ahead.

He felt like he'd never been away.

~ * ~

tbc...


	16. Chapter 16

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 16

"Yes, he's had his bath. No, he didn't cry at all. Yes, he drank all his milk and now he's sleeping. Everything is fine, nothing to worry about at all. Good. No, I'll call you if there's a problem. Okay, I'll see you when you both get home. Goodbye." Nurse Brown replaced the receiver and sighed. Resisting the urge to smack her head against the wall, she ran her hand over her tired eyes instead. This was beginning to get a little irritating. She seriously contemplated taking the 'phone off the hook, but then reconsidered. If she did that then no doubt both Duo and Heero would be frantic and on the doorstep within minutes.

Walking into the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea, Nurse Brown mused over the constant calls. Not that she hadn't expected to be getting them, it was _who_ was calling that had her amused. She'd thought it would be Duo given his reluctance to leave the baby and return to work.

Duo had called once.

Heero had called the remaining fourteen times.

Checking on the infant sleeping peacefully in his cot, Nurse Brown returned to the kitchen just as the kettle came to the boil. The tea was quickly made and the nurse took a grateful sip. Sometimes she wondered if nursing mental health patients would be easier than this.

* * *

The senator glanced up as a knock came to his door. "Come in," he said, wondering who could be knocking. He didn't have any appointments that he was aware of. The door opened and Cindy, his secretary entered a little nervously. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry to disturb you, senator, but Senator Richards is waiting outside. He doesn't have an appointment, but he said he needed to speak with you on a matter of some urgency."

"That's okay, Cindy, show him in."

"As you wish." The young woman turned and went back out, moments later a tall, thick set man replaced her in the room, shutting the door firmly behind him.

"Richards," the senator acknowledged.

"Wainright," came the response.

"What can I do for you, Richards?"

Senator Richards sat himself down in the large, overstuffed chair on the opposite side of Wainright's desk. "We have a problem."

"A problem?" Wainright raised an eyebrow.

Richards ran his fingers through his thinning hair. "Senator Peacecraft has asked to see the files on the colony rebuilding schemes."

"I see." Wainright frowned. "Any particular reason why?"

"Not that I know of, she didn't say why she wanted to see them, just that she did."

"Have you handed them over?"

"Not yet. I wanted to let you know first."

"Good. How soon does she want them?"

"By tomorrow."

"I see." Wainright frowned, his brows knitting together as he pondered Richards' words. "Leave it with me. I'll have the files ready for you by eleven tomorrow."

"Okay." Richards stood. "I don't think either one of us needs to be reminded of how important it is that these files are all legitimate."

"It will be taken care of," Wainright replied, his tone a little frosty.

"Good. I'll see you at eleven tomorrow then." Richards left, shutting the door firmly behind him.

Wainright sat in silence, his mind turning over and wondering what the reason was behind Senator Peacecraft's interest in the colony rebuilding schemes. No matter what her reason was, Wainright was certain that by the time she read the files, all would be fine. He turned slightly in his chair and grasped the mouse. He clicked on several icons, entered a few passwords and opened up the files he needed. Then he began a meticulous scan through the files.

* * *

Relena had to admit she was more than a little curious as to why Duo would have contacted her and asked for assistance in a matter that didn't really make much sense. He'd been hesitant about giving details, saying it was an assignment related inquiry and he couldn't give her anything more than that at this stage. She'd accepted his excuse though and promised she would look into the files for him.

Once she'd hung up from her call with Duo, she paged her secretary.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Francine, could you check for me which senators are in charge of the Colony rebuilding portfolio please?"

"Right away, ma'am."

"Thank you." Relena sat back in her chair and pondered some more on Duo's interest in the Colony scheme. Ten minutes later, Francine was back on the intercom line.

"Ma'am?"

"Yes, Francine?"

"Senators Richards and Wainright are the two currently overseeing the policies for the Colony rebuilding portfolio."

"Thank you."

"Ma'am? Would you like me to contact them for you?"

"If you could put a call through for me to one of them I'd appreciate it."

"Doing it now, ma'am."

Relena waited a few moments, then the light on her 'phone indicated that the call was going through. She picked up the receiver and waited for the call to connect.

"Senator Richards' office. How may I help you?"

"This is senator Peacecraft here. I'd like to have a few words with senator Richards please."

"One moment, senator. I'll see if he's free to take your call."

Relena hummed along with the music she was forced to listen to whilst on hold.

"Putting you through now, senator."

"Senator Peacecraft," the voice boomed down the line. "What can I do for you?"

"Senator Richards, I believe that you and senator Wainright are heading the Colony rebuilding schemes?"

"That's correct."

"Good. I would like to have a look at the files pertaining to the rebuilding and assistance if you please?"

There was a brief hesitation on the other end of the line before the voice came back. "But of course, I'd be happy to send you a copy." There was another pause. "If I may ask, any particular reason why you wish to see them?"

"Just curious to see how it's all coming along."

"Fine. When would you like them?" Richards gnawed on a fingernail, his mind racing with questions.

"As soon as possible."

"I should be able to get them to you by tomorrow. Is that okay?"

"That will be fine. Thank you."

"You're welcome, senator. Anything else I can help you with?"

"No, that will be all. Good bye."

Richards placed the receiver back in its cradle and ran his hands through his hair. He sure hoped that Wainright had everything legitimate on those files. With a sigh, he hauled himself out of his chair, grabbed his coat and headed for Wainright's office.

* * *

"Everything okay?" Heero asked as he sidled up behind his husband and began to massage the long haired man's shoulders.

"Yeah," Duo replied, although his tone wasn't convincing.

"Not having much luck turning up anything?"

"Not really. I contacted Relena and she's going to get a copy of the portfolio on the colony rebuilding scheme and check it out for me. What about you? You had any luck?" Duo leaned back into the massage, his eyes closing a little.

"I've only checked into the shuttle terminal records for incoming and outgoing shuttles in the cargo section. They're downloading now. Once I have them all I'll download the records from the earth shuttle bases and do a cross reference. It's going to take while though as there's a good few years worth of records to be accessed, and that's assuming they're all still on record," Heero replied.

"Good point, but it's somewhere to start."

Heero chuckled lightly and finished the massage. "Better get back to my desk and do some proper work, otherwise Wufei and Une will want to know what we've been doing with our time."

Duo sighed and turned to the files he was supposed to be going through and began to work on the Preventer case.

* * *

"I still say we should move in now."

"Patience, my friend."

"I don't know how you can sit there and talk to me about patience when you can see as clearly as I that this is all bullshit!" Duric reached into his pocket and withdrew the pack of cigarettes. He lit one up and inhaled deeply.

"If we were to move in now, we wouldn't accomplish anything. We need to wait for Cropp's next report. Once we have that we can finalize the plans and make the strike."

Exhaling with a deep sigh, Duric nodded. "Yeah. I know you're right. I can't help but want to get things moving."

"I know you do, but it would be foolish to waste the past twelve months planning, risk all the information we've gathered to go in now when we're not fully prepared. Another couple of weeks will make all the difference to success or failure. Why don't you take a couple of days off? Go visit your mother or something, but try to relax. Murphy and Farrow can keep up the surveillance."

"Thanks. I just might do that," replied Duric.

"Keep your cell on. I'll contact you as soon as I have Cropp's next report."

"Will do." Duric crushed his cigarette out and left.

Nolen watched him go. He could sympathize with the man's impatience, understand the frustration, but to move in now would only see them waste all their hard work. No, it was better to wait a little while longer.

* * *

Heero rubbed his tired eyes and turned his computer off. He glanced across at his partner. "You ready to go home?" he asked as he removed the disc from the machine.

"Yeah. Won't be a sec, I just need to save this." Duo typed a few more commands and then proceeded to shut down his computer and grab his jacket. "Ready."

Slipping the disc into his pocket, Heero snagged his jacket and followed his husband out of the office and towards the elevator.

They didn't say anything on the ride to the main floor where they punched out. Passing a few other agents on their way to the car park, they nodded when greeted and returned the good night wishes with their own.

Duo was looking forward to getting back home and seeing Keitaro. He'd really missed his son but had managed to keep himself from calling home every five minutes to check on the baby. He'd rung twice and been informed that all was well. He knew he had to accept this as a part of life, being too over protective would only cause problems for both himself, Heero and their son later on in life. He was completely unaware of Heero's calls back home.

They pulled through the gates that led to the mansion, Heero driving the car along the sweeping driveway and bringing it to a stop around the side where the garage was. Turning off the engine, he had to hurry to keep up with his husband who was out of the vehicle and striding towards the back door of the mansion. Heero couldn't help the small chuckle at his partner's obvious keenness to see their son. Not that he wasn't eager to see Keitaro himself.

Nurse Brown was in the kitchen when they stepped inside. Something was cooking on the stove and it smelt delicious.

"Ah, you're back," Nurse Brown said, turning slightly to make eye contact. "Dinner will be ready in about half an hour."

"You really didn't have to cook, you know," said Duo as he slipped his feet from inside his boots. "But I'm glad you did, it smells wonderful."

Nurse Brown chuckled.

"Where is Keitaro?" asked Heero as he placed his boots next to Duo's by the back door.

"I'm surprised you don't already know the answer to that question," Nurse Brown replied cryptically.

Duo looked completely mystified whilst Heero blushed.

"You've been calling all day so you should know precisely all his movements," Nurse Brown continued.

"I've only..." Heero began, only to be interrupted by the nurse.

"You've called exactly twenty-two times. I know, I kept count."

"Umm... Anyone care to enlighten me?" Duo asked as he looked between the pair.

"I thought you would be the one to continuously be calling, Duo. Checking on how the baby is, but it appears I was wrong. This husband of yours is by far worse."

"Heero?"

"He's called twenty-two times in total. I've kept a note of each time he called. Each time it was the same. Has he had his feed? Is he sleeping? Does he need changing? Is he okay?"

Duo's eyes widened and he raised an eyebrow as he looked firmly at Heero.

Heero ducked his head and refused to meet his husband's eyes. "I only wanted to make sure he was okay and not fretting," Heero complained.

"Paranoia is what it is," huffed Nurse Brown, but there was a smile on her lips.

"I think someone has separation issues - and it isn't Keitaro," Duo stated in an amused tone.

Before he could fall any deeper into the hole he'd dug for himself, Heero turned on his heel and left the kitchen, calling back over his shoulder as he went, "I'm going to see Keitaro and take a shower."

Once he was out of earshot, Duo turned back to the nurse. "Twenty-two times, hey?"

"Yes," replied the nurse with a nod of her head.

"Think he will break that record tomorrow?"

"It's very likely."

"Hmmm. Ten bucks says he calls less than that number tomorrow."

"You're on. Ten bucks says he calls a minimum of twenty-two times."

"It's a bet then. I think I'll go take my shower too." Duo left the kitchen.

Nurse Brown went back to her cooking feeling confident she would soon have another ten dollars to add to her ever growing winnings.

* * *

Duo sat with Keitaro in his arms, the babe's eyes wandering around the study, chubby hands reaching to try and grasp anything that came within his reach. Heero sat at the computer, the disc he'd downloaded and brought home with him in the process of uploading all the information to the hard drive.

Once the information had uploaded, Heero began to type away. "From what I've managed to download, I think the easiest thing to do would be to group all the shuttles into their place of origin, then check their departure logs against their arrival logs. That includes the inventories of their cargo, weight and so on. If there's anything amiss I'm sure we will pick it up there."

"That's going to take a while."

"Hai, it will. I've set the program up though to run by itself. It will do all the cross referencing and hopefully have a list of anything abnormal or different waiting for me when we get up in the morning, or by the time we get home from work tomorrow."

"Thanks, Heero."

"No need for thanks." Heero leaned across to steal a kiss. Keitaro thought that was fun and reached out with his hands, managing to snag a lock of Heero's hair in his fingers.

The babe cooed and tugged, eyes wide as his fingers pulled on the strands of hair.

"Ouch!" Heero whimpered as his hair was pulled.

"Don't move, Heero. I'll try to work his fingers free," said Duo as he tried to hold his laughter. It really was quite comical to see the once 'Perfect Soldier' being brought to his knees by a baby with his hair in a head lock.

It took a few minutes for Duo to untangle Keitaro's fingers from Heero's locks, especially when the baby didn't seem particularly inclined to want to let go. He was enjoying this game. With his hair now free, Heero pulled back and rubbed his scalp.

"He's sure got a grip on him," Heero stated. "Guess he gets that from me," he added as an afterthought.

Duo simply shook his head and rolled his eyes. He looked at the clock. "I'd better take him through and get him ready for bed. It's getting late."

"Need a hand?"

"You could warm him a bottle for me if you don't mind?"

"I'll go get it now." Heero placed another kiss to his husband's lips, this time keeping his hair well out of the baby's grasp.

With Heero fetching the bottle, Duo took the infant upstairs and proceeded to change his diaper and put his pajamas on. He settled into the rocking chair and waited for Heero to bring the bottle up. He didn't have to wait long.

Keitaro latched onto the teat and sucked for all he was worth, the warm milk settling his empty stomach and making him feel sleepy. Once the bottle was finished, Heero took his son from Duo and brought the wind up. Keitaro was almost fully asleep in Heero's arms as the young man lay the child in the cot and pulled the blanket up. He tucked his son in and then gave him a kiss. "Sleep well, Keitaro," he said softly.

Duo wound up the little key on the mobile. The soft tune began to play as the small rockets began to turn slowly. The sounds soothed the baby further and blue-violet eyes closed as he drifted off to sleep.

"Night, sunshine," Duo said quietly as he kissed his son.

They left the nursery together, hand in hand. Duo checked that the baby monitor was on and then made them both a cup of hot chocolate. Heero was checking the computer results so far when he was handed a cup of steaming liquid.

"Thanks."

"Anything yet?" Duo plonked himself down in Heero's lap.

Wrapping an arm around his lover's waist, Heero nuzzled the soft skin of Duo's neck as he replied. "Nothing so far."

"Didn't think there would be," Duo grumbled.

"Patience, Duo. If there's something to find, I'm sure we will find it."

"Yeah, I know," Duo sighed. "I should have a copy of the files from Relena tomorrow. Hopefully they will shed some light on things."

Heero began to feather kisses along Duo's neck. "Feel like going to bed?"

Duo yawned. "Actually, that's not a bad idea. I'm kinda bushed and we have work tomorrow."

Pressing one last kiss to his husband's neck, Heero released him from his grasp. "I'll go lock up then."

"Meet you upstairs."

"I won't be long."

Duo headed for the stairs and their bedroom, stopping to check on Keitaro on the way. The baby was sound asleep, little thumb tucked into the tiny mouth. Duo smiled lovingly, tucked the blanket a little firmer around his son and then left the nursery.

Heero checked the security system and proceeded to lock the house. With everything secure, he went up the stairs to his husband and some much needed sleep.

~ * ~

tbc...


	17. Chapter 17

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 17

Heero checked on the program while Duo was shaving. As he'd thought, there wasn't anything yet. Hopefully by that evening they would have something. Leaving the computer to continue in its search and cross checking, Heero went through to the kitchen where Nurse Brown was feeding Keitaro.

The baby was sitting up in his high chair and gurgling away. Heero dropped a kiss to the baby's head as he walked past. Reaching for the coffee machine, he lifted out the pot and poured two cups. "Sleep well?" he asked the nurse.

"Fine, thank you. And you?" replied the nurse as she spooned a little more cereal into the baby's mouth.

"Very well," Heero replied and then placed a couple of slices of bread in the toaster. While the bread toasted, Heero fetched the spreads from the fridge and set them on the table with the butter, plates and a couple of knives. The toast popped up, Heero removed it and put it on one of the plates, then set another couple of slices in the machine.

"Morning all," Duo said as he entered the kitchen, making a beeline for Keitaro. "How's my baby this morning?"

"Fine, thanks for asking," Heero said. He currently had his back to the table and the rest of the room occupants.

Nurse Brown snickered softly. Duo had a pole axed expression on his face.

"I was talking to Keitaro, Heero."

Heero turned around slowly and realized his mistake. He blushed to the roots of his hair. "Oh. Sorry."

Duo laughed and sat down. Keitaro gurgled and stuck his fingers in his mouth, then proceeded to wipe the cereal all around his face and high chair. "Charming," said Duo as he picked up the knife and began to slather butter on his toast. Heero joined them a moment later.

"He gets his eating habits from you," Heero deadpanned.

"I'll remember that. The next time you want..." Duo quickly shut up, realizing Nurse Brown was there and listening in. Somehow he didn't think the nurse would be particularly happy if he were to continue with his words, especially when they were about to refer to oral sex. He changed the subject instead. "Any luck with the program?"

"Nothing so far. I checked earlier and no abnormalities have been detected at this stage. There's still almost two thirds of the records to check though." Heero spread a thin layer of honey on his toast and began to eat.

With Keitaro having finished his breakfast, the fact that he was enjoying spreading the stuff everywhere instead of eating it a clear indication of such, Nurse Brown got up and removed the cereal bowl. She returned with a wash cloth and wiped the child's face and hands. "Okay, little man. It's time for a diaper change, then you can go into your playpen for a bit." The nurse departed with the infant, leaving the couple to finish eating their breakfast.

Heero read some of the paper whilst finishing his toast. Duo pinched the sports section and was busy perusing it. "We'd better get moving," Heero said as he folded the paper and went to wash his used dishes.

Duo followed suit, washing his own dishes then grabbing their lunches from the 'fridge. With their lunches in one hand, jackets in the other, the pair went through to the lounge room where Nurse Brown had set up the playpen. Keitaro was lying in the middle on a soft blanket with toys all around him. He was getting to the stage of rolling himself over. He wasn't quite sure of it yet and it usually took him several attempts before he made it, but he wasn't one to give up easily.

Reaching in, Duo picked up his son and cuddled him close. "You be a good boy for Nurse Brown today. Otousan and I will be back home from work before you know it." Duo placed a tender kiss to the child's forehead then passed the babe over to Heero.

Taking his child gently, Heero also pressed a kiss to the baby's forehead. "See you soon, Keitaro." He put the child back in the playpen and called out to Nurse Brown who was sorting through the baby's laundry. "We're off. Call if there's any problem."

"Okay," came the voice. "Have a good day."

With one last, lingering look at their child, Duo and Heero left for work.

* * *

"Senator Richards is on the line for you, ma'am." Relena's secretary informed her boss.

"Thank you, Francine." Relena picked up the phone. "Senator Richards?"

"Good morning, Senator. I have the files for the colony rebuilding scheme all ready for you. Would you like me to drop over a hard copy or should I send them through by disc?"

"Disc would be fine, thank you."

"Okay. I'll have the disc couriered over right away."

"Thank you."

"Anything else I can help you with?"

"No, just the disc will be fine," replied Relena.

"Have a good day, Senator."

"I will. You too, Richards." Relena hung up the phone and thought for a moment, then she buzzed her secretary. "Francine, there will be a courier arriving with a disc shortly. Please advise me when it arrives and bring it straight in."

"Will do, Miss Peacecraft."

"Thank you." Sitting back and gazing out the window, Relena wondered just what would be on that disc.

An hour later, Francine alerted Relena that the disc had arrived and brought it through to the senator's office. Relena took it and slipped it into her computer. The program began to run, the screen changing and then listing several files. Rubbing her chin in thought, Relena decided to open the one labeled L3. The folder opened and a list of facts, figures, materials, dates and times all appeared. Relena shook her head.

This could take quite some time.

* * *

Cropp listened carefully to the recording. He'd placed bugs and phone taps in several senators' offices. He skimmed through the mundane things, then jerked in his seat when a particular recording came on. He hit rewind and paid a lot more attention to the voices. Taking notes, he then continued to listen to the remainder of the tape, noting where on the tape the particular interesting recording was. Once finished, he rewound to the part that had caught his attention and made a copy.

Once he'd finished and reset the tape to continue to monitor and record, he shifted to where his laptop was set up. Grabbing the machine, he stuffed it into a bag along with several other items he might need and left the small, disused store room. No one paid him any attention as he walked through the halls of the ESUN headquarters. He wore his fake ID, identifying him as one of the computer techs and carried a valid pass card. The past twelve months of undercover work had paid off.

Entering the elevator, Cropp hit the button that would take him to the basement. Once there, he transferred to another elevator, this one requiring him to use his pass card to access it. Inside, he pressed the button for the underground fifth floor. The elevator began to rumble and move. The doors opened, Cropp stepped out and approached the sealed door that would let him into the control room and mainframe computer.

He swiped his pass card and then waited for the computer to check it and ask for the secure code. He keyed in the code and the doors slid open. He walked inside the smaller room and greeted the officer there. "Hi, Johnston," Cropp said as he dropped his bag to the floor.

The officer grunted and turned away from the television screen. "What you doing down here? Not often we get visitors here."

The control room which housed the mainframe computer was set deep in the bowels of the ESUN building and only a small number of people had access to it.

"Someone said they had a glitch in their programming. I can't fix it through the usual methods, I need to access the mainframe to do it."

Johnston swallowed the lie. "Fine. Go ahead. Give me a call when you're done." He hit the button to open the door and let Cropp in. Once the tech was inside, Johnston closed the door and returned to watching the portable television set on his desk.

Checking the line of sight from Johnston's desk to where he needed to work, Cropp was pleased to note it was out of sight. Good. He located the terminal he needed and opened up his bag. Slipping several cables into various USB ports, Cropp flipped open his laptop and began to type.

It took him a few attempts, but finally he managed to hack into the computers and their databases for the two senators he'd been watching. He scanned through the files, sweat trickling down his back. Time was of the essence here. He needed to hack in, get the information he needed and get out quickly, covering his tracks as he went. "Ah, there you are," he whispered when he found what he was looking for.

Sliding a disc into the laptop, he began the download, searching for other relevant information at the same time. Suddenly he froze. "Fucking hell," he said under his breath as the facts and figures swept across the screen. His eyes scanned rapidly, trying to keep up with the information overload.

"This isn't pay dirt, this is the fucking jackpot!" he muttered as fingers flew over the keyboard, commands shooting through wires and circuits. A feral grin lit his face. "I always knew there was something, now we have the proof. Fuck, is Nolen gonna be both pissed and happy when he gets a load of this." The smile never leaving his face, Cropp began to send off a message to his boss.

Cropp was so involved in his findings he failed to notice the door opening.

* * *

Wainright looked up at his computer screen "Fuck!" He grabbed the keyboard and began to type. A large, red message flashed on and off the screen.

ALERT! SECURITY BREECH! ALERT!

Hastily typing away, Wainright began to sweat. "Shit, shit, shit! Who are you, you fucker?"

Fingers flew over the keyboard as Wainright desperately tried to find who and where the hacker was that had broken into his system. The computer flashed, beeped and then displayed what Wainright wanted.

"Got you, you bastard." He grabbed his cell phone from his pocket and punched in a number. The call connected.

"Zaheer, we have a rat. I need you to exterminate immediately." There was a reply from the other end, then Wainright gave the location. "You know how to handle this, right?" More words came down the line. "Good. Let me know when you're finished." He closed the cell and sat back for a moment. Then he picked up the phone and called Richards.

"Richards."

"Richards, we have a problem. Someone has hacked the database. I don't know what information they have found, or what they're doing with it, but they won't get far."

"Shit! You sure?" came Richards' reply.

"Of course I'm sure," snarled Wainright.

"Okay, okay, calm down. Zaheer?"

"Dispatched to exterminate."

"Let me know what happens."

"I will. For now, sit tight." Wainright hung up. Leaning back in his chair, Wainright contemplated just what the hacker was up to and what he hoped to gain. How someone had managed to get into his database with all the security he had in place was another question. Looked like he would have to upgrade - and fast.

* * *

Zaheer moved silently through the building. As personal bodyguard to Wainright, no one questioned his presence. He entered the elevator, rode to the basement and then continued on to the sub levels. He found the floor where the mainframe was situated and stepped out. He'd carefully planned what he would do as soon as he got the call from his boss.

"Hey! You can't..." Johnston didn't have a chance to finish his sentence, the bullet pierced his heart, causing instant death.

Zaheer checked the man was dead, then pushed the button to the control room. He stepped inside and located his target. Stealthily, he approached, the tapping of keys disguising any noise he may have made.

Cropp felt the hackles on the back of his neck stand up and turning around, he realized too late, he'd been caught.

Zaheer grabbed the hacker and shoved the gun under Cropp's jaw then pulled the trigger. The silencer did its job well.

Cropp slumped to the floor.

Zaheer stepped over the body and looked at the laptop and console. He surmised exactly what was going on and quickly pulled the plug. The cables were removed, the laptop and all other gear put back into the bag. He typed a few commands into the console, leaving a false trail for whoever would discover the bodies. With that part taken care of, Zaheer positioned a gun in Cropp's hand, making the scene look like a suicide.

Stepping back out to the main area, Zaheer brought up the security surveillance tapes and quickly erased any evidence of his being there. He fiddled with the program, causing a malfunction to the cameras and tape and covering his tracks. With all done, Zaheer took one last look around. The scene now looked like a murder - suicide, exactly what he wanted. Grabbing the bag in his gloved hand, he left the scene of the crime.

* * *

Frowning, Nolen checked the message again.

_~Have hit the jackpot. Downloading now. Time to start the harvest. All information is what we tho...~_

The message ended abruptly. Nolen frowned again and scratched his chin. He reached for his cell and punched in a series of numbers. "Farrow? Yes. You got anything coming through from Cropp?" Nolen began to drum his fingers on the desk top. "I see. Okay. I'll be right there." Closing the cell, Nolen put it back in his pocket, shut the computer down and left his office.

"What did you get?" Nolen asked as he strode into the room where Farrow sat, headphones on and staring at the screen.

Pulling the headphones off, Farrow looked at his boss. "There's not a lot, but enough that I think I can see what Cropp was trying to send."

"What happened?"

"I don't know. I'm assuming he was interrupted before he could finish."

"Hmm." Nolen didn't like the sound of that. "I'll get Murphy onto it, see if we can make contact with Cropp. If he's been compromised, we need to extract him." Nolen shifted to stand behind Farrow. "Show me what you got before transmission was shut down."

Farrow called up the files and began to open them. "There's not a lot, but from what I can see here, there's a bit of money laundering going on. What for, I don't know, we really need the rest of the files to be certain."

Nolen scanned the limited information. "Nothing else at all?"

"No. I'd say he was trying to send through what he could and downloading to disc as well. If we can get hold of him, the rest of the information should be on a disc."

"I don't like the look of this. I had a message from Cropp, but it was cut short."

"Leave this with me and I'll see if I can't get more," Farrow replied.

"Good. Keep me updated." Nolen left the computer nerd to do his thing and went back to his office. He summoned Murphy. The lanky man appeared and Nolen filled him in. "Something's happened and I want to know what. I need you to locate Cropp and get him out. The information he has is going to be vital for our cause."

"Consider it done, boss." Murphy nodded and left.

"Time to start the harvest," Nolen mused. It was obvious that whatever Cropp had found was very important. Now all Nolen needed was to have access to that information, but until they found Cropp and got him back, there wasn't much more he could do.

* * *

Relena rubbed her tired eyes and reached for the cup of coffee sitting at her elbow. There was by far too much information on the disc for her to analyze and what she had scanned over seemed perfectly fine and all in order. She decided she'd had enough of looking through files and picked up the phone.

"Francine, can you put me through to the Preventer office, please?"

Moments later she was connected and speaking with Duo. After explaining to him the reason for her call, she agreed to have the disc copied and that copy made available to him for further analysis. Duo thanked her for all she'd done thus far and arranged to pick up the disc on their way home from work.

Hanging up the phone, Duo stared at his computer screen.

"Was that Relena?" Heero asked from across the room.

"Yeah. She's got a copy of the colony rebuilding portfolio and it seems there's a lot of files to it. She's not sure exactly what it is I'm looking for so she's going to copy the disc for me to look at. I said we'd stop by the ESUN offices on the way home and pick it up. That okay?"

"Sure." Heero glanced at his watch. "It's almost pack up time now."

Duo whistled through his teeth. "Time flies when you're having fun," he commented and proceeded to finish off what he was doing and get ready to leave.

They punched out and drove to the ESUN building to fetch the disc Relena had promised to have ready for them.

Pulling up, they were suddenly very aware of a multitude of police and security guards.

"Something's going on," muttered Heero and checked his gun holster.

"Right with you, buddy," Duo said, checking his holster.

"I'm sorry, gentlemen, you can't proceed past this point," said a security guard and stopped the pair. Heero fished his ID out and showed it to the guard, Duo mimicking his actions.

"Preventer Agents Day and Night," Heero said. "We need to speak with Senator Peacecraft."

The guard studied the ID cards and then allowed them to pass.

"Wonder what's happened?" Duo commented as they made their way into the building and reception area. Police were everywhere, interviewing people and generally looking busy.

Heero spotted Relena off to one side and grabbing Duo by his jacket sleeve, pulled his partner with him through the crowd. "Relena?"

Hearing her name, Relena looked up and then excused herself from the guard she was talking to. "Heero, Duo."

"Relena, what's going on?"

* * *

Underwood hummed softly to himself as he rode the elevator down to the fifth floor sub level. His dinner was in the paper sack in one hand and he was looking forward to a quiet evening in the control room. It was a boring job, just sitting there as not many people ventured down to the control room and mainframe area. It suited Underwood just fine. He could watch television, play some games on his computer and generally get paid for just sitting around.

The doors to the elevator opened and Underwood stepped out. "Okay, Johnston, I'm here to relieve you. Time to go home to the missus and... Oh fuck!" Underwood felt his last meal rising in his gut and grabbed the waste paper basket. In between heaving, he managed to hit the emergency communications button.

"Emergency room. Who is this and what's the emergency?"

"Underwood, computer control room level five. I.. we... "

"Sir, can you please tell me what's wrong?"

"My partner, someone's shot him. He's dead."

"Stay right where you are sir and don't touch a thing. Security is on its way."

Right now, Underwood wasn't going anywhere or about to touch anything. He was too busy filling the waste basket.

~ * ~

tbc...


	18. Chapter 18

**Thank you to all who are reading and warm hugs to those that have reviewed. Your feedback is appreciated. ^_^**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 18

"Relena, what's going on?" Heero repeated the question.

"I'm not completely sure," Relena began. "One minute I was sitting at my desk getting ready to call it a day and then the alarms went off and we were all told to evacuate to the lobby. It must be something pretty bad for them to evacuate us all. I'm thinking it might be a terrorist threat."

Duo mulled that thought over in his mind. A terrorist threat didn't seem likely as all the senators currently in the building were in the lobby. If it was something along those lines, then the entire building would have been evacuated and the people sent to a safe place a short distance away. No, it had to be something else. Heero was thinking along the same lines.

"Wait here a moment," said Duo and walked off to speak with a security guard. He approached a middle aged man, one who looked pretty calm and that he would be able to talk sense. Taking his badge out of his pocket, Duo showed it to the guard. "Preventer Agent Night, sir. I wonder if you can tell me what's going on here..." Duo looked at the man's name tag, "Officer Penros?"

The guard studied the badge and Duo's face, then determined it to be legitimate. "I didn't know the Preventers were called in."

"We haven't been. My partner and I were stopping by to pick up something when all this happened." Duo figured it couldn't hurt to bend the truth a little. "My partner and I are also Preventer bodyguards for Senator Peacecraft and it would be to both yours and our best interests if we knew what was going on in case there is a threat to the senator."

The guard thought for a moment and then sighed. "I'm not too sure myself. All I've been able to find out is there's been a security breach, something about a hacker."

"I see." Duo pondered that for a moment. "Thank you. You've been most helpful." He left the security officer and walked back over to Heero and Relena.

"Find out anything?" asked Heero.

"Not much. The guard said he thought there's been a security breach, something about a hacker."

"If security has been breached then Une needs to know. Preventers are responsible for the safety of the ESUN delegates," Heero stated flatly.

"Okay, hold on to your text book, buddy. I'll give her ladyship a call and fill her in." Duo fished in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed the office number and was soon connected to Lady Une.

"Une here. This had better be important."

"Hey commander. Agent Night here."

"Duo? Why are you doing calling me at this time of the day. Don't you know it's knock off time?"

Ohh, who would have thought that Une was one to want to get away from work on time? "Uh, sorry about that, but we have a situation."

"Situation? Maxwell, what the hell are you talking about?"

Duo took a deep breath and began to explain. "Heero and I were on our way home and needed to stop by the ESUN office to see Relena."

"Why?"

_// Oh shit! //_ Duo knew he'd put his foot in it this time. _// How to get out of this one alive?_ _//_ "Um, she said she had something for us so we decided to call in on our way home."

Heero raised an eyebrow, Relena snickered, both had a pretty good idea of what Une was asking.

"Anyway, it seems there's been some sort of breach to security. I don't know what exactly, the security guards are all milling around and the local constabulary is interviewing people and everyone's clamming up. Just thought you should know."

"Thank you, Agent Night." There was a few moments silence as Une was obviously thinking things over. "Okay. You and Yuy, I take it Yuy is with you?"

"Yes, he is."

"You and Yuy remain there. I'll speak with Agent Fire and get in touch with the police chief. I think we should be informed of what is going on, especially as Preventer is assigned to protect several of the ESUN senators and delegates."

"Will do."

"I'll call you shortly and give you an update. Une out."

Duo couldn't help the snicker as he hit the end button. "Geeze, she's only on a cell phone and speaks as if she's in radio contact."

"What did she say?" Heero asked, not wanting to get involved in anything else.

"She said to sit tight and wait. She's gonna get hold of the police chief and Wuffers, speak with them and then call me back with an update and orders."

"Okay." Heero looked around. "Let's take a seat over there. Who knows how long this will take." Heero ushered Relena across the lobby to where a couple of vacant chairs sat. "I'd better call Nurse Brown and let her know we're going to be late." he reached for his cell.

"No, wait! I'll call,"

"Huh?" Heero already had his cell in his hand and was punching the speed dial number.

"Ah, shit. Too late," Duo groaned as he heard the call connect. "Thanks a lot, buddy," he growled softly. "You just lost me ten bucks."

Heero informed Nurse Brown of their delay without going into too many details. When he'd finished, he closed the cell and gave Duo a funny look. "Why did you not want me to call? And what's this about ten dollars?"

Knowing he had nothing to do but 'fess up, Duo explained about the bet. "I was winning until you made that call," he growled. "That call made it number twenty-two and now I have to pay up."

"You shouldn't bet. Maybe that will teach you," Heero stated.

"But it's not as if I bet on a regular... Ah fuck it. Don't worry about it, Heero." Duo decided it wasn't worth getting into an argument about it. He just hoped Nurse Brown didn't gloat too much. His cell going off in his pocket soon diverted the attention away from that topic.

"Maxwell."

Heero watched as Duo's eyes reflected what he was hearing. Moments later he hung up and turned to face Relena as well as Heero. "That was Une."

"I kind of gathered that."

Taking a long suffering breath, Duo grit his teeth and continued. "She said to wait for Wufei. He's on his way right now and should be here in the next ten minutes. She's spoken to the chief of police assigned to this case and whilst we're not to be directly involved in the case itself, the police are to allow us entry to the crime scene and fill us in on what is happening. Then we can determine if there is cause for Preventer to become involved."

"I see." Heero thought for a moment. "Guess we can't do anything else for now then _but_ wait."

"Duo?"

Duo switched his attention to Relena. "Yes?"

"Here's that disc I promised you." Relena reached into her pocket and pulled out the disc, handing it over.

"Thanks." With everything going on around them, Duo had completely forgotten why they were at the ESUN building in the first place. He pocketed the disc. "I'll take a look at it later."

* * *

Wufei swore under his breath as he arrived at the ESUN building. The area had been cordoned off, the police putting barriers around the immediate vicinity to keep the spectators at bay - and the media. He had to drive around the block several times before he could find anywhere to park and then he ended up having to park in a loading zone. He consoled himself with the thought that if he got a fine for it, Preventer could pay it, it wasn't his fault he couldn't get any closer to the building. Pocketing his keys, he proceeded on foot.

Rounding the corner, Wufei located what seemed to be the officer in charge and flashed his Preventer badge at the man. "I'm Agent Fire for Preventer. My presence is required within."

"The officer looked at Wufei, then at the ID. He clearly didn't believe this man was an agent. "One moment, sir. I'll need to check with my superior." The officer reached for his walkie-talkie and moved slightly away.

Wufei waited patiently. He was used to this by now, his young age, even though he was twenty-one, didn't seem to fit with most peoples' idea of a Preventer Agent.

"Sorry, sir. Please, go right through," the officer said.

"No need to apologize for doing your job, constable. If more people were to be as thorough as you then we wouldn't have half as many problems with crime," Wufei replied. Whilst he might be irritated at having his ID questioned, he was also pleased that the officer took his job seriously; and Wufei was always one to recognize and offer praise where praise was due. He could also be downright scathing too.

He proceeded into the lobby of the ESUN and scanned around. He spotted a familiar chestnut braid and homed in on it. "Agents Day and Night," he greeted.

"About time you got here, Wu-man," Duo replied. "Maybe now we can check out what's going on and get off home."

Wufei scowled. "May I remind you that I also had plans for this evening and really have no desire to be here either. However, duty comes first. You might do best to remember that, Agent Night."

Seeing that Wufei wasn't in any sort of mood to be teased, Duo decided it would probably be best for all if he were to shut up now.

"Where is the officer in charge?" asked Wufei.

"I'm not sure," Heero replied. "I think he's around somewhere."

"I'll find him." Wufei walked off with a purpose to his stride and a look on his face that clearly told anyone in his way to move or risk his wrath.

Several minutes passed before Wufei returned, and when he did, he had a young constable with him. "We have permission to enter the crime scene and evaluate any possible threat to those delegates Preventer protects. Whilst we are there we are not to touch anything, this is not our investigation so be careful to leave things alone and let the police do their job."

Heero nodded. "Fine." He really didn't want to get dragged into all this anyway.

The constable led the way through the building via the emergency stairwells to the sub levels and finally the crime scene. He introduced them to Officer Clarke who seemed to be the man in charge of the investigation. Whilst Wufei spoke with the officer, Duo slipped away. He'd spotted the officers inside where the mainframe was situated and curiosity took hold.

Entering the small room, Duo made sure not to touch a thing, rather he moved to a spot where he could observe without getting in the way. His quick mind picked up on the many things currently taking place in the room and made mental notes.

Heero noticed his partner slip into the mainframe room and quirked an eyebrow. He noted Duo's stance and the way his violet eyes scanned around the room. With Wufei still talking to Officer Clarke, Heero did his own inventory of the room he was currently standing in. The body of the guard was still present, the police photographer taking the necessary photographs. Another of the forensic team was busy dusting for prints whilst another was scanning the area for any possible clue to tie in the body in the other room with the guard's. From what Heero could see, it appeared a pretty much open and shut case of murder and suicide.

In the other room, Duo had finished his preliminary perusal and decided a few questions were in order. Casually, he spoke to the officer examining the body. "Any idea why he was in here?"

The officer looked up and grunted.

"Sorry. Agent Night from Preventer. I'm not here to rain on your parade, just to get some information to make sure that none of the people Preventer guard are in any danger."

"As yet, we don't know what he was in here looking for."

"Ah. Anything been removed yet?"

"No. Everything is still as we found it. We will be removing any and all evidence shortly once we've finished photographing and cataloging the crime scene."

"I promise not to touch anything then. Is it okay if I just stay here and watch?"

"Suit yourself." The officer returned to his work, completely ignoring Duo.

After looking around for a few more minutes, Duo left the room and went back out to Heero. "Got anything?"

"Hn. Wufei is almost finished talking to Clarke." Heero paused and looked closely at his partner. Lowering his voice, he spoke again. "Did you find something?"

Duo scratched his chin. "Not sure. Look, leave it with me and we can talk more when we get home. Too many ears."

"Hn." Heero could see his partner's mind ticking over and when Duo was in this mood, it was best to leave him alone to his thoughts. Once Duo had thrashed out in his head what was bothering him, he would be sure to tell Heero.

Wufei gave his thanks to Clarke and with one last look around, he gathered the other two agents and headed for the stairs.

"What gives?" asked Duo as soon as they were alone.

"Not much at this stage," Wufei replied. "All the police officer could tell me was that they'd been called in once the two bodies were found. The preliminary check shows the guy in the mainframe room had hacked into the database, what he was after, we don't know yet and won't know until the techs are allowed to go into the system and check. It appears that after he'd finished doing what he was doing, he committed suicide."

Duo snorted.

"You have something to add, Maxwell?" Wufei questioned, his voice cool.

"Doesn't seem to add up to me."

"Theory?"

"Working on it."

"I trust you will keep me informed."

"Of course, Wuffy."

"It's Wufei!"

Fortunately for both agents, they reached the main lobby area again and the discussion was put on hold. With there not being any apparent immediate threat to the delegates there wasn't any reason for the agents to hang around. Wufei informed Une of their findings and she dismissed the agents for the evening, asking Wufei for a proper report in the morning.

The police had finished questioning all the building's inhabitants and were allowing them to leave. Relena found Heero and Duo and bid them good evening. Heero asked her to keep her eyes and ears open for them and should she hear anything at all, to let them know. Relena agreed and then left.

With nothing more to do, the pair also went home to where Nurse Brown and Keitaro were waiting for them.

* * *

Wufei walked back to the loading zone where he'd left his car. Arriving at the spot, he froze. His car wasn't there. He checked the street, checked the loading zone again. He could swear he'd left his car there. Frustrated, he gave a growl. Where the hell was his car?!

"You looking for a black sedan?"

Wufei spun around to see a guy across the street calling to him. "Actually, yes, yes, I am. Do you know anything about it?"

"Yeah. It got towed about half an hour ago. It's probably down the local cop shop now."

Wufei nodded and turned back to the empty spot. His eyes narrowed and his fists clenched. His car had been towed. _Towed_! Growling under his breath in Chinese, he vowed to have some serious words with the local police when he went to fetch his car. Still seething, Wufei began to walk back along the street. Hopefully he would be able to catch a cab home. He was majorly pissed off. He'd had to cancel his date due to the length of time he'd spent at the ESUN, gotten practically no information from the police and now found his car had been towed. Could it get any worse?!

It began to rain.

* * *

Duo fingered the disc in his pocket as his mind mulled over the events of the past hour. He began to assemble the thoughts into some sort of logical order and try to break them down.

"Care to share?"

Heero's voice drew him from his musings and he sighed. "I dunno what it is, Heero. Maybe I'm just finding things that aren't there." He gazed out of the window as the thoughts surged forth again.

"We will know more once the police have finished their investigation. Une has asked for a copy of the findings."

"Good." Duo rubbed his chin. "If that guy was supposed to be hacking into the mainframe, what was it he wanted from it? And why go to all that trouble only to shoot yourself afterwards?"

"I don't know."

"You know something else I find fishy, Heero?"

"No, but I take it you're going to tell me?"

"He didn't have any gear with him."

"Hn. What exactly do you mean by gear?"

"Wouldn't it make more sense to have your own equipment with you to get into the data banks?"

"Hai, it would. But that doesn't mean you can't hack a system directly."

"I know that, but having your own gear would make it quicker. I didn't see anything else in that room other than the body and a gun."

"I guess we will have to wait for the police report."

"Yeah, guess we will. I'm still not convinced though."

The rest of the drive passed in silence, Heero mulling over what Duo had said whilst Duo continued to chase his thoughts as the windscreen wipers began a monotonous swish, swish.

* * *

Parking the car in the garage, the pair made a dash along the path that would take them from the garage to the back door of the house. Managing not to get too wet, the pair entered and shrugged out of their jackets, boots following soon after.

Heero hung their jackets up whilst Duo went through to the kitchen to put the kettle on and let Nurse Brown know they were home. Something on the stove smelt good and Duo's stomach rumbled in appreciation of the scent. He could hear the sounds of the television coming from the lounge room and an occasional gurgle which meant the nanny and his son had to be in there. With socked feet, he padded through tot he lounge and stopped in the doorway. He smiled at the sight of Keitaro lying on his stomach in the play pen. Surrounding the babe were several of his plush toys. Keitaro currently had the toy lion Heero had purchased by the tail and was busy tugging at it.

Nurse Brown sat on the sofa, the play pen in front of her. Her hands were moving busily, eyes focused on the screen, darting every now and then to a sheet of paper sitting beside her. Occasionally she would pause and count stitches, then pull some more wool from the ball and continue her knitting.

Duo made sure to make a little noise as he entered the lounge, not wanting to startle the woman, especially when she had those needles in her hands. "We're home," he said softly as he entered the lounge.

"Ah, Duo. You two manage to get everything sorted out that you had to?" asked the nurse.

"Yes, sort of."

The nurse quirked an eyebrow but didn't press the issue. She'd worked at Preventer long enough to know that agents didn't discuss cases. "I made a casserole for dinner. There's some left on the stove if you and Heero would like it."

"Thank you, that's really kind of you, but you shouldn't be cooking for us, you're employed as a nanny, not a housekeeper."

"Ah, bosh," said the nurse as she put her knitting away in a bag. "I have to cook for myself and the little man here, it's no harder to put on a little extra for you two as well. Besides, I like to cook, I miss cooking for more than just me. David used to enjoy a good, hearty meal and now I have the chance to cook properly again."

Feeling a lump lodge in his throat, Duo quickly swallowed to remove it as best he could. "Well, thanks. Heero and I really appreciate it and as long as you're happy to cook then there's no objection from me." He gave the nurse a warm smile of appreciation.

"Good. I'll go warm it up for you both."

"How's Keitaro been today?"

"As good as gold. He's such a pleasure to look after," replied the nurse as she watched the long haired man pick his son up and cuddle him close.

"You been a good baby, Keitaro?" Duo asked as he pressed a kiss to his son's forehead.

Keitaro gurgled and laughed. His chubby hands reached forward, mesmerized by the moving lips before him.

"Who's a gorgeous kid, hey?"

Keitaro reacted by reaching out and managing to latch one of his hands onto Duo's upper lip.

Duo responded with a raspberry to Keitaro's hand. The babe giggled, enjoying his new game.

Nurse Brown got up and smiled. She walked towards the doorway, when she got to Duo, she paused for a moment. "By the way, you owe me ten bucks too," she smirked.

"Yeah, yeah. I know," Duo growled. "You nearly didn't win though."

"Really?"

"Yeah. If we hadn't had to stop off on the way home, Heero wouldn't have had to call and I would have won," Duo groused.

"Want to make it double or nothing?"

"You serious?"

"Yes. I bet Heero calls a minimum of twenty times tomorrow."

Duo glanced around and seeing Heero wasn't in the immediate vicinity, he turned back to the nurse, an evil glint in his eye. "You're on. Twenty bucks says he calls less than twenty times."

The nurse smiled and went to heat up their dinner.

~ * ~

tbc...


	19. Chapter 19

**Thank you for the reviews!**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 19

The evening passed quietly for the pair, Heero checked on the program from all the shuttle ports, only to find that there wasn't anything amiss at all. All departing shuttles and their cargo checked out. Once Keitaro was changed and settled for the night, Duo joined his partner in the study to go over the disc that Relena had copied for them.

They scrolled through the information, noting all the purchases, dates and costing. They compared it to the cargo shuttles and found it all matched. With the volume of information it was impossible to check each one individually so Heero set about modifying his program slightly to scan through the disc's contents and do a match up.

It would take the program quite a bit of time to run through the entire disc, but it would be a hell of a lot faster than checking each one manually.

With the program scanning away, the pair went to bed.

Snuggling together under the covers, Duo's mind continued to turn over the events at the ESUN. His sixth sense was telling him that there was something wrong, now if only he could find it. It didn't seem logical to him that someone would try to hack a system and then shoot themselves. Why go to all that trouble? Unless there was something else, or someone else…

"Stop thinking," Heero chastised.

"Sorry. I can't help it. There's something missing."

"Missing?"

"Yeah. I dunno, Heero. None of this makes sense. I still can't see why someone would go to such lengths to hack a system and then shoot themselves. What good would whatever information they were hacking be when they're dead?"

"I don't know, but I do agree with you that there's more to this than meets the eye."

"I hope Une lets us have a look at that police report tomorrow."

"That's if she's got it by then. You know how slow the police system can move."

"Not their fault they're understaffed."

"True. Look, no amount of tossing it around in your head will get you any further to finding out what's going on. I suggest we wait until Une has the police report and see if we can get a look at it. If we can, then we can compare findings and go from there."

"You're right." Duo snuggled closer. "Love you, Heero."

"Love you too, Duo. Now go to sleep."

"Yes, boss."

"Baka!"

* * *

"I've had a message come through from Murphy," Duric announced and passed over a sheet of paper to Nolen.

Nolen took it and scanned the paper. "Fuck!"

Duric walked across the small room to the bar and poured a generous amount of whiskey into a glass. He handed it to his boss.

"Thanks." Nolen took the offered glass and drank the amber liquid, the alcohol burning a fiery trail to his gullet. It did steady his nerves a little though. Placing the empty glass on the desk, Nolen ran his hands over his face. "He was a good man," he all but whispered.

Duric picked up the paper and read the short note. "Regret to inform that Cropp has been decimated by unknown parasite. Will continue to observe and try to locate source of the parasite." Placing the paper back on Nolen's desk, Duric thought for a moment, then spoke. "I can have him infiltrate further, or leave him to continue the other work."

"No point in sacrificing another man. Have him return to his usual work. Tell him to be ready to move out very soon. Someone knew what Cropp was up to, that much is clear. It's obvious our suspicions are true for them to have taken him out. He found something, Duric, he found the evidence we need. Now, if only we can get that evidence."

"Did he manage to get anything through before he was killed?"

"A little, not much, and exactly what and of how much use it will be I don't know just yet. I've got Farrow working on it as we speak and hopefully he will be able to scavenge enough of the transmission for us to move to the next phase."

"Then I will alert Murphy to the current status and get him to have everything in place ready to go when you give the order."

"Thanks."

* * *

Duo woke to a feeling of cramping in his gut. Whilst it wasn't painful, it was certainly uncomfortable.

His partner shifting restlessly beside him awoke Heero and he blinked open sleepy eyes. "You okay, Duo?"

"Yeah. I'm fine," replied Duo as he tried yet again to get himself into a more comfortable position.

Instantly, Heero was on alert. "Something's wrong. What is it?" demanded Heero.

Knowing he wasn't going to get out of this one, Duo sighed. "Just some stomach cramps."

"You sure that's all?"

"Yeah."

"Duo?" Heero growled.

"I don't feel ill, Heero. Just some cramping, that's all."

"If you're no better when we get up for work I want you to see Sally."

"Okay. Sheesh!" Duo rolled over in a huff.

Heero spooned up behind him and draped his arms around Duo's waist. Gently he began to rub a hand over Duo's belly.

Duo sighed softly, even if he wouldn't admit to it, the rubbing eased the cramps a little and he drifted back to sleep.

* * *

The following morning, Wufei entered Une's office with a scowl on his handsome face. "You requested my presence?"

"Ah, Agent Fire. I wanted a debriefing on what you and the other two agents managed to find out about the problem at the ESUN yesterday."

"That the local constabulary are a lot of useless idiots," Wufei snapped.

Une looked up sharply from the papers on her desk. "I know the police force does tend to do things in a round about way at times, but they're not completely useless."

"They are incompetent fools."

"And why would you say that?"

"They _towed_ my car." If looks were anything to go by, Wufei's glare was about to melt a hole through the wall of Une's office.

"Why on earth would they tow your car?"

"I had to park in a loading zone."

"Ah."

"I had no choice. The area surrounding the ESUN building was completely cordoned off and I couldn't find anywhere else to park. I drove around for ages trying to find a parking spot and in the end I was running out of time so I had no choice but to park in the loading zone. It wasn't as if there would be any trucks using it either given the late hour, so I can't see what the problem was," Wufei defended himself.

"I see. Have you fetched your car?"

"I tried."

"That doesn't sound promising."

"They said I would have to come back later when the officer in charge of impounded vehicles would be on shift. I... I had a few choice words with the officer on duty." Wufei clammed up.

Une sighed. She could clearly visualize what must have happened. Wufei would have gotten on his high horse and done some ranting, the police officer would have stuck to his guns; Chang would have ranted some more until he finally conceded defeat and would return later when the appropriate officer was on duty.

Chang let her think what she liked, he didn't need to let his boss know he'd only left after being threatened with arrest.

"I'll call the precinct afterwards and arrange to have your car released. For now, let's get back to the matter at hand. What information did you and Agents Day and Night find out regarding the incident at the ESUN?"

Wufei gave the commander a brief run down on the crime scene and what the officers there had told them. He also informed Une of Maxwell's insistence that there was more to this case than met the eye, but exactly what he was thinking, Wufei had yet to be privy to.

Steepling her fingers, Une thought deeply. "If Agent Night feels there's something more going on here, then I think we should give him the opportunity to voice his concerns. I'm hoping to have the preliminary police report this afternoon. Once I do, I'll call you all to my office and see what the police make of it and discuss anything further from there."

"I'll let the other agents know then." Wufei stood up. "If there is nothing else, I'll return to my duties."

"Thank you, Agent Fire."

Wufei bowed and left, closing the door behind him and heading for his office and the other cases that awaited his attention.

* * *

The cramps had eased a little during the night, but when Duo awoke and began to move, they returned. Feeling more than pissed off, Duo headed for the bathroom to relieve himself and take a shower. Removing his boxers he was about to toss them to the laundry basket when something caught his eye. He paused and checked the silky fabric. There was a small spot of blood.

"Ah, crap."

"Duo?"

Duo whirled around as Heero entered the bathroom. Taking one look at his partner's guilty face and the boxers currently being held defensively against Duo's chest, Heero was suddenly wide awake.

"What is it?" Heero asked with a tilt of his head.

With a deep sigh, Duo turned and stuffed the boxers in the laundry hamper. "Nothing of concern. I'll see Sally when we get to work."

"Duo?" Heero's voice held a warning edge to it.

"Okay! I'm fucking bleeding again. Happy now?!" Duo's face was red with embarrassment and he stormed into the shower stall, turning the water on as he went. "Shit! That's cold!"

Shaking his head and giving a sigh of his own, Heero followed his partner into the stall where the water had finally started to warm up. He wrapped his arms around Duo's waist and pulled his partner against his chest. "It's okay, Duo. I'm sorry if I embarrassed you."

"I'm sorry too, Heero. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I guess I should be used to this, I was the one that decided to keep the female bits after all so I can't blame anyone but myself."

"I still love you."

"I love you too, Heero."

* * *

Cross checking the programs again before they left for work, Heero couldn't find anything amiss with the inventories from the disc Relena had given them. They all checked out, right down to the shuttles the gear had been transported on. When Duo had a quick look, he had to agree with Heero that there wasn't anything wrong at all.

"I'm still not convinced," Duo muttered.

"I don't see what else we can do. Everything here is legitimate, above board and all matches up," replied Heero.

"I know; but there's something, Heero. There has to be. I can feel it in my gut." Duo carried Keitaro back out of the office and put him in his play pen. "See you tonight, sunshine," he said softly, his eyes misting as he gazed fondly at his son.

Heero followed behind and said his good byes to Keitaro, then with a couple of words to the nurse, the pair left for Preventer.

They arrived and clocked in, heading to their floor and the work that awaited. As Heero hung his jacket up and booted up the computer, he gave Duo a *look*. "Are you going to contact Sally?"

"Yeah, yeah. Keep your knickers on, Yuy. I'll call her in a minute."

Satisfied with that, Heero sat down and began his day's work.

Duo placed his call to Sally and the doctor said she could see him immediately. With a grunt, Duo agreed and hung up. He left without a word to Heero, the Japanese man watching silently as Duo left.

When Duo returned a short while later, Heero took one look at his face and decided to hold his tongue. He continued to work on the files, knowing that sooner or later, Duo would let him know what Sally had said.

To say he was feeling uncomfortable would be an understatement. Duo was severely irritated. His talk with Sally had gone okay, he'd already got a good idea of what the doctor would do and say. Sure enough, she'd taken blood samples, given him a mild pain killer to ease the cramps and a sanitary napkin to protect himself. After Duo's previous, heated refusal to have anything to do with 'fluffy white butt plugs', she'd discreetly avoided those. She'd also had a long talk with him regarding keeping track of the date he'd started to bleed, the date when he finished and how light or heavy the blood loss.

Feeling more and more like a freak, Duo had been a little short tempered, something Sally ignored. She'd patiently explained to him that he was most likely suffering from PMS - premenstrual syndrome - and that his irritability would pass in a day or two.

Duo had preferred to call it 'psychotic and mentally screwed'.

When Duo hadn't said anything for a while, Heero couldn't take it any longer and thought he'd risk his husband's wrath and just ask. "How did it go with Sally?"

"Fine," came the muttered reply from behind the computer screen.

"Is everything okay?"

"As okay as it can be for a man who has female bits and has to suffer through the humiliation of bleeding, cramping and all the other lovely shit."

"Ah. Okay." Heero shut up and went back to work.

Unable to get rid of his pissy mood and not concentrating properly on the work at hand, Duo decided to grab a coffee and maybe try to channel his irritation into something more productive - like contacting Relena.

While he waited for the water to boil, Duo fetched his cell out of his pocket and dialed Relena's number. He was soon put through. "Hey, princess."

"Duo! Good to hear from you. What can I do for you? Did you manage to get what you wanted from that disc?" Relena reeled off the questions.

"Actually, that's what I was calling about. The disc isn't really giving me much at all."

"Oh?"

"No, there's a lot of information there, but I need more."

"More? What sort of more?"

"Relena, do you happen to know who the major funders are for the colony rebuilding project?"

Relena frowned and thought for a moment. "There are a few. The ESUN has donated a large portion of funds, mainly from the government coffers. I believe Winner Enterprises is also a major sponsor and the Sanq government has donated to the fund. I'm sure there are several others too. I can probably find out, but it will take a while."

"Nah, that's okay. Look, would it be any trouble if you could find out the figures from the major ball players? Just what Sanq and the ESUN has donated, please? I'll contact Quatre and get his figures."

"Sure. I'll see what I can do. How soon do you want them?"

"Soon as you have them."

"Okay. Leave it with me and I'll be in touch."

"Thanks, Relena. I really appreciate this."

"No problem, Duo. Just promise me you'll let me know what all this is for once you can."

"Will do, princess." Duo disconnected the call and finished making the coffee.

Picking up two mugs, he headed back to his office and placed one cup before Heero and gave his lover a deep kiss.

"Mmm. Not that I'm protesting, but what was that for?" asked Heero.

"To say I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier."

"That's okay, I understand."

"I wish I did," Duo muttered. "Women, I don't know how they put up with all this hormonal, psychotic syndrome thing."

Heero snickered.

* * *

Farrow continued in his quest to make sense of what Cropp had been trying to send through before his sudden demise. Nolen had provided him with a copy of the email Cropp had started to send and it did help to fill in a few of the gaps.

There wasn't much to work with, but Farrow was pretty good at filling in missing links. Slowly, he began to make some sense out of the limited information he had.

After three days of painstaking work, Farrow was pretty sure he had the basic outline.

"Nolen?"

"Yes?"

"I think you should come and take a look at this."

"On my way."

* * *

"Thank you, Officer Clarke." Une disconnected the call and turned to her computer. Bringing up the program, she waited patiently for it to load. Once it had, she went through the secure channels to open the email. With a smile, she began to download and print out the file sent through from the police department on their findings thus far in regards to the ESUN incident.

Once it was printed, Une retrieved it and scanned through. There wasn't a whole lot there. Pushing the button on her intercom, Une had her secretary page Wufei, Heero and Duo.

The three agents arrived at the commander's office and waited for the secretary to admit them. Entering the office, they took a seat each and waited for Une to speak.

"I have the preliminary police report here on their findings regarding the ESUN incident yesterday. I'd like you three to take a look at it and see what you think of it all." Without any further hesitation, Une handed over three copies of the report and sat back to wait.

It didn't take the agents long to scan through, each face telling a different story as they perused the report. Wufei's face developed a scowl, Heero's seemed irritated whilst Duo's face screwed up in disbelief.

Before any of the agents could speak, Une got in first. "I take it from the looks on your faces that this report is either not true, or has missing parts to it?"

"Damn straight!" Duo snapped.

"I too have difficulty in believing how they could come to this conclusion," Wufei stated.

Heero grunted in agreeance.

"Then I suggest we start at the beginning and break it all down, look at each part and see what the flaws are. Anything you can add," said Une and looked pointedly at Duo, "that could help would be most welcome."

"Fine with me," replied Duo.

"Right. Let's get started then."

~ * ~

tbc...


	20. Chapter 20

**Thank you all for the feedback and thank you for reading!**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 20

Duo looked over the police report again and frowned. "I know the police do the best they can with the resources they have, but this isn't anywhere near as concise as I would have expected."

"I agree," Wufei stated. "From reading this, it looks like they haven't done much at all."

"Let's see," said Une and picked up her copy. "According to forensics, the bullet used to kill the guard and the perpetrator both came from the same gun. The gun was found at the scene in the hand of the perpetrator. No prints other than those matching the perpetrator, guard and a few other techs and guards were found at the scene. From what has been discovered in the database by the police forensic tech, it would appear the perpetrator was uploading a virus into the database with the purpose of disabling and destroying files throughout the mainframe, thus rendering the ESUN pretty much useless as all data relating to the ESUN, peacekeeping and the like is stored in that mainframe. Fortunately, the virus didn't get past the many firewalls and security in place to do much in the way of damage. Thinking he'd gotten away with his crime, the perpetrator then committed suicide." Une finished reading her 'condensed' version and looked expectantly at her agents.

"I don't swallow it," said Duo. "To start with, the guy had no gear with him, and to hack a system, even to upload a virus would be far easier with your own gear. Plus, if he was uploading a virus, where's the disc he used?"

"I agree," said Heero. "Whilst it is easy enough to hack into a system directly, having your own gear would make it quicker and easier. Also, to plant a virus, he would need to have a disc of some sort, especially if he was intent on planting a virus that would do that kind of damage. At least, that's always been my experience with computers."

Une wasn't about to argue with that logic. She was well aware of both Yuy and Maxwell's ability to upload viruses. She made a mental note to check on that information.

"If you were uploading a virus with the specific intent of disabling an entire system, surely you would wait until you were completely sure the virus was in and doing its job before shooting yourself?" Wufei scratched his chin.

"The position of the body and gun. They don't add up either," mused Duo as his mind recalled the scene.

"How so?" asked Une.

"The way the body had fallen; the angle the bullet would have taken when discharged and the resulting fall of the body do not line up. I couldn't be completely certain unless I view the exact positioning, but from what I remember, if the guy shot himself like that, his arm, gun and body would have ended up in a slightly different position."

"Why is there no mention of the security tapes?" Heero asked.

"I assume the police either haven't checked them yet, or the scene is there and that's what they have based their findings on as well," replied Une. "But it is strange they haven't mentioned them. I'll contact Clarke and see what he has to say."

"I don't believe for one minute he was hacking the system to upload a virus. There's more to this," Duo said quietly. "And the only way to find out what he was up to is to check the system ourselves."

"We don't have the jurisdiction to do that, Agent Night. This is still a police case."

"Then it needs to become a Preventer case," Duo growled.

"You know I can't take over from a police investigation without solid evidence that there is a threat to either ESUN delegates or the peace itself."

"Yeah, I know," groused Duo.

"But I will be asking about those tapes. Once I know more, I'll inform you all and we will decide then which steps to take. Does anyone have anything else to add?"

"Have they got a positive ID on the perpetrator?" Wufei questioned.

"Not yet, that I know of. They were trying to identify him from DNA, fingerprints or dental records."

"I see."

"Okay. Thank you all for your input. I will let you know once I have further information."

Clearly dismissed, the three agents left Une's office and headed back to their own.

"I still say the answer to all this is in that database. And I'm convinced there was a third person involved," Duo muttered as he walked back to his and Heero's office.

"I'd like to know what's on those security tapes," said Heero.

"Yes, it's strange they haven't mentioned those in their report," mused Wufei.

"Guess we will know soon enough. Best get back to work." Duo opened the door to their office and stepped inside, Heero right behind him. Once they were inside and Wufei had left, Duo wrapped his arms around his lover and proceeded to kiss Heero senseless.

So lost in the unexpected kiss, Heero didn't notice Duo's nimble fingers as they dipped into his jacket pocket and relieved him of his cell phone. Panting slightly as the kiss broke, Heero gave his lover a questioning look.

Seeing the look, Duo just shrugged. "Hormones," he offered by way of explanation and leaving a slightly bewildered Heero still standing in the middle of the office, Duo went back to his desk, sat down and continued with his work.

* * *

Nolen approached Farrow, a look of anticipation on his face. "What have you found?"

"I've done my best to piece together what Cropp was trying to send through. It's still quite fragmented, but there's enough to safely say he was definitely onto something. Unfortunately, there isn't enough here to say for certain what exactly he had found. Here, you take a look."

Nolen leaned close and read the screen, Farrow passed over the mouse so he could scroll down when necessary. Reaching the end, he gave a grunt. "Bastards! I knew they were undermining and skimming in some way. You sure you don't have anything further? Anything to say or hint at where this was going?"

"Unfortunately, no, I don't. I'm guessing that Cropp did though but was taken out before he could confirm."

"Okay." Nolen stepped back and thought for a moment. "Any chance you could hack in from here?"

"It's extremely unlikely, especially since someone's on to us. I'd say they will have extra measures in place to prevent a system hack again. I can try though."

"That's all I ask. Give it a shot and see if you have any luck. I'll contact the others and bring them up to speed."

"Right on, boss."

Nolen departed, leaving Farrow to do what he did best and headed back to his office to contact the rest of his group.

* * *

"I don't like it," Richards said with a frown.

"It's all been taken care of. You worry too much," replied Wainright and poured himself a brandy. He handed a brandy balloon to his fellow senator and took a seat.

"I know, but I can't help thinking what was this guy up to? Why was he trying to get into your data banks? What was he after?"

"Zaheer has removed any and all traces of what he was doing. All the police will find is a man determined to destroy the database for the ESUN."

"He must have come from somewhere. Who was he?"

"I don't know yet. I have people working on it. Look, just rest easy, stay calm. All this will blow over soon, until it does we will just have to suspend operations, or at least slow them down a touch. It won't make any difference to the end result, it may just take a little longer to get there." Wainright drained his glass.

"The Preventers were there."

"I know."

"What the hell would they be doing there?"

"I have no idea. This has been handled by the police, Preventer will not become involved."

"How can you be so sure?"

Wainright sighed. He was getting a little tired of Richards. "Let's just say I have many friends in high places."

Richards looked up sharply. "You've bought off the police?"

"No, not exactly," chuckled Wainright. "Suffice to say the superintendent and I share a common bond."

Richards frowned. He was really beginning to dislike this more and more. In the beginning it hadn't seemed too difficult, but now, now that they were getting closer to their goal there were a lot of unforeseen variables coming into the equation - and that made him uncomfortable.

"You're not getting cold feet, are you, Richards?" Wainright's voice held a sharp iciness to it.

Swallowing, Richards turned to meet the gaze. "No. I'm just not too sure about this person that tried to hack your files. Guess you're right though. Best to lay low for a bit and let it all blow over." Richards stood. "I'd better be going, the wife is expecting dinner guests."

"I'll see you out."

* * *

Duo rubbed his weary eyes and took a glance at the clock. There were only another couple of hours to go and he could return home to see his son. The mild cramping in his gut was returning so he thought he'd trot off and see Sally. "Back soon," he called to Heero who raised his head and gave a questioning look. "Just gonna see Sally for a tick," he said in reply to the unspoken query.

Heero nodded and continued with his work. Duo slipped out of the room. Once Duo was gone, Heero glanced around and then with his mind made up, he grabbed his jacket and slid his hand into the pocket. He fished around and came up blank. "What?" he growled and checked the pocket again. "Where the hell is my cell?" Grabbing the jacket from the hook, he proceeded to go through all the pockets, turning out keys, a nutrition bar, ticket stub, bits of lint and a handkerchief; but no cell phone.

Heero frowned and patted down his trouser pockets, shirt pockets and then checked the drawers to his desk. Still no phone. He ran through his memory, when he'd last used the phone and where he'd been on the off chance he may have left it somewhere - and came up blank. He'd last used the phone when he'd visited the men's room to call home and check Keitaro. He was sure he'd put it back in his pocket. With a grunt, he decided to go check the toilet anyway, just in case he'd left it there.

Duo explained to Sally that the cramps were still affecting him and whilst he was no wimp when it came to pain, he didn't see why he should suffer with it when there were perfectly good painkillers to be had that wouldn't compromise him. Sally gave him some tablets to take and assured him all was okay and that the cramps should settle soon enough. Feeling a little better, Duo detoured by the lunch room on his way back to the office to get a coffee and make a call to Quatre.

"Hey, Q-man."

"Duo?!"

"Yeah, buddy, it's me."

"Good to hear your voice. How are you, and Heero and Keitaro, of course?"

That was Quatre for you, ever the polite one. "We're all fine. What about you and Tro?"

"We're good. I'm hoping to come earth side soon for a bit of a break and catch up with you all."

"That would be great, Quat. Any idea when?"

"Not yet, but I'll be sure to let you know once we have the details finalized."

"You know you're always welcome to stay with us."

"Thanks, Duo. Now, what is it you're really calling for?"

Duo chuckled. "You remember sending me through the information on Sandrock Construction?"

"Yes. If I remember correctly, it didn't show anything up either." Quatre frowned.

"No, it didn't. Everything checked out fine."

"In one way, that's good to know, but I guess it doesn't help you much. Still got that gut feeling?"

"Yeah," Duo sighed. "Look, Quat. I hate to ask this but I need some more help."

"Sure, Duo. Anything at all, you know you only have to ask and if it's in my power to do so I'll help wherever I can."

"Thanks. Relena managed to get me a copy of a disc with all the relevant information on it pertaining to the colony rebuilding projects, particularly the L2 colony. Again, it all checks out but I'm still not convinced. Relena said that the biggest donors to the cause were Sanq, the ESUN and Winner Enterprises."

"That's correct. WEI has donated quite a lot to the cause."

"Would it be possible for you to send me through a copy of what WEI has donated? Relena's doing her best to get me copies of the donations from Sanq and the ESUN. I quite understand if you don't want me prying into your financial affairs..."

"Duo, it's fine. I've nothing to hide and I'll be happy to send you through a copy. I'll get onto it right away for you."

Duo breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Thanks, Quat. I owe you one."

"No problem. I'll send it through the usual secure channels once I have it."

"That will be great." They chatted for a couple more minutes before Duo hung up and collected his cooling coffee, walking back to the office deep in thought. Once he entered, he pulled up short and blinked. Heero's desk was a mess. "Um, Heero?"

A brown, messy head appeared over the edge of the desk and gazed at him.

"Errr... What are you doing?"

"I can't find my cell phone," Heero growled.

_//Oh shit!//_

"I could have sworn it was in my pocket. When I went to get it out, it was gone."

"Ah. Umm, Heero?"

"Hai?" Heero grunted softly. He had an idea of what was coming by the tone of Duo's voice.

"I, ummm. That is, I borrowed your cell."

"Excuse me?"

"I have your cell phone. I borrowed it earlier and I guess I forgot to put it back. Sorry?" Whilst it wasn't the complete truth, it wasn't a full on lie either, so Duo figured he was pretty safe.

"When did you take it, and more importantly, why didn't you ask me?"

"Ah. It was a spur of the moment thing. I needed to make a call and couldn't find my cell so I borrowed yours." Duo hoped Heero wouldn't question any further as he was running out of options to twist the truth. "Here it is." Duo fished in his pocket and handed over the small appliance. "What did you need it for anyway?"

"Aa," Heero went quiet.

Considering he was bordering on the edge as it was, Duo decided not to push the issue. He already had a good idea that Heero wanted the cell to call home and check on Keitaro. Duo wasn't sure how many times Heero had rung already so he'd pilfered the phone and checked the call register. Right now he was up to fifteen calls. While he knew he was cheating to a point, he was damned if he was going to lose this bet! Now all he had to do was stick to Heero like glue for the remaining hour and a half of work and make sure he didn't call home and he would be sure to win the bet.

"Any word from Une?" asked Duo as he sat down and stirred his computer back into life.

"Nothing as yet," replied Heero and began to tidy up his desk. He slid the cell into his trouser pocket, a little surprised that Duo hadn't continued to question him; his surprise though soon turned to suspicion, but he remained quiet.

"I guess she will let us know as soon as she has anything."

"Hai." Heero finished putting everything back in the desk drawers and took his seat once more.

Behind his screen, Duo smirked.

* * *

"Thank you, Rufus," Wainright said as the elderly butler announced the arrival of Zaheer. The butler departed leaving the senator and his bodyguard to their meeting.

"What have you managed to find out?" asked Wainright as he settled into the leather chair behind the desk.

Zaheer sat opposite his boss and lowered his eyes. "Not a lot at this stage. The ID and other things I removed from the body stated he was a computer tech with the ESUN."

"Really?" Wainright's voice held a touch of surprise.

"Yes, but when I went into the records, I couldn't find any trace of him there. I also checked the address on his driver's license; it's a pet shop."

"Interesting."

"I'm working on cracking the security codes to the laptop he had with him, but it's taking a while. Once I can get into that I should have a lot more information."

"Good work. See what you can do in regards to getting into his system. Meanwhile, see if you can't trace him through his name or anything else you found. I want to know who sent him and why."

"Will do, boss. If that's all, I'll get back onto it now." Zaheer stood.

"Thank you, Zaheer. Keep me posted."

Zaheer left, Wainright rested his elbows on the desk top and cradled his chin against his fists. "Who were you? What the hell were you after?"

* * *

With Heero bathing Keitaro, Duo went through to the kitchen to wash the dishes from dinner and make them all a hot drink. Just as he was finishing, Nurse Brown entered. Duo handed her a cup of tea and grabbed his own coffee. "Heero still bathing Keitaro?" he asked as he pulled out a chair and sat down.

"He's finished and dressing the baby now." Nurse Brown took the offered mug and sat down too.

"I believe you owe me twenty dollars," Duo smirked.

The nurse sighed. "You'll get it. You nearly didn't win though, after all, he did make eighteen calls and I was very surprised he didn't make the twenty or so he usually does."

"Guess he's starting to settle down a bit and finally trust that Keitaro's going to be fine with you watching him."

The nurse rolled her eyes. "I should hope so! I've been looking after infants for longer than either of you two have had hot dinners."

"Well, for your sanity's sake, I'd say he should start to cut back a lot on those calls now."

"I hope so. The baby is perfectly fine with me and I would never let any harm come to the child if I can prevent it. He really doesn't have anything to worry about," stated the nurse.

"I know that and you know that, but it's Heero we have to convince." Duo thought for a moment. "I'll have a word with him and see what I can do to get him to stop calling home so often and checking up on you both."

"Thanks Duo. I'd appreciate that. It's not that I really mind, I know he's only being protective of his son, but sometimes the calls come at awkward moments, such as when I'm trying to settle the little one to sleep, or maybe bathing him. I can't just drop everything and answer the phone. If I don't he continues to call until I do pick up and by then he's practically frantic." The nurse gave a sigh.

Duo snickered. "He does tend to be a little over protective at times, but like I said, I'll speak with him."

With Keitaro safely tucked into bed, the three watched a little television before retiring for the night. Duo managed to have his little 'talk' with Heero and Heero reluctantly had to agree with his husband.

"Nurse Brown is perfectly capable of looking after Keitaro, Heero. She's not going to let anything happen to him so you don't need to be constantly calling home to check."

"I know and I'm sorry. I can't help this feeling of anxiety though and it helps to soothe my fears if I call and check."

"Come here," Duo said softly and opened his arms to Heero. They cuddled close, Duo running his fingers through Heero's bangs as the Japanese man rested his head on Duo's chest.

You have to relax and trust others, Heero. Nothing's going to happen to Keitaro, not with Nurse Brown on watch."

"Hai, you're right." Heero relaxed into the touch.

Neither man could have possibly known just how wrong they were about to be proven.

~ * ~

tbc...


	21. Chapter 21

**Thank you to all who are reading. ^_^**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 21

Over the course of the next few days, Heero and Duo were kept busy researching an assignment for Wufei. Une was still waiting for the police to send through an updated report on the ESUN incident and until they did, she couldn't advance their own possible investigation. Duo's bleeding stopped after three days and he duly reported back to Sally with the record she'd asked him to keep.

All seemed to be well with the braided man and Sally saw no reason for him not to continue on with active duty. She prescribed another course of iron tablets to help bring his low levels back up and advised him to let her know when he next bled. Hopefully they would be able to figure out his cycle from the information.

Life in general seemed to take on a regular routine. Duo still couldn't shake the gut feeling he had and despite checking the disc again, he couldn't find anything to base his instinct on. Relena was doing her best to get him the funding records; as was Quatre. Unfortunately they couldn't just go in and grab them, there were protocols to follow and the usual red tape to get through and it all took time; more so in Relena's case.

Five days after the ESUN incident, Une got the updated report and was quick to call her agents in to review the information. Wufei, Heero and Duo all duly reported to the commander's office, eager to find out what the police had finally come up with. When they entered the office, they were met with a grim looking Une - and that didn't do anything to boost their confidence.

"Please be seated, gentlemen," Une stated softly.

The three agents sat and looked expectantly at their commander.

I've printed out copies of the final police report for you all to read. I'd appreciate your comments." Une handed over three copies and sat back to wait whilst her agents read them.

It only took the three a few minutes to read the documents and Une noted the disapproving frowns forming on their faces as they did. Duo seemed to sum it all up.

"This is a load of crap. There's nothing really added to this than was in their original report."

"I agree," Wufei said as he tossed the papers back to Une's desk in disgust.

"What I can't follow is why the security tapes didn't show anything," Heero stated.

"Did they even look at them?" Duo asked sarcastically. "For a police report, you have to admit, it's pretty piss weak."

"Agent Night! Watch your language," Une snapped.

"Ah, sorry," Duo rubbed the back of his neck.

Une accepted the apology and then looked at her agents. "I happen to agree with you all that this investigation doesn't really show up much of anything. Considering the extent of the breech into the ESUN I have asked my superiors to allow Preventer to investigate this further. If someone can infiltrate to this point then I believe the politicians, senators and other government officials' safety could be compromised and as such it is Preventers best interests to find out exactly what happened. If we only come up with the same information as the police investigation, then there is nothing lost; if we find something else though..."

"This all smells like yesterday's laundry to me. It simply screams to be looked into further," Duo muttered.

"Good, I'm glad you see it that way because I'm assigning the three of you to investigate further. I have contacted the local police and they will have the file on this case all ready for you to pick up. The ESUN has also been notified and they will assist you in any way they can."

"The tapes?" Wufei asked.

"They will also be waiting for you at the police station."

The three men thought for a moment before Heero spoke up. "Will the ESUN allow us access to their mainframe?"

"They have indicated they will help all they can. As for the mainframe, I'm not completely sure, but I would imagine so. I will speak with their head tech and obtain clearance for you. Now, does any one have any further questions?"

Duo shook his head, Heero was lost in thought, Wufei just scowled.

"Right. As of now you are on the case. Agent Fire, as the superior officer, will be in charge. Good luck, gentlemen, and please keep me updated. Dismissed."

The three trooped from the room and made their way back to Heero and Duo's office. Duo did a side trip to the lunch room and brought them all a coffee; well, a green tea for Wufei. Once inside the office they began to talk about the case amongst themselves.

"The first thing we need to do is get the file and tapes from the police. Once we have that we can go through all the evidence they collected, add it to what we know and then find the loopholes, the things they didn't pick up on and go from there," Wufei stated as he sipped his tea.

"I'd like to get inside that computer mainframe and see what this fellow was up to," Heero said. "Does anyone else but me find it strange that there was no mention of this guy's name or where he was from, or who he was working for?"

"I thought that was a little suspicious myself," Duo replied. "Surely they would have identified him by now."

"Unless they specifically left that out of their report," Wufei mused.

"Why would they want to do that?"

"That's what we need to find out." Wufei placed his tea cup on Duo's desk. "I want you two to go and get those files and tapes. Bring them back here and we will look at them together."

"On our way, Wu-man."

"It's Wufei!"

"Yeah, yeah. Come on, Heero. We got us some evidence to collect." Duo snagged his jacket and with a grin, left the office, Heero in tow.

* * *

Farrow's eyes narrowed as he stared at the screen. He checked and rechecked, scribbled some notes on a piece of paper and checked again. He still came up with the same result. Leaning back in his chair he folded his arms across his chest and let his mind wander over the data. Allowing his thoughts free rein was the best way to make sense of them all. At least, it usually worked for him.

This time was no different. Soon the jumbled mess began to form into something a little more coherent and Farrow was quick to jot down his mind's wanderings. When he'd finished, he checked it all and measured it against what he'd found. He was even more certain now that he had something to work with. Pulling the cell phone from his pocket, he pushed speed dial.

"Yes?"

"Nolen, it's Farrow. I have a theory I'd like you to take a look at."

"Theory?"

"Well, a sort of theory, pretty much based on what I've managed to piece together."

"Okay. I'll be there shortly."

Closing the cell, Farrow smiled to himself. "I think we have you, you slimy bastards."

* * *

Having reached the police station, Heero parked the car and the pair of them donned their Preventer jackets and entered the building. Heero strode to the front desk where a pretty brunette gave them a smile.

"Can I help you, gentlemen?" she asked and batted her eyelashes.

Duo rolled his eyes but made sure to move closer to his husband. "We're here from Preventer to collect some evidence in a case the police were investigating but has now been handed over to Preventer."

"I believe a Detective White will know what we're talking about," added Heero.

"Just one moment please." The brunette moved towards an intercom system and pushed a couple of buttons. "Detective White? I have two agents from Preventer here asking for you." There were obviously some words passed back before the brunette replied, "Thank you, Detective. I'll let them know." She pushed another button and returned to the desk. "If you would care to take a seat, the detective will be with you in a moment."

"Thank you." Heero turned and with Duo following, went to sit on the long bench. They only waited a few moments before a tall, balding man with thin spectacles perched on the end of his nose appeared.

"Preventer agent?" he asked as he walked over towards Heero and Duo.

Heero stood and fetched his ID from his pocket. "Preventer Agent Day. This is my partner, Agent Night. You must be Detective White?"

"Yes, yes I am." The mad took a moment to scrutinize the ID from both agents and satisfied, he grunted. "Follow me, please." Turning on his heel, he led the way back behind the front desk and along a corridor.

Duo pulled funny faces behind his back, Heero elbowed his partner, Duo scowled.

White stopped at a door and then opened it, Heero and Duo followed inside. It was an average sized room with roughly eight desks arranged four down each side. Three of the desks were occupied, the people who worked at the others obviously out on some case or another. White led them down the middle to stop at the third desk on the right. Whilst he looked through a filing cabinet, Duo took a moment to glance around.

It was quite crowded despite the size of the room. Filing cabinets and bookcases took up what space the desks left over and everywhere you looked there were files and papers. The other three people in the room didn't spare them a glance, continuing on with their work and completely ignoring the two agents.

White removed a folder and slapped it down on the desk before returning to the cabinet and locating the security tape. That was added to the top of the file and White faced the pair.

"I don't see why Preventer has to get involved with all this. The case has been investigated and closed, it was a clear cut murder - suicide with the motive being the disabling of the ESUN database," White sneered.

Heero picked up the file and tape, returning the man's sneer with one of his own. "Preventer obviously disagrees with your findings."

"Feel free to run yourselves into the ground, you won't find anything that isn't already covered in the files," White snapped.

"I think we'll be the judge of that," Duo replied coolly.

"We will let your superior know of our findings," Heero stated and then turning, continued, "Thank you for the information, we will see ourselves out." With one last glare at the detective, Heero strode quickly from the room, Duo right behind him.

"I wonder what crawled up his ass and died?" Duo muttered as they walked back past the front desk and out into the street.

"You know that the police don't like anyone else, especially Preventer, taking one of their cases, solved or not."

"Can we help it if we find stuff they missed?"

"In this case, I really hope we do, that jackass needs taking down a peg or two," Heero replied as he unlocked the car and got in.

Duo agreed.

* * *

Returning to Preventer headquarters, the pair immediately headed for their office and informed Wufei of their return. Moments later the Chinese agent joined them and they began the task of sifting through the evidence.

"I suggest we watch that tape first. According to this report on it, they say the deceased disabled the tape and prevented any recording of the crime," Heero said as he skimmed through the section of the report regarding the tape.

"Good idea," Wufei replied and picked up the tape. The three went through to the audio room and set themselves up in one of the many booths. Wufei slipped the tape into the machine and turned both the machine and small television set on. The tape started off as usual, picking up on Johnson at his station looking bored. The next several minutes of tape contained nothing of importance and Duo found himself getting bored.

Then the tape picked up on someone exiting the elevator and walking over to talk with Johnson. It was the person who had attempted to hack the system. Immediately all three men were riveted to the screen. They watched as the man exchanged a few words with Johnson and then entered the mainframe area. Seconds later the screen went blank.

"What the hell?!" Duo exclaimed.

"Be patient, Maxwell. I'm sure it will start again." Wufei frowned at the screen.

It took several minutes before the screen flickered to life again, and when it did, Johnson and the other person were dead. Wufei hit the stop button and all three agents sat in silence for a moment.

"Can you rewind that and play it again from where the guy comes out of the elevator?" Duo asked.

"You on to something?" Heero asked his partner.

"Not sure."

"What I find unusual," began Wufei, "Is if he disabled the security tape, why are there several minutes of blank screen? From my knowledge of such systems, when you disable a security camera or system, the tape stops recording. If that's what he did, then the tape should only be blank for a moment before resuming and I'd say picking up from where the guy has shot himself or is about to shoot himself."

"I agree with you," Heero said. "The tape could easily be programmed to start up again after a period of time, but if disabled, it stops recording."

"Which means there was a third person involved," Duo stated with a frown. "Stop the tape, Wufei."

Wufei did as requested and gave Duo a questioning look.

"Take it back a few frames, good; now, can you advance it frame by frame, please?"

Wufei complied and watched with an equally mystified Yuy.

"There! Stop it there!" Duo shouted.

Hitting the pause button, Wufei stared at the screen. "What, Maxwell?"

"Look," Duo took the remote off Wufei and sent the tape back a few more frames, then let it roll forward. "Look carefully at our bad guy."

Heero and Wufei both scrutinized each frame as it passed onto the screen.

"There!" Duo cried. "You see it?"

"See what, Maxwell," growled Wufei. He really was getting sick of these games.

"Look at the bad dude's hand."

"Ah. I see it," Heero said as he looked closer.

"He _was_ carrying his own equipment, I'm sure of it," Duo said with a smug tone.

The closer Wufei looked, the easier it became to see what Duo was going on about. The bad guy was indeed carrying something in his hand, although what exactly it was, was hard to determine as the camera only picked up on the top, left hand bit of it.

"I thought he would need to have his own equipment with him in order to hack the system so quickly and to upload a virus," Duo said. Then mentally added, 'If that's what his intention was'.

"There was no trace of any equipment with him when the other security guard went to relieve Johnson and found the bodies," Wufei stated.

"Combine that with the unaccounted extra blank time on the security tape and you have all the makings of a third person intervention," Duo said and leaned back in his chair.

"I have to agree there," Heero said thoughtfully. "If a third person were involved, that would explain the missing gear and tape time."

"I'm still betting this was no suicide. This was a murder." Duo continued to search his mind for the scene he'd witnessed when first arriving in the mainframe section of the ESUN. "I said it before that the angle of the body in relation to the gunshot wound didn't look right to me for a suicide."

"But why would anyone want to shoot this guy, or the guard? And where is the gear he was supposedly carrying?' Wufei questioned.

"I'd say the answer to that lies in the ESUN mainframe. This is my theory," Duo began, "this guy was after something, something of importance that's stored on that mainframe. When he's hacked his way in, someone has been alerted, and that someone doesn't want whatever it is to become common knowledge. Therefore they decided to take out the hacker and killed the guard as well to make it look like a murder - suicide. They removed the guy's gear and erased the tapes of any evidence."

"And the only way to prove your theory is to have access to the mainframe," Heero stated as his eyebrows knotted in thought.

"How long is the tape running blank for?" Duo asked.

"I'll time it," Wufei replied and rewound the tape. They let it play and recorded the length of time the time stayed blank for. "I make it just over five minutes."

"Five minutes, hmmm." Duo lost himself in thought again.

"What I would suggest, gentlemen, in order to get a proper time frame on this to see if a third person could have been involved, we should do a sort of reenactment," Wufei said.

"That sounds like a good idea," Heero agreed.

"We will need to clear it with Une first," Duo said.

"I'll go speak with her now and bring her up to speed on what we have found thus far," Wufei replied as he stood. "Take the tape back to your office and start combing through the report. I'll be with you shortly." Wufei left to speak with Une, Heero and Duo collected the tape and went back to their office.

* * *

"Comfortable?" Nurse Brown questioned the child as she strapped Keitaro firmly in his pusher.

The infant gurgled and waved his chubby hands.

"Good, let's go." The nurse took a firm hold on the pusher's handles and began to push the infant away from the car and into the park. Now that Keitaro was five months old, the nurse had begun to take him out a little, usually to the local shops and once a week to the big park in the center of town. She would push the baby around, walking along the shaded paths, stopping from time to time to admire some of the many flowers that bloomed. Sometimes she would bring some bread scraps with her and they would sit by the big lake and feed the ducks.

Keitaro loved watching the birds. They way they quacked and swam about, each determined to get a piece of bread. His little face would light up into a grin and he'd squeal happily.

The sun was warm sending dappling over the cement pathway as it filtered through the tree canopy. Nurse Brown strolled along enjoying the peace and quiet. There were a few other people about enjoying the day. Some were taking a lunch break, sitting on a bench and eating whilst relaxing in the sun's warmth. Others were strolling around, a couple of joggers went by and there were other couples with children scattered here and there.

Nurse Brown made her way towards the lake and located an empty bench. Sitting down she pulled the pusher beside her, put the brake on and then dipped into her bag to retrieve the small, paper bag with the bread crusts in it.

Breaking off a piece, she tossed it into the water and immediately the ducks came swimming over. A few more bits were tossed, Keitaro letting his own pleasure at watching be known with a series of chuckles and gurgles.

"Would you like to try?" the nurse asked the babe.

Keitaro just chuckled again.

Carefully, the nurse gave him a piece of bread. Being as young as he was, Keitaro wouldn't understand what he was meant to do with the bit of bread - other than try to shove it into his own mouth, but Nurse Brown also knew from experience that babies tended to wave their hands around, a lot, and usually if they had something in their grasp, it would fly out.

Keitaro studied the piece of bread in his hand and was about to put it in his mouth when a duck gave a loud quack. He immediately turned his attention to the noisy bird, flinging his hand in the air in excitement and thus tossing the piece of bread.

The duck gobbled up the bread in an instant.

Keitaro's eyes were wide. Nurse Brown laughed. She passed another piece of bread to the child and the pair of them 'fed' the ducks.

Back on the path a lone figure watched the scene from behind a newspaper.

~ * ~

tbc...


	22. Chapter 22

**Thank you to all who are reading.**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 22

"Enter."

Wufei opened the door to commander Une's office and strode across to the desk.

"Agent Fire?" Une questioned.

"Commander, we are in possession of the files and tape from the ESUN police investigation and there are a couple of areas of concern."

"Take a seat, Agent." Une leaned back in her chair. "What have you found?"

Sitting himself down, Wufei composed the thoughts in his head. "We have viewed the tape and have found a couple of areas of interest which lead us to believe there may have been a third party involved."

"Oh?"

"The tape shows the infiltrator arriving at the security desk in the mainframe section. It also shows him speaking with the guard before entering the mainframe room. Maxwell spotted what looks to be some sort of bag being carried in the perpetrator's hand."

"And?"

"It would seem to indicate that the perpetrator was carrying his own equipment with him."

"So?"

"When the body was discovered, there was no equipment to be found anywhere."

"I see." Une frowned.

"Also, if the perpetrator was to have disabled the security camera, then the recording would have stopped and resumed when restarted. The tape actually runs for over five minutes showing absolutely nothing at all other than a blank screen. We all agree the tape has been erased."

"Can you be sure?"

"Yuy has an idea. We would like to reenact what we believe took place and get a proper time fix. However, for us to do so, we will need your permission and the cooperation of the ESUN."

"I see." Une lost herself in thought for a moment. "I'll contact the ESUN and advise them of what you wish to do. I'm sure they will be cooperative."

"Thank you."

"I'll contact you as soon as I have confirmation."

Wufei stood and with a nod, left the commander's office.

* * *

The confirmation came through a little later that day. Une had set it all up with the head of ESUN security and the agents were to present themselves at the ESUN building the following day. The three spent the remainder of the afternoon going through the files and making notes on areas of interest and things to double check. Heero outlined the reenactment he wanted to do and passed it to Wufei for approval. With there being nothing more they could do that day and knock off time rapidly approaching, they decided to call it a day. Clocking out, they went in their separate directions, agreeing to meet at Preventer headquarters the following morning and then heading for the ESUN for ten o'clock.

* * *

Nolen strode into Farrow's tiny office. "What do you have?" he asked bluntly.

Farrow gave a grin. "I'm pretty sure I've pieced together what Cropp was trying to send through."

"You managed to get into the system?"

"No. I tried, but there's even stronger security in place. I couldn't crack it before and now, well, let's say it would take a computer genius to get through the security they have in place."

"Then what is it you've come up with?"

"Taking the partial message that Cropp managed to get through, plus what I've been able to dig up from the records on L1, L2, L3 and L4, it seems our theory is correct. The other three colonies are getting far more support and aid than L2. I'm guessing that Cropp found some form of supportive evidence in that data base and was trying to get it through to us when he was discovered."

"Which means Cropp was seriously onto something that could bring a lot of trouble to some people," Nolen finished for Farrow.

"Exactly," Farrow nodded.

"Good work." Nolen narrowed his eyes as he thought. "I think it's time to let these governing bodies know that L2 isn't going to sit back and let the other colonies have all the funding. We're just as important as the rest and entitled to our fair share."

"How are we going to do that?" Farrow asked.

"Not us, Farrow. I have someone else in mind, someone who has just as much reason to insist that L2 have the funding as we do."

"Oh?" Farrow raised an eyebrow.

Nolen dug his cell out of his pocket and punched a couple of numbers. "Duric? Listen. Contact Murphy, tell him it's time to bring the fledgling home to the nest. You know what to do. Contact me once the bird is in the hand for further instructions." Nolen closed the cell, cutting the call and pocketed it again. He turned to Farrow. "Now all we do is wait."

* * *

Arriving home, Heero headed for the kitchen to cook dinner whilst Duo checked on Keitaro who was taking a nap. Nurse Brown filled them in on their day at the park, causing both men to smile at her description of their son feeding the ducks. With dinner almost ready, Duo went to wash up and fetch their son who was beginning to stir.

Dinner was an interesting affair to say the least. Now that Keitaro was eating more solid foods and less bottled formula, meal times had turned into a circus, as Duo liked to call it. The child was seated in his high chair and waited patiently for his food. Heero had removed a small portion from his cooking before adding the seasoning. Nurse Brown had assured them both that it was far more beneficial to the child that he eat the same foods as his parents, that way he would experience many different flavors and textures.

Knowing that Heero, and usually Duo, cooked healthy, well balanced and nutritional meals, there was no reason why the baby shouldn't enjoy the same meal as his parents. Nurse Brown explained that they should put aside a small portion of the meal before adding any seasoning as the child's developing taste buds didn't need things like salt or sugar, he would acquire those tastes later in life. Heero had taken the nurse at her word and diligently separated a small amount for his son, putting it to the side for it to cool down a little as he finished preparing the rest of the meal for them all.

Carrying the plates to the table, Heero set them down, making sure to put Keitaro's bowl just out of reach of the youngster. Keitaro wasn't able to feed himself properly yet, he was only just managing to hold the small spoon. Duo sat next to the babe with Heero on the other side. Nurse Brown sat opposite them. They chatted amicably over dinner, discussing the various things they had been up to, although Heero and Duo were careful not to talk about their current case. Duo was feeding Keitaro in between taking bites of his own meal. The infant was having a great time with the food, managing to get most of it around his mouth, up his nose and even in his hair.

"Keitaro," Duo mused. "How the heck do you manage to turn every mealtime into a food fight?"

The baby smiled and gave a toothless grin.

Duo brought the spoon to the child's mouth again, Keitaro refused to open up, trying to grab the spoon instead. Duo dodged the attempts and waved the spoon around.

"Come on, open up, Keitaro."

The baby's mouth stayed shut.

Duo began to 'fly' the spoon around. "Wheee, here it comes. Open the hangar doors for the mobile suit," he sang.

Heero just stared at his partner. "Mobile suit?" he questioned.

"Yeah, I kinda figured airplanes were out of the picture."

"You _could_ try shuttle."

"Smart arse."

Keitaro chuckled.

"Okay, Keitaro. Here comes the shuttle." Duo gave Heero a pointed look. "Wheee... Zoooooommmm... Open bay doors, we have incoming."

The child opened his mouth in glee at this new game. The spoon 'landed', left its cargo and slid out of the child's mouth in one swift movement.

"Hah! Nothing to it," Duo crowed.

The baby chose that moment to laugh too, spattering Duo with uneaten food.

"You were saying?" Heero teased with a snicker.

* * *

Once dinner was finished, Heero and Nurse Brown cleared away and did the dishes. Duo let Miracle in to 'clean' the floor around Keitaro's high chair, much to Heero's amusement and Nurse Brown's horror. Duo had defended his actions, saying that the dog was a much better vacuum cleaner and managed to wash the floor at the same time. Nurse Brown had begun to rant about germs, unsanitary conditions and not knowing where that dog's tongue had been. Heero intervened before the woman could burst a blood vessel.

Duo had been dispatched to the shower, Keitaro with him as they both looked like they'd been in a pie throwing contest, and lost. Heero made the nurse a hot cup of tea and managed to soothe her ruffled feathers by agreeing with everything the nanny said. Miracle had been relegated to the laundry room along with her own dinner. Secretly, Heero agreed with Duo; Miracle did do a really good job of cleaning up the mess left by their son and as long as she didn't lick around where the child sat, the tray from which his food was placed on or the high chair in general, Heero couldn't see the harm in letting her clean the floor. After all, the floor was washed with floor cleaner and disinfectant on a regular basis, Siska saw to that.

The female species was certainly an enigma to Heero - one he was quite happy to steer clear of at all costs.

Once the kitchen was restored to order, Heero carried a tray of fresh drinks through to the lounge room and placed them on the low coffee table. "Duo not finished yet?"

"He hasn't returned," replied the nurse, looking up from where she was watching the news.

"I'd better go check on them both." Heero left to see what Duo was up to. Nurse Brown settled back into the chair and continued to watch the news.

When Heero entered their bedroom, Duo was just slipping into a pair of sweat pants, Keitaro lay on the bed, clean and dressed in his pajamas.

"Everything okay?" Heero asked as he bent to pick up their son.

"Yeah, fine," Duo replied as he reached for his hairbrush and began to brush out his hair.

Heero sat on the bed and watched as he cradled Keitaro, the babe stared in fascination as Duo brushed the chestnut strands. With the tangles removed, Duo quickly braided the mane and turned to give his lover a grin.

"Love you," Duo said as he pressed a kiss to Heero's lips.

"Love you too," Heero replied and deepened the kiss.

Duo began to moan softly as Heero's tongue explored his mouth. He could feel the heat pooling in his groin and wanted more. "Ow! Shit!" Duo quickly pulled back.

"Duo?" Heero was completely confused.

"Ow!" Duo reached between them to where Keitaro had grabbed the end of his braid and was tugging happily on it. "No, Keitaro. My braid is _not_ a toy," he said as he tried to remove the rope of hair from chubby hands that were equally determined to hang on.

Heero snickered as he watched.

"That's right, buddy," Duo huffed. "Laugh away. Looks like you'll be sleeping on the couch tonight."

That soon sobered Heero up. Shifting slightly, he gave his husband a hand to release his hair.

Eventually they managed to get Keitaro to let go, Duo rubbing his abused scalp and fetching a t-shirt. With Duo decent, the three went back to the lounge room to watch a bit of television before putting Keitaro to bed.

Duo put Keitaro in his playpen, noting the news was still on. "Anything exciting happening?" he asked as he checked the child's toys were in easy reach.

"Nothing much. There was another fatal car crash, the teachers are threatening to strike if they don't get a pay rise, the cost of fruit and vegetables is about to rise and there's a recall on a batch of faulty condoms," the nurse said and sipped her tea.

"Nothing out of the ordinary then," Heero said with a touch of sarcasm and grabbed his own tea from the tray before sitting down.

Duo snagged his coffee and curled up on the couch next to Heero, partially watching the movie that had come on, whilst keeping one eye on Keitaro as the infant gurgled happily to himself and played with a set of large, plastic keys on a ring. Soon the child's eyes began to droop and Duo put his son to bed, returning to the lounge to watch the end of the movie. With the movie finished, Nurse Brown said her goodnights and headed for her own bed, checking on the sleeping baby on her way.

"Tired?" Heero asked as he snuggled closer to his husband.

"A little," replied Duo and then yawned.

Heero began to feather kisses along Duo's jaw and down his neck. Finding a particularly vulnerable spot, he paused and began to suckle, drawing soft moans from his lover.

Feeling the heat beginning to pool again in his groin, Duo broke away and spoke in a husky tone. "Let's take this to the bedroom."

"You go on up and I'll be along in a moment. Just need to check the place is locked."

"Okay." Duo placed a searing kiss to Heero's lips. "Don't be too long."

It didn't take Heero long at all to secure the house and he took the stairs two at a time in his eagerness to get to his lover. Walking into their bedroom, Heero stopped in his tracks at the vision that greeted him. Duo had pulled the covers back on the bed and now lay sprawled over the sheets, completely naked and very aroused. A hand pumped the stiff length languidly as Duo stared seductively at his partner from underneath his bangs.

"You gonna stand there all night, or are you going to help me here?' Duo asked in a husky tone.

"Just admiring the view," Heero replied as he shook himself from his stupor and crossed the room quickly. Standing at the side of the bed, Heero licked his lips at the sight of his partner obviously enjoying himself.

"You're wearing too many clothes," Duo stated.

Now _that_ was something Heero could easily fix. Without a word, he pulled his t-shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor, his jeans quick to follow. He wore no underwear, much to Duo's delight, and his own arousal bobbed free, thick, stiff and seeking some form of stimulation.

With the clothes now gone, Heero joined his husband on the bed. Arms entwined around each other, mouths sought out their counterparts and heated kisses were exchanged. Duo's hands began to roam over Heero's toned body, caressing every inch of flesh he could find. Heero's hands moved in a similar fashion, running lightly over smooth skin and leaving wakes of fire behind.

It had been too long for Duo since they'd last made love and he was desperate to feel Heero inside his body once more. Usually it was Duo who took Heero, simply because of Duo's unusual make up. Until Duo's body settled into some resemblance of a cycle, Sally had advised that Duo play the role of seme. Once they managed to work out Duo's cycle then Sally would be able to offer the couple the most appropriate form of birth control.

Duo, however had other plans. He needed Heero, needed to feel his partner and had taken the liberty of purchasing a packet of condoms for just that purpose. Feeling his lover's arousal digging into his thigh only made Duo more determined to have Heero make love to him.

Reaching for the lube they kept under the pillow, Duo managed to pull it out and pressed it into Heero's hand. "Prep me lover," he said huskily.

Heero froze for a moment, then cautiously raised himself to look into his partner's eyes. "But, Duo. You know what Sally advised."

"I know and I'm not about to take any chances." Duo shifted so he could reach into his nightstand drawer and pulled out the packet of condoms. "They're not as good as the ones Trowa and Quatre bought for us, but they will do the job," he said with a smile.

Chuckling, Heero had to accept that. The condoms had been a gag wedding gift and were ribbed, something Duo had clearly stated felt really good when they'd tried them out. "Okay, if you're sure."

"I'm sure, now stop stalling and prep me," Duo growled.

With a soft smile, Heero took the lube and began to prepare Duo. Within a few minutes he had three fingers buried inside his lover and Duo was panting heavily.

"Now, I need you now, Heero."

Fingers were removed, eliciting a soft growl from Duo. Heero managed to draw a condom from within the box and tore open the package. Duo watched through lidded eyes as Heero rolled the condom onto his thick length. Lube soon followed and Duo shifted a little on his back then spread his thighs even wider for Heero to sink between.

The sensation was dulled a touch with the latex barrier, but Heero didn't mind. He'd missed making love to his partner and was eager to feel the heat and tightness of Duo's channel around him. Positioning the head against Duo's opening, he gazed down at his lover. "Love you," he murmured as he began to press forward.

The opening protested the invasion at first as it had been some time since Duo had been penetrated, but the muscles eventually began to soften and relax, accepting Heero and welcoming him into the tight heat. Inner walls came alive with sensation, Duo moaning his approval loudly. Once Heero was completely sheathed, he paused for a moment to allow Duo's body to stretch and relax further. When Duo pressed his hips upwards and squeezed his inner muscles, Heero knew his partner was ready. With deliberate slowness, he began his withdrawal.

Despite Duo's moans and insistence his husband go faster, harder, deeper, Heero took his time. He refused to be rushed and wanted to enjoy the sensations for as long as possible. Steadily he built a rhythm, increasing his pace in increments as Duo's channel accepted him. It wasn't too long before Heero was thrusting deep and fast, the soft moans and whimpers Duo was making encouraging him.

The pleasure began to build as each man rose towards the inevitable end. Heero pressed against his partner, arms wrapped around Duo's shoulders and back, hugging the slender man to him as his hips continued to piston. He buried his face in the juncture of Duo's neck and shoulder, breathing hard and nibbling gently on the skin of Duo's neck. Duo's hands had moved down Heero's back to grasp his lover's buttocks. He held on tight, pulling Heero's hips even closer and trying to get as much of his partner inside as possible. Between their bellies his cock lay trapped, hard and weeping. The slide of their bodies against each others provided the stimulation Duo needed and he soon found himself reaching for the pinnacle.

"Ah, yes, baby. Too good," Duo moaned. "Gonna come." The familiar fire in his gut began to spark and build into an inferno. His balls tightened as the heat of their coupling flowed over and through him, singing through his blood and driving him nearly insane with the intensity. A low, keening cry began in the back of his throat, body tensed and then let go, sticky passion leaving his slit and coating both his and Heero's bellies.

With his lover's fall into nirvana, Heero felt the sheath around him tighten and spasm, muscular contractions passed along his length, massaging his cock and tormenting him further. Unable to hold onto his sanity for any longer, Heero gave a grunt and pushed as deep as he could into Duo's body. His own body went rigid as his orgasm tore through him, spurting his seed from inside to be caught by the latex sheath.

With the pleasure still rolling through his nervous system, Heero collapsed against Duo, struggling to draw breath into his lungs.

After a few minutes Duo grunted softly. "Heavy," he protested and pushed at Heero.

Heero slid to the side, careful to withdraw gently and hold onto the end of the condom. Once he was free, he pulled the condom from his now softened cock, tied the end and tossed it into the trash; then he snuggled back up against his partner. "We should clean up," he murmured softly.

"One step ahead of you, lover," Duo replied and reached for the nightstand where a pack of wet wipes sat. Within seconds, Duo had the evidence of their lovemaking cleaned from their bodies and the pair drifted off into a deep sleep.

Underneath the discarded wet wipes in the trash can, the used condom lay, a small amount of semen leaking out from the tip.

~ * ~

tbc...


	23. Chapter 23

**Thanks to all who are reading. ^_^**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 23

The following morning saw both Heero and Duo heading for the ESUN building once again, Wufei at the wheel of the Preventer vehicle. The ride was a much more sedate one than Heero had last encountered with Wufei driving an official vehicle; the hijacked cop car was still fresh in his memory and he had no wish to repeat that performance any time soon.

They were greeted at the reception area by the internal security and after sighting their badges and clearing it with the security head, the trio was free to conduct their test. They arrived in the basement are where the mainframe was housed and synchronized their watches. Duo was playing the role of bad guy, Heero the fictitious third person whilst Wufei did the timing and observed.

Having spent the previous afternoon memorizing the tape and what occurred immediately before and then after the blank section, they began their reconstruction.

Duo stepped from in front of the elevator doors and strode to the desk where he had a brief 'conversation' with the amused guard there. Noting the time frame, Duo headed for the mainframe room and pulled up a chair, trusting Wufei to begin timing from the correct place.

He'd brought a carry bag with his supposed equipment in it and proceeded to set it up. They had no idea of the exact equipment the perp had brought or used, but the tape and Duo's eagle eye for detail had confirmed the perp was definitely carrying something, and Duo didn't think it was his lunch, which left his own gear; so they improvised.

Heero had suggested the most likely equipment based on the hacking attempt and Duo had duly 'borrowed' that equipment from Preventer and now began to go through the motions of setting it up. Once all was set, he acted as if he was hacking into the database.

Heero waited patiently until a reasonable time for the hacker to be noticed had passed and then entered the scene. He paused at the desk as if to shoot the guard, then quickly entered the mainframe section and 'disposed' of Duo and cleaned up the equipment.

Wufei stopped the clock and checked the time. It was close enough to the blank time on the tape to be a logical theory.

"I'd say we have enough of a time match to say there was a third person involved," Wufei said as he compared his data.

"Hn. I agree," Heero stated as he checked the time Wufei had come out with.

"There's one thing I'd like to check if you all agree," Duo said as he approached his partner and the senior agent.

"And that would be?" Wufei questioned.

"As I said before, the body position didn't look quite right to me for a suicide. I'd like to check my theory on that. If I'm correct, then it's pretty much concrete proof that this guy was murdered."

"And just how do you plan to do that?" Wufei asked with a raise of one eyebrow.

"Simple, my dear Wuffy. Observe."

"It's Wufei!"

"Geeze, you sure have a bark on you," Duo snickered as he ignored the Chinese agent's complaint. "Right. I'm sitting here hacking away." Duo sat and pretended to type. "I've finished, I pack all my gear up as I don't want anyone knowing exactly what it was I was doing and then make it disappear into thin air. Something like Heero's spandex space."

"Baka!" Heero rolled his eyes.

"Maxwell," Wufei warned.

"Yeah, yeah, don't get your knickers in a twist, Wu-man. Then I pull out my gun, put it under my jaw and pull the trigger." Duo went to demonstrate.

"_Duo_!!" Heero was about to lunge forward as he watched his husband position his gun. His heart rate went through the roof.

"Don't worry, Heero. I've removed the magazine, see?" Duo realized his mistake in not letting his partner know he had an empty gun in his hand. "Sorry."

Heero gave the braid a sharp tug. "Don't you _ever_ do that to me again," he growled.

Duo could see the fear and anguish in Heero's eyes and felt really guilty. "I'm sorry, Hee-chan. I should have told you it was empty before I started. Forgive me?"

"Hn." Heero was still trembling.

"I promise to make it up to you later."

"You'll be making it up to me for quite some time," Heero growled.

Wufei heaved a sigh of relief, then unleashed his own wrath. "Maxwell! You _ever_ pull a stunt like that again and I'll _personally_ dismember you." Wufei turned his attention to Heero. "Yuy, you over your cardiac arrest?"

"Hai."

"Good. Now, do you think we can proceed without the drama?"

Duo looked suitably subdued, Heero's color began to return.

"Okay, where were we? Ah, right. I positioned the gun like so and then pull the trigger. The force of the gun recoil would, in theory, cause my hand and arm to go this way," Duo demonstrated, "whilst my body would be falling this way."

Duo let himself go completely limp and topple out of the chair to the floor. "The body should hit the ground pretty much in this sort of a position with the trigger arm back here and the gun there."

"Hn. Feasible."

"If you guys remember from when we arrived here, the body was more in this sort of position," Duo rearranged himself, "which would be impossible if the guy shot himself. There's no way under the laws of physics that his arm could end up here given his seated position, what he was doing at the time and the way he would have pulled the trigger. Trust me, I've seen enough suicides and murders in my time to know the difference between the two." Duo got up. "Heero, you play the part of third person and shoot me. When you do, I'll fall out and hit the floor as one would if they were sprung doing something they shouldn't be."

Duo took up position again only this time he was typing away on the laptop. Heero walked over with the intent of shooting his partner. Duo spun around, Heero positioned the gun under Duo's jaw as per the fatal wound, and Duo crumpled to the floor.

"See what I mean?" Duo asked from where he was positioned.

"It's a valid point," Wufei conceded.

Heero extended a hand, which Duo took and he hauled his partner from the floor. Duo dusted himself off before turning back to his fellow agents.

"I think it's a safe bet that there was certainly another person involved here," Duo stated.

"Which means we now not only have to find out who this perpetrator was and what he was doing with the database, but we now have a double murderer at large too." Wufei frowned.

"I never said it was going to be easy," Duo snickered.

"Someone had to know who this guy was," Heero thought aloud. "I wonder..."

"What are you thinking, Yuy?" Wufei questioned.

"I'd like to speak with the guard that found the bodies and also interview a few other people here. They may shed some light on who this guy was and why someone would want him dead."

"I want to know why the police didn't name him in their report," Duo said.

"Hai. I'd like to know that too. Maybe I can get some answers this way. You still have a copy of the report, Chang?"

"Yes." Wufei handed over the report.

"Thank you. I'll start with the list of people the police interviewed and go from there."

"Right. We will leave you here then to carry on with that. Maxwell and I will return to headquarters. I'll inform Une of where we are up to. Maxwell, you can put all your findings thus far into a logical report."

Duo groaned. "More paperwork," he muttered.

* * *

Arriving back at headquarters, Duo went to his and Heero's office, leaving Wufei to visit Une and bring her up to speed on their findings. Grabbing a coffee on the way, Duo sat down behind his desk and booted up the computer. Once the computer was up and running, Duo checked his email and noted a message in his inbox from Quatre and one from Relena. Whilst he waited for the report program to load up, he checked the messages.

A wide grin broke over his face as he read. "Yes!" he crowed and then took a much closer look at the main body of both messages.

It was the information he'd been waiting for. Copies of all the donations that Winner Enterprises and the Sanq Foundation had made to the Colony rebuilding fund. "Finally, something to work with," Duo muttered.

Completely forgetting all about the report he was supposed to be typing up, he began to download the information in readiness to compare with the copy of the expenditure he'd gotten a while ago from Relena.

* * *

Duric had passed the message on to Murphy and sat patiently waiting in an old, abandoned warehouse. Glancing at his watch once more, he calculated Murphy should be close to attaining his goal. He didn't dare use the communicator, lest he disturb the other man whilst he was in the middle of achieving their objective. No, if Murphy needed back up, he'd contact Duric.

Meanwhile, Murphy had purchased another newspaper, and several other small items, before heading for the park, silently tailing a woman pushing a baby in a stroller.

* * *

Nurse Brown had finished bathing and feeding Keitaro, now the infant sat in his pusher waiting for the nurse to collect her handbag and shopping list. With everything she needed, Margaret checked the baby bag that hung on the stroller arm one last time, noting the change of diapers and bottles inside should the infant need such things whilst they were out.

Miracle gave a soft whine and turned her liquid, brown eyes on the nurse.

"Sorry, Miracle. You can't come this time. I need to do a little shopping whilst I'm out and I won't have enough hands to push the stroller, carry the shopping and hold onto your lead as well. "

The dog's tail and ears drooped.

"Tough luck, tough luck," screeched Barney.

"And that's enough out of you," the nurse scolded the bird.

Barney cocked his head and watched through beady eyes.

"I'll take you out for a walk later once your masters are back home to watch the little one," the nurse offered the dog in apology.

Miracle thumped her tail against the floor.

"Right, let's get going, young man." The nurse took a firm hold of the stroller handles and began to push the thing outside to her waiting car.

Barney sat on his perch and watched them leave. "Going shopping, have fun, have fun," he chirped. He spotted the dog watching him. "Oh fuck!"

* * *

Heero gave a small grunt and looked over his notes. He'd made a little progress with his interviews of the various staff members and had managed to discover that the deceased man had been an employee of the ESUN. He'd been allowed access to the man's personal file, but hadn't discovered anything from it. Heero could tell the file had been doctored, something similar to how they had doctored the files at the many schools they had enrolled in during the war. The other employees didn't have a lot to say about him either, apparently he'd kept pretty much to himself, during work hours and afterwards. He'd never socialized with any of the others and no one had managed to befriend him either. He was pretty much an unknown entity.

His job at the ESUN was that of computer tech, responsible mainly for fixing glitches in the system if and when needed. That would have explained the ease with which he could access the mainframe. It was obvious he was working for someone outside, but whom? And what was his objective? Then there was the third person. Who were they and why would they want the man known as Cropp, dead?

To find the answers to those questions, Heero needed to track down where the guy had been living. Hopefully he would be able to find something amongst the man's belongings that would give him a clue. He tried the listed contact number and wasn't surprised when the call couldn't be connected as the 'phone had been disconnected. With another grunt, He grabbed his notes and jacket, calling Chang to let him know what he was doing and catching a cab to the listed address.

Heero looked around as the cab came to a stop. "Are you sure this is it?' he asked the cabbie.

"This is the address you gave me, buddy."

Heero took in the pet shop before him. "Hn. Wait here, I'll only be a few minutes."

"Sure thing. As long as the meter's running, it's your money you're wastin'."

With another grunt, Heero exited the cab and went inside the shop. Moments later he was back outside and getting into the cab again. As he'd thought, the owner of the pet shop had never heard of Cropp and didn't recognize the picture Heero had shown him. The owner _did_ let slip that Heero had been the second person looking for this guy though. Heero filed that information away for later analysis; it had most likely been the police in the course of their investigation. He gave the cabbie the address to Preventer headquarters and sat back to mull over his findings.

As Duo had said earlier on in their investigation, there were too many holes, things just didn't add up. Why would the police say they were using dental records and fingerprints to identify the man when a simple questioning of the ESUN staff would have given them the answer? Why was the man's personal file doctored? What was he up to and why?

Heero knew the only way he would be able to get some answers was to hack the database himself. The ESUN had refused Preventer access to the mainframe and without that access, Heero didn't think they would be getting any answers soon.

He gave a long suffering sigh. If he was going to do this he would need to be very secretive about it and no doubt it would take all his skills to get through the beefed up security now in place.

But Heero hadn't been a master hacker during the war for nothing. A feral grin came over his face as he thought about the challenge ahead.

* * *

Duo's eyes widened as he scrolled through the information on his screen. He matched it back to the inventories he'd gotten from Relena, then did a cross check against the building allocations for the other colonies. Pulling the pencil from behind his ear, he jotted down a couple of things and then proceeded to delve a little further.

Another hour passed without Duo noticing, so caught up in his own personal investigation was he. The report he was supposed to be typing up for Wufei had completely slipped aside with the new information Duo was discovering.

The more he dug, the more he found until he was convinced he had the proof right here in front of him. As he'd suspected, funding had been allocated; it just hadn't been delivered. What records he did have thus far, matched up for the L1, L3 and L4 clusters. The L2 cluster... That was a completely different story.

From what Duo could decipher, somewhere between the donation of monies, allocation of funds and the purchase of goods, a lot of funding had gone missing.

The actual allocation matched the purchases for the L2 cluster. It was the amount of funds donated that didn't. Somewhere between the donated figure and the allocated figure, several thousands of credits had disappeared.

Now all Duo needed to do was find out where and why.

His sixth sense tingled. Somehow, his sense was telling him this was all related to the ESUN investigation. It was the _how_ and _why_ he didn't know.

At this stage, he really didn't have enough evidence to present to Une to warrant the joining of the two investigations, hell, he only had enough to present Une with a case for further investigation into where the missing funds were.

Instinctively, he knew the answer lay in the ESUN's database. And it wouldn't surprise him if the murdered man had been onto a similar thing.

Again, it was all pure hearsay and without concrete evidence, Une's hands were tied.

Looked like he would have to get that evidence then.

He needed to hack the ESUN database.

Saving the information he had to a secure file, Duo shut down his computer with the intent of leaving early and going home to do a little hacking. When it came to computers, Heero wasn't the only one who could hack a system. Duo had also learnt quite a lot from his partner over the years and it was time to put those skills to use.

Walking over to Heero's desk, he quickly scribbled his husband a note, letting him know he'd discovered something that might help with the case and had gone home to look into it further.

Grabbing his jacket, Duo left Preventer headquarters.

* * *

Nurse Brown had put the shopping in the trunk of the car and was now walking along the familiar path in the park. With the day being a little overcast, there weren't a lot of people around. Spying an empty bench up ahead, the nurse began to walk towards it.

Murphy watched his target and waited patiently. Once the area was relatively clear, he made his move. Folding the newspaper, he tucked it under his arm and began to walk towards the woman and child.

Nurse Brown was fishing around for the couple of crusts she'd brought with her for the ducks when a shadow loomed over her. She paused and looked up. "Can I help you?" she asked the man standing to the side.

"Lovely baby," Murphy commented.

"Thank you," the nurse replied.

"Grandson?"

"No, not mine. I'm just the nanny." Margaret began to get an uneasy feeling as she watched the man openly staring at Keitaro.

"Unusual eyes."

"Yes, he has coloring from both parents." Nurse Brown was short in her reply, her instincts telling her to get moving - now.

"If you will excuse me," she began and stood up, taking a firm hold of the stroller handles.

Keitaro began to whimper, he could sense something bad in the air.

Murphy moved slightly to the side to let the nurse pass. Once she did, he came up behind her and pulled a gun from inside his jacket and pressed the muzzle in the nurse's back.

"Do not cry out, do not try to run and do not attract any attention."

Feeling the press of the metal in the small of her back, Nurse Brown froze.

"Good. Do exactly as I say and neither you nor the baby will be hurt. Walk on along this path and take the second fork to the right. Follow it to the road and walk along the sidewalk until you come to a red sedan. Understood?" Murphy pushed the muzzle a little harder against the nurse's back to emphasize his point.

Margaret nodded and began to walk. "Who are you and what do you want?" she hissed.

Murphy smiled at a couple that passed them, keeping himself to the side and just a touch back from the nurse, gun concealed, but ready. "You do not ask the questions, you follow orders."

The nurse snorted but continued to walk. Her mind was going a mile a minute, desperately trying to find a way out of this, preferably with both herself and the baby alive.

They came to the fork and Margaret turned right as instructed. Following the path to the road, she walked along until they came to the red sedan.

"Take the child out and get in the car."

With no choice but to obey, Margaret released Keitaro from his stroller and climbed into the back seat of the car. Once she was inside, the man proceeded to tie her hands together at the wrist, the baby in her arms. The ankles were next and then Murphy secured the seatbelt around the pair.

"Now we're going to take a short drive."

Getting into the driver's seat, Murphy started the car up and pulled out into the traffic, leaving the stroller sitting on the sidewalk.

~ * ~

tbc...


	24. Chapter 24

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 24

Pulling into the garage back at the mansion, Duo noticed that Nurse Brown's car was missing. Grabbing his jacket from the seat, he didn't think too much on it as he recalled the nurse saying at breakfast that morning that she intended to do some shopping that day and would obviously be taking Keitaro with her. Locking the car, Duo headed for the house.

Once inside he was greeted by an ecstatic Miracle. The dog whined and wriggled around Duo's legs, Duo bent to fondle the dog's ears. "What's up, Miracle?"

The dog whimpered some more.

"Gone shopping, gone shopping," Barney screeched from his perch in his cage.

"Afternoon to you too, Barney," Duo said as he walked into the kitchen and hung his jacket over the back of a chair. "That's old news, I already know where the nurse is," he added as he opened the 'fridge and grabbed the orange juice from inside. He opened the bottle and took a swig.

"Use a glass, use a glass," Barney chirped.

"Who are you?" Duo asked with a raised eyebrow, "My mother?"

"Fuck off," Barney replied and ruffled his feathers.

Duo nearly choked on his orange juice.

Barney turned his beady eyes towards the dog. "Walkies," he sang out.

Miracle whined and ran to the back door, her tail wagging furiously.

Giving the bird a glare that Heero would have been proud of, Duo walked over and opened the back door for the dog. "Sorry, Miracle, you'll have to play by yourself for a bit, I've got some important work to do. I'll take you for a walk later."

Miracle didn't look too happy, but went outside anyway to play with her ball.

"I have two words for you, Barney," Duo growled as he approached the bird. "Weiro pie."

"Ohhh, tetchy," Barney chirruped and cocked his head.

With a roll of his eyes, Duo grabbed his briefcase from where he'd dumped it on the floor and headed for their study where he booted up the computer. While the computer loaded up, Duo went up the stairs to his and Heero's bedroom to change his clothes. Slipping out of his uniform and into a comfortable pair of jeans and a T-shirt, he returned to the study and slipped the disc that he'd downloaded all his information onto, into the machine.

With a notebook by his side and pencil tucked behind his ear, he rechecked his figures from earlier. He brought up the previous programs, checking again the invoices, shuttle loads and inventories against the information he'd been given. His sixth sense still told him this was connected to the murder at the ESUN.

Saving all the information to a folder for the moment, Duo cleared the screen and paused. He cracked his knuckles as a feral grin lit up his face.

"Time to see what secrets we can find," he muttered gleefully and brought up the ESUN webpage. Blocking everything else from his mind, Duo began the arduous task of hacking into the database.

* * *

Heero paid the cabbie and walked back into the Preventer building deep in thought. He flashed his ID and went through security on autopilot, heading for his office, determined to discover exactly what it was Cropp was after in the ESUN database that caused him to be killed.

"Duo?" he called as he opened the office door and stepped inside. Silence greeted him. With a frown he looked around. There was no sign of his husband and partner. With a shrug, Heero walked over to his desk and spotted the note. Picking it up, his face remained neutral as he read the words.

"_Heero,_

_Have found something that might be a lead. Just a hunch right now but need to check it out. Will see you back at home._

_Love _

_D."_

"Baka, you probably took the car too which means I need to get a lift or another cab," Heero muttered, but there was amusement in his eyes. With a grunt he sat down in his chair and booted up the computer. Grabbing the folder with the police report and a fresh notepad, Heero began to jot down all the discrepancies they had found thus far between the police report and the Preventer findings.

* * *

"I must say, this is quite a bit of information, Agent Fire. Are you certain of your facts?" Une knew Chang wouldn't have approached her with the findings unless he was sure in his own mind that he would be able to back up the claims with evidence of some sort; but she had to ask.

"Agents Night, Day and myself have performed reenactments and tested out a couple of theories. The reenactment and the theories are supportive of our suspicions. If you need concrete proof, I can arrange for it," Chang replied.

"Proof you will need, should this case go further, and I suggest you start to compile that proof now in readiness. For the moment though, elaborate a little on your findings and tell me what it is you don't know and how you propose to fill in those blanks."

"We staged the reenactment and timed it, twice just to be sure. The time frame fits with the blank space on the surveillance tape, give or take a couple of seconds. This seems to confirm our belief that there was a third person involved. Agent Night also demonstrated a theory that would back up the third person. It relates to the position of the deceased in the mainframe room considering it was an alleged suicide."

"Alleged?" Une questioned.

"Yes. Maxwell insisted that the positioning of the body was inconsistent with a suicide of that nature."

"Really?"

"Agent Night has had some experience in the past with murder and suicide, as you well know."

"Continue."

"Agent Night demonstrated how the body would have fallen if the person had shot themselves. He then had Agent Day 'shoot' him and note the difference in the positioning of the body. Although it was a staged demonstration, Agent Night raised a valid point. The differences in how the body would have landed, whilst small, are significant if one knows what they're looking for. Obviously to test this theory out completely, we would need to run it through the computer program in forensics." Wufei leaned back a little to allow the Commander a moment to digest the information.

Frowning, Une thought about Wufei's words. "And if all you've discovered so far does support a third person intervention, then we are looking for a double murderer?"

"Yes. I'd say the security guard happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Unfortunate. Chang, just how do you propose finding this third person?"

Wufei shifted a little in his seat and lowered his eyes, not wanting to meet those of his Commander. "Ummm... That's where it gets a little tricky."

"Why do I have the feeling I'm not going to like what you're about to say?" Une sighed.

"Probably because it's not the usual protocol?" Wufei suggested.

"Thank you for that enlightenment, Agent Fire." Une's voice was loaded with sarcasm.

"My apologies, Commander."

"Chang, get to the point."

"The point, ah, yes. Both Agents Night, Day and myself are of the opinion that the link between the deceased and the murderer lies within the ESUN database. If we can determine what exactly it was the deceased was doing in the database, then we will have our lead as to who would have wanted him dead and hopefully the murderer themselves."

Une chewed on that for a moment. "Putting that aside for the moment, I have another question. Why didn't the police pick up on all this?"

"That's what we would like to know too," Wufei replied. "I have a couple of ideas, but I'd rather not voice them for the moment, not until I have a little more to go on."

"Understood. Now, the database itself."

"Yes?" Wufei knew what was coming and he really didn't want to be answering the question.

"You said that you and the other agents believe the key is in the database?"

"Correct."

"Then how do you propose to get that information? The ESUN has already said they will not allow anyone outside the ESUN to access the database, even Preventer."

"Ah, we weren't exactly going to ask permission."

"Agent Fire, you're not thinking of doing what I think you're thinking?"

Wufei blinked, there seemed to be a few too many 'thinks' in there.

"Please tell me you're not going to try and hack into the ESUN database."

"Yuy has exceptional computer skills."

"I'm fully aware of Agent Day's computer skills, and Agent Night's for that matter, I had first hand experience several times during the war," Une said dryly.

"If anyone can hack in, it will be Yuy."

"The security will have been upgraded significantly," countered Une.

"There hasn't been a system yet he can't hack given enough time," Wufei went on.

"It won't take them long to know their database has been infiltrated."

"Yuy can get in and out without them knowing and cover all his tracks."

"If he's caught, heads will roll."

"He's never failed yet, or been caught."

"Then I suggest he'd better continue with that clean record."

"I take it that's an okay to go ahead?"

"Chang, in this instance, I know nothing."

"Right, Commander. I'll report again when I have something new to add."

"Thank you, and good luck."

Wufei stood and gave a slight bow before turning and leaving the Commander's office. Closing the door behind him he walked towards the elevator, intent on getting to Yuy's office and seeing if the other agent had any further updates for him.

Sighing, Une cradled her head in her hands. This was all getting very deep. She had no doubts at all about Heero's hacking skills, Duo's either. All she could do was pray and hope they knew what they were doing and could do it well enough not to be detected and wipe all traces of their ever having been inside the database.

* * *

Duo was carefully navigating around the many traps and security measures set up in the ESUN database. He'd managed to infiltrate through the first two levels of security and was now approaching the hardest part. Getting into the files section.

Taking a break for a moment, He stretched, feeling his spine pop as he eased the kinks from his shoulders and lower back. He rolled his head from side to side and picked up his coffee mug. Frowning he looked into the empty depths. "Better get another one," he muttered to himself and stood. Scraping the chair back, he carried the empty mug through to the kitchen to make himself a fresh cup.

With a steaming mug of coffee in his hand, Duo returned to the study and computer. Placing the mug down, he reached for the keyboard, at the same time, the vid phone began to ring.

* * *

Sitting in the back of the car, Nurse Brown did her best to try and figure out where her kidnapper was taking her and Keitaro – and more to the point, what did he want with them? From the position of the sun, she knew they were heading east, but that was all. Familiar landmarks had long since disappeared as they continued to drive. She calculated they must have been on the road for at least an hour, without a watch, she couldn't be completely sure. She decided to try questioning her abductor again.

"Where are you taking us?"

A grunt.

"What do you want?"

"Shut up."

"I will do no such thing, and I suggest you mind your manners," the nurse chided.

"Look, lady, just keep quiet."

"Seeing as how you've taken both myself and an innocent baby hostage, I think you could at least have the decency to tell me why."

"You'll find out soon enough."

Keitaro whimpered quietly then began to screw up his little face and turn slightly red. The nurse noticed and gave a wry grin.

"If you're not going to tell me anything, could you at least pull over for a toilet break?" the nurse asked, not really expecting the man to take much notice.

"Hold it. Won't be long and we'll be at our destination, then you can have your toilet break," Murphy muttered.

"Fine. Don't say I didn't ask." Nurse Brown looked back to the child in her arms and gave a smile. Keitaro continued to scrunch his face as he wrestled internally.

Gradually, the baby relaxed again, eyes watching what was going on around him. A pungent odor began to make its way through the car.

"What the fuck is that stink?" Murphy spluttered and rapidly wound the window down, drawing in fresh breaths of air.

"I did ask you to stop for a toilet break," the nurse replied smugly.

"You said _you_ wanted the loo, not the kid."

"I said no such thing. If I remember correctly, my exact words were; 'Could you at least pull over for a toilet break'. I didn't say who the toilet was for."

"Phew! That's ripe," Murphy growled. "Can't you do something?"

"And how, pray tell, am I supposed to change a dirty diaper with my hands bound, in a moving vehicle and no baby wipes or clean diaper? I'm a nanny, not a miracle worker." Nurse Brown felt the guy deserved to suffer for his rudeness.

Keitaro seemed to agree. He didn't like sitting in a dirty diaper any more than the nurse liked leaving him in one. He was used to being changed as soon as he was wet or dirty and let his discomfort be known in the only way he knew how.

He began to cry.

"Can't you shut him up?" Murphy snarled as he fumbled in his pocket for his handkerchief and promptly put it over his nose to try and breathe a little easier.

"The only way to stop him from crying is to change him," huffed the nurse. "You want peace, I suggest you find somewhere to stop, untie me and find the things I will need."

Knowing he couldn't stop the car, Murphy resigned himself to having to drive with his eardrums being battered and his nose unlikely to recover. Fortunately for Murphy, his destination was only another ten minutes away. Never was he so glad to see the warehouse doors looming in the distance. Having to let go of the handkerchief to pull the communicator from his pocket, Murphy did his best to keep his lunch in his stomach as he pressed the button.

"Duric."

"Duric, it's Murphy. Coming in with package as requested."

"Good. Will be ready for you. Duric out."

Murphy tossed the communicator to the passenger seat and grabbed his handkerchief again. Up ahead the warehouse doors began to open and Murphy drove straight in. Traveling slowly, he drove the car deep into the bowels of the warehouse before cutting the engine and jumping out of the car.

"What the hell?" Duric approached from the shadows to the sounds of wailing and a rather green partner. "What's going on? I thought I told you to be careful, not to damage the merchandise."

"I didn't touch the merchandise. Damn kid shit his diaper and won't stop screaming," Murphy growled in response. "Geeze, I don't get paid enough to do this," he muttered under his breath as an afterthought.

Duric shook his head. "A little stink and noise won't hurt you," he snickered and approached the car where the wails were getting louder. Opening the back door, he almost reeled himself when the smell of the diaper hit him with full force. "Ah, crap."

"Precisely," said the nurse. "And it will only get worse until this baby is changed. Now, as I suggested to your colleague earlier, please untie me and give me the baby bag so I can change this little fellow's bottom before he reaches the next octave."

"Next octave?"

"Trust me, with his parents, he can really scream and I'm sure you don't want all the glass breaking." As if to emphasize the nurse's point, Keitaro began to increase in volume and pitch.

Duric only hoped that Nolen knew exactly what he was getting into.

* * *

With the baby finally changed and settled, Murphy retied the nurse's hands, setting her on a seat and then placing Keitaro in her arms. Margaret balanced the child as best she could whilst trying to take stock of where they were now. Keitaro blinked at the nurse, he could sense all was not right, but instinct told him his nanny would take care of him.

Murphy had been sent to dispose of the soiled diaper, much to his disgust. Even though it was wrapped up, the smell was still lingering and Murphy couldn't find a dumpster quick enough. While Murphy was disposing of the trash, Duric called his boss.

"Nolen here. What news have you for me?"

"Phase one has been completed and the egg is safely in the basket," Duric said in a low tone, well aware that the nanny might be listening in.

"Good. Please bring the egg to the nest. It's time to call the bird home to roost."

"On our way. ETA," Duric glanced at his watch, "one hour."

"Will expect you in one hour. Then I will contact the bird. Nolen, out."

Duric turned the communicator off and slipped it back into his pocket. Murphy had returned and looked at him expectantly.

"Time to move out," Duric stated and then turned to the nanny and child. "You need to do anything before we get moving? Toilet, drink of water?"

Nurse Brown shook her head. "I'm fine, but the child will need feeding soon," she replied.

"Then best we get moving." Duric turned to Murphy. "You take the child, I'll take the nanny."

"Why do I have to take the kid?" Murphy whined, but the look on his boss's face told him he'd better shut up. With a sigh, Murphy gingerly took Keitaro from the nurse. Immediately, Keitaro scrunched up his nose, balled his fists and started screaming.

Duric hauled Margaret to her feet and showing her the gun he held, escorted her through the warehouse to the back and into a waiting van. Murphy followed behind, glad that they were so isolated. With the racket the kid was making had there been anyone in the area they would have come running to see what murder was taking place!

Once Nurse Brown was settled into her seat and strapped in, Murphy placed the child back in her arms. Instantly, Keitaro stopped his screaming.

"Shit. I wish I could have found his off switch like that. I think I've got permanent hearing damage."

Duric snickered. "Get in the van, the boss is waiting."

With all four inside and strapped in their seats, Duric drove out of the warehouse and into the late afternoon.

* * *

Duo got up and went to answer the vid phone, frowning at the screen that told him it was a private number calling. "If this is another of those telemarketers wanting to give me a free holiday, or upgrade my 'phone, I swear I'm gonna blow them up," he muttered. Pressing the accept button, he answered. "Yuy-Maxwell residence."

The screen fuzzed for a moment then cleared to show a man Duo didn't recognize. "Mr Yuy-Maxwell, or may I call you, Duo?"

"Who are you and what do you want? I'm a very busy man," Duo said, not attempting to hide the annoyance in his voice.

"Who am I? My name is Nolen. As for what I want... Actually, I think it's more along the lines of what do I have that you want."

"Look, man. I don't give a shit who you are, I don't want whatever it is you're selling..." Duo's voice suddenly stopped as the picture on the screen shifted from the man to show what was beside him. "Fuck!" he whispered as his blood turned to ice in his veins.

~ * ~

tbc...


	25. Chapter 25

**Many thanks for the kind reviews! Feedback is very much appreciated.**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 25

Duo swallowed hard as his eyes scanned over the image of nurse and his son that had appeared on the vid screen.

"I take it you wish to reconsider?" Nolen's voice came over the speaker.

"If you've hurt one hair on my son's head, I swear they will be scraping you off the walls." At this stage, Duo was content to simply dismember the guy, but if he'd harmed Keitaro... All bets were off.

"Now, now, now, Duo. No need to get like that. As you can see, both the nanny and the baby are perfectly fine. Whether they remain that way though, is entirely up to you." Nolen gave a low chuckle.

"What is it you want?" Duo asked through gritted teeth, his eyes full of violet fire and promising a very painful end to the man that had dared to touch what was his.

"I don't want much, nothing that a man of your capabilities isn't able to do."

"Get to the point," Duo snarled.

"Fine, fine. There's a diner on the corner of sixth and fifteenth. Be there in an hour, unarmed and unwired. I'll have a colleague pick you up. You will know who he is by giving the following code: 'Four and twenty blackbirds'. My colleague will reply with: 'Baked in a pie'."

"You know you're a dead man." It was a statement, delivered with an icy tone.

Nolen snickered. "Oh, one more thing. Do not tell anyone where you are going. No contact at all, no notes, calls or anything of the sort. Failure to comply..." Nolen raised a pistol and casually looked at the nurse and baby. "I think you get the picture."

"I'll be there."

"Good."

The vid screen went blank as the call was disconnected.

* * *

Wufei walked down the hallway to Yuy's office, mind still full of his conversation with Une. He had utmost faith in Yuy's skills with a computer. No one could get in and out of a system as quickly and cleanly as Yuy could. Maxwell was also excellent at hacking, given enough time he could crack pretty much anything too, but Yuy, he was the master. Well, in Wufei's book anyway. He could hear the familiar sound of fingers on a keyboard before he entered the office.

Looking up, Heero nodded to Chang and then resumed his typing. Wufei looked around and noticed Maxwell's absence. Pulling up a chair, he cleared is throat.

"One second, Chang," Heero said and continued to type feverishly. "Okay."

"Where's Agent Night?"

Picking up the note, Heero passed it over to Chang. "He left a note, something about a lead he was looking into."

"Any idea what?" asked Chang as he passed the note back after reading it.

"No. I haven't had any contact with him since getting back myself."

"How did it go? Get anything further?"

"No. I checked out the address Cropp was supposedly living at."

"And?"

"It was a pet shop."

"Figures."

"I spoke to the owner and he let a little something slip."

"Really?" Chang moved to the edge of his seat.

"Yeah. Apparently I was the second person asking about this guy."

Wufei's eyes lit up a little with that information.

"Someone else was in a few days ago also asking about this guy. The owner didn't get a name but gave me a rather hazy description."

"What's the description?"

"About five foot ten, solid build, brown hair. Guy pegged him for around late thirties, early forties."

"I hate to rain on your parade here, Yuy, but that description fits about half the population of this city."

Heero sighed. "I know, but it's the best I can come up with so far."

"Then I hope Maxwell is having more luck. Heaven knows we need all the help we can get right now."

"How did it go with Une?" Heero gave his computer a quick glance before focusing back on Chang.

Wufei ran a hand over his face. "As well as can be expected. She's just as frustrated as we are with the lack of leads and information." Wufei paused for a moment. "I did tell her about our third person and she agrees with our findings."

Heero raised an eyebrow, clearly asking the unspoken question.

"She knows nothing," Chang replied. "You had better be careful, Yuy. I put my reputation on the line for you and your skills."

"You're not the only one with a reputation to risk, Chang. I'll do my best."

"I expect nothing less."

Both men sat in silence for a moment, the thought of what would happen, not only to them, but Une and Preventer too if Yuy were caught hacking the database, weighed heavily on both their minds.

Heero broke the silence. "I'd better get started then."

"I'll leave you to it." Wufei got up and turned to leave. "Let me know as soon as you hear from Maxwell. I want to know what this lead is and what luck he's had with it. I'll be in my office putting together proof of our findings for when we need it."

Heero nodded and then fixed his attention back on the computer. The door closed quietly and Heero bent to his task.

* * *

Wainright looked up as Richards burst into his office, clearly agitated and threw himself into one of the plush chairs opposite Wainright's desk. The com unit beeped and Wainright pressed the receive button.

"I'm sorry, Senator, I tried to tell Senator Richards you were busy, but he pushed right past me and insisted he speak with you." The secretary's voice held an annoyed edge to it.

"That's okay. Don't worry, it's not your fault. Please see that I'm not disturbed for a while."

"Thank you, Senator. I'll do that."

Releasing the com button and checking the machine was off for the moment, Wainright turned to face the other senator. "What the hell is up with you?!" he hissed.

Richards had recovered a little and turned his eyes to meet with the other senator's. "I thought you said you'd take care of it?" Richards fired back.

"Of what?" Wainright asked, clearly irritated.

"That hacker and the police report."

"I did."

"Then why the fuck was Preventer nosing around?"

Wainright's head snapped up. "Preventer?"

"Yes, Preventer. They were here earlier, nosing around the mainframe room and asking a lot of questions. They interviewed some of the staff too."

A deep frown creased Wainright's brow as he took in the new information. "Any idea what they were doing in the mainframe room?"

"No. I didn't get the chance to find out."

"Hmm." Wainright rubbed his temples. "See if you can get any further information on what they were looking for," Wainright said as he turned to his computer.

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Richards questioned, rubbing his sweaty palms on his trousers.

"By using your tongue and asking," Wainright replied sarcastically. "For fuck's sake, do I have to do everything?"

"Yeah, well..."

"Richards, you're in this up to your neck, same as I am. I suggest you start pulling your weight and acting like a man, not a mouse. Grow some balls for a change. If I go down, you do too," Wainright snapped. He was clearly beginning to get annoyed and frustrated with his fellow senator's lack of backbone.

Richards swallowed nervously. "Okay. I'll see what I can do."

"Keep me informed. Depending on what exactly they were looking for and what assistance the ESUN has given them, we may need to speed things up a little."

"But... We aren't ready yet!" Richards spluttered.

"We're pretty close and if things are getting a little too hot here, we just may have to go with the plan a little earlier. Shouldn't make too much difference, we were planning on doing this in six months, but, priorities change."

Richards couldn't see how Wainright could possibly remain so calm amongst all this. He gave a loud sigh of resignation. "Whatever you say."

"Good. You go see what you can find out, I've got shit to sort out here, thanks to our Preventer friends."

Taking the words for the clear dismissal they were, Richards stood up and departed.

Wainright waited until his fellow senator was out of his office before he brought up the files he wanted and began to go through the security he had in place.

* * *

As soon as the vid screen went blank, Duo was in motion. He dashed back to his bedroom and grabbed his sneakers and a sweater. Whilst shoving his feet into the sneakers, he began to dig around in the closet for his knives. He found them, locked away in the small gundanium strong box he'd made from parts of Deathscythe. Unwrapping them from the cloth, he stroked the blades lovingly, pleased with the razor sharpness of them. He very rarely used them now, but it didn't mean he neglected them. He took them out regularly, cleaned and sharpened them before replacing them. One could never be too careful. Duo never knew when he would need his old friends and was sure to keep them in tiptop shape.

Grabbing the small straps, he fitted the blades to his body, hoping he wouldn't have to use them, but already knowing that hope would probably be futile. As much as he didn't like taking lives anymore, someone had dared to touch what was his; and for that, there would be no mercy.

Grabbing his gun, he tucked it down the back of his jeans. Satisfied he was as well armed as he could hope to be, short of having some C-4 which wasn't exactly on the Preventer Agents supply list, Duo shot back down the stairs and into the kitchen to fetch his car keys.

"Going out, going out?" Barney chattered.

"No choice, Barney," Duo answered back. "Some bastard has my son and I'm not about to sit here and let that happen."

Barney cocked his head. "Shit's gonna hit the fan," the bird chirped.

"Too fucking true," Duo muttered as he located his keys and picked them up. "Gotta run."

Duo took off out the back door, barely remembering to lock it on his way. He completely forgot to engage the security system and dived into the pickup. Starting the engine, he backed out of the garage and drove off with a squeal of tires.

* * *

"Duric, I need you," Nolen called.

Casting a glance at Murphy, Duric got up from the couch where they were watching television and went through to the next room where his boss waited. "You called, boss?"

"I've contacted the bird and it's time. Here," Nolen slid a piece of paper across the desk to Duric. "That's the rendezvous point and the code with which to greet him. I expect you to bring him back here."

"What if he tries something?" Duric picked up the piece of paper and noted the instructions.

"He won't. He knows we have the child. Just remind him you have to report in once contact has been made and if he dares to try anything at all... the child will suffer."

"Okay. What about weapons?"

"You take your usual, we will frisk him once he gets here."

"Right. "

"Duric, be careful. We have risked too much to let things fail now."

"Will do, boss." Duric checked his gun and pocketed the paper. Passing back through the house they were currently holed up in, he spoke with Murphy. "I'm going to go pick up the bird. Check the nanny and kid."

"Will do," Murphy replied.

Duric nodded and left. With the departure of the other man, Murphy got to his feet and headed through the small kitchen to a door in the corner. Unlocking it, he made sure to have his gun ready. He flipped the light switch on and pulled the door slightly open, checking the stairs ahead were clear.

As he made his descent into the basement, he could see the nanny off to his right, sitting on the only chair in the room. Pausing just before the bottom of the stairway, He made sure to wave the gun around before speaking.

"Where's the kid?"

"Asleep, so I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't make too much noise," Nurse Brown replied as she waved in the direction of the small bed in the room.

Murphy glanced across, making out the form of the baby lying on the dirty mattress. "You need anything?" he asked, his tone gruff.

"My freedom? An explanation as to why I'm here? A phone? All of the above? Even a suspect when arrested gets the courtesy of one phone call," the nurse replied in a haughty tone.

Murphy grunted. "Shut your mouth. If you can't ask for something sensible then don't ask at all." He turned and climbed back up the stairs, switched the light off and locked the door securely after him. Grabbing a soda from the 'fridge, he returned to the lounge room.

In the basement, it took Nurse Brown's eyes a few moments to adjust back to the darkness and she gave a deep sigh. Antagonizing her captor probably wasn't a smart thing to do, but Nurse Brown was damned if she was going to sit back and take whatever it was these people wanted to dish out. She had a child to protect and by heavens she would make sure that no harm came to little Keitaro.

Getting up from her chair, she went to the bed and checked the child. Her nose wrinkled in disgust at the state of the basement, but there wasn't a whole lot she could do about it. She knew the child would sleep for a little while yet so she had some time on her hands. Her mind wandered to Heero and Duo. She wondered if they knew the baby and herself were missing yet, and if they did, how long before they found them?

She had no doubt in her mind that once Heero and Duo found her and the child, their kidnappers would regret the day they ever laid a hand on either of them. A soft smile played over the nurse's face as she recalled a saying from long ago, something along the lines of 'there is nothing more fearsome than a mother protecting her young.' Whilst Duo wasn't female, he was Keitaro's mother, and Margaret had seen enough of Duo's protective streak to know that anyone who dared to touch Keitaro would surely pay for that with their blood.

And then there was the father – Heero.

Whatever Duo left, she knew Heero would finish off.

Margaret snorted softly to herself. She was a nurse! Someone dedicated to saving lives, patching people up and looking after them. But in this case, she couldn't help but know she wouldn't be in too much of a hurry to patch up anyone concerned with hers or the baby's abduction.

Surely it would only be a matter of time before Heero and Duo began looking for them? Meanwhile, rather than sit here doing nothing, she had at least an hour before Keitaro would wake so it would be a good idea to see what she could do about freeing herself.

Never one to rely on other people, Nurse Brown's independent streak took over and now that her eyes were accustomed to the dark of the basement, she set about trying to find some way of escape.

* * *

Duo pulled up at the diner and parked the pickup out the back. He checked his watch, noting he was five minutes early. Locking the car, he double-checked his person for his weapons, making sure they were all still there but not visible to anyone else. With his sense of anger and trepidation rising, he entered the diner and looked around.

There weren't many people inside, a couple in one booth, older guy by the counter on a stool, two more guys a little further down and three teenage girls giggling away in another booth. Their giggles increased as they appraised Duo.

Figuring his contact would know him and approach first, Duo nodded to the waitress and slipped into a booth where he could clearly see the entry door and also the exit through the kitchen.

The waitress came over. "What can I get ya, honey?" she asked, smacking her lips together as she chewed her gum and not attempting to hide her ogling of his body.

Duo's stomach churned and he made sure his wedding ring flashed in the girl's face as he turned the menu over. "Coffee, white, thanks," he said and flicked the menu back to the tabletop.

The waitress looked a little miffed at the simple order, or maybe it was the sight of the wedding ring; either way, Duo didn't care. The girls in the other booth continued to giggle and whisper amongst themselves, casting coy glances in his direction from time to time. Duo ignored them.

His coffee arrived and he added a packet of sugar to it, stirring slowly before raising the cup to his lips and taking a sip. He almost spat it right back out again. Glaring at the cup, Duo tried to decide if it was coffee or tar the diner was serving, you could certainly resurface a few roads with it!

"Nurse Brown always did say I needed to cut back on my coffee intake," he muttered. Rather than drink any more of the 'poison', Duo opted to stir his spoon around in it, wondering if the end would melt before his contact arrived.

The bell above the door jingled, Duo looked up as a man around thirty-ish stepped inside. He glanced around, eyes falling on Duo and lingering for a moment. He said something to the waitress and then proceeded towards Duo's booth.

"Mind if I sit here?" the man asked.

Duo shrugged. "Free country."

"I think four and twenty blackbirds might disagree."

"Only if they were baked in a pie," Duo replied and narrowed his eyes. "Where is my son?" he demanded through gritted teeth.

"Now, now, Mr Maxwell. Your son and his nanny are quite safe. In fact, I'll take you to them in just a moment." Duric leaned back as the waitress placed a coffee in front of him.

"Drink that shit and you won't be going anywhere, other than a hospital to get your stomach pumped," Duo commented as he eyed the black coffee.

Duric looked at his coffee and Duo's largely untouched one. "That bad?"

"Let's just say I don't want you dead before I get my son. After that, I'll happily hook you up to an intravenous drip of the stuff."

Duric glanced over and locked eyes with Duo. He shivered. Those violet depths held nothing but hatred, rage and the promise of a very messy end. He sure as hell hoped Nolen knew what the hell he was getting them all into.

Pulling his eyes away, Duric stood and dropped a few bills to the table. "Let's go. I warn you though, don't pull any stupid shit. If I don't report in regularly, the boss will start to carve up that child and the nanny."

Duo growled low in his throat, buried his hands in his pockets and followed the guy out the door.

~ * ~

tbc...

Many thanks to all of you who are reading this story. To those of you who have left a review, I thank you for taking the time to let me know your thoughts on this fic. *hugs and Gundam Pilots*  
Shen ^_^


	26. Chapter 26

**Thank you all for the kind reviews. The pace is about to pick up and the angst will get a touch worse as we progress.**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 26

It was like picking his way through a minefield. The security now surrounding the ESUN database would have to be one of the most difficult systems he'd ever had to hack; and he'd hacked quite a few. Granted, during the wars it had also been difficult to get into the files of OZ, the Alliance and Romefeller, but he'd done it.

Since the wars, he'd not needed his hacking skills quite so much and it wasn't that he was rusty, no, rather technology had progressed in leaps and bounds and the systems in place now were far superior to anything that had been available in the war.

It still didn't stop him though, just meant he had to be extra careful.

Chang appeared in the doorway, Heero grunted.

"How's it coming along?" Wufei asked as he crossed the room.

"Slowly," Heero replied.

"I figured it would take a while."

"I'll say one thing, this security is a definite improvement to what used to be available."

"I've had an idea," Wufei said as he picked at his fingernails.

"And that would be?"

"We could try Relena and see if she can give us any of the codes to get in."

"I already thought about that. No go."

"Why not?"

Heero sighed and looked up for a moment. "Relena's codes will only allow me access to a certain point. From there I would still have to hack and it could be traced back to Relena, and I don't think she needs to be involved in this, if you get my meaning."

"Good point."

Silence filled the room again for a few minutes, then Heero began to type again.

"I'm through the first four levels and working on the fifth now. If my calculations are correct, I should only have another couple of levels to hack through and I'll be into the records. Then I can trace back to the date the guy was killed, pick up his trail and see where he was going."

"That could take a while."

"I know."

"Yuy, it's knock off time in an hour. Can you somehow save what you've done so far and continue on tomorrow?"

Heero looked up, the frustration evident in his blue eyes. "I'd rather keep going."

"I know, believe me when I say I'd rather you did too, but Une won't allow it, you know that."

"Hai, I know," Heero said and then a glimmer came into his eye. "I'll save where I'm up to onto a disc and then take that home with me. I can continue to hack this from home and Duo can help me. With the two of us on it, we should get through a little quicker."

"Okay. I trust you not to get caught, Maxwell either." Wufei straightened up. "I'm going to see Une, there's still the matter of the original police report on this case and the lack of information in it. There's something fishy there and I want to find out what it is."

"I agree with you, Chang. It doesn't add up and I have a feeling there is more to it, and a possible link with this case of infiltration. Good luck with it."

"Thanks. I'll let you know what Une wants to do, or if and when we find anything." Chang turned and exited the room.

Heero glanced at the clock and grabbed a disc to download all he'd done thus far.

* * *

Stepping outside the diner, Duric motioned for Duo to walk towards a nondescript, blue sedan. "Get in," he ordered.

Duo climbed in and waited.

Pulling the small device from his pocket, Duric pressed a couple of buttons and waited for the static to clear.

"Duric?"

"I have the bird in the hand."

"Good. Any problems?"

"None so far."

"Bring him in, the cage is ready."

"Right. He's packing, don't know what though."

"No problem. He will be frisked once you get here. Contact me again when you're five minutes out."

"Roger. Duric out."

"Nolen, out."

Duric pocketed the small device and made his way to the driver's seat. Sliding behind the wheel, he glanced across at his passenger. "I repeat, do not try anything. I have to report in again just before we get to our destination. If I don't, the nanny and the kid won't see the sunrise. Am I clear?"

"Crystal," Duo growled.

"Good. It's so much easier when you cooperate." Duric started the car and drove off.

Duo's mind was cataloging all the different ways in which he could slowly torture the man to death. Maybe start with removing his fingernails, one by one, then his toenails. From there he could progress to breaking a few bones, there was always castration, maybe remove a few appendages as well...

Duric drove on, completely oblivious to the deepening purple of Duo's eyes as Shinigami lurked a little closer to the surface.

* * *

Wufei knocked on the commander's door and waited to be admitted. Permission was granted and Wufei entered. Une looked up from a sheaf of papers she was currently perusing.

"Chang? Any further developments?"

"Not as yet. Yuy is hacking into the database as we speak."

Une nodded.

"Commander?"

"Yes?"

"About the original police report."

Eyes narrowing, Une pushed the papers aside to give Chang her full attention. "What about it?"

"I've gone back over both reports and if I may speak freely..."

"You may."

"The reports are sloppy. Not what I would expect from the police at all. There's missing information in them, not enough detail or investigating in certain areas. It's all very suspicious."

"Are you saying the police have doctored the report, Agent Fire?"

"No, not at all. I'm saying that it appears that vital information was omitted, whether intentional or not." Wufei raised an eyebrow.

The commander could see where the agent appeared to be going with this. "I take it you have a question for me?"

"I'd like permission to investigate the police report, specifically the officers who were involved with the case and the compiling of the report."

Une closed her eyes, deep in thought and then opened them. "You know the police department isn't going to appreciate this?"

"I know."

"I take it you have an idea on how to interrogate without the police being aware they are under investigation?"

"You could say that," Wufei replied with a smirk.

"Okay. I give you permission to investigate the report and the officers involved in the case."

"Thank you."

"I don't need to remind you that discretion is paramount."

"They won't even know I'm investigating them."

"Good. I expect a progress report tomorrow afternoon."

"Roger, commander." Wufei stood up. "I'll leave you now."

"Good night, Wufei."

"Good night, commander."

* * *

Having left the commander's office, Chang stopped by his own to retrieve the police report and tuck it in his briefcase. He planned on taking another look at it that evening and planning out his method of questioning the police without alerting them to the real reason for his investigation.

With all he needed in the briefcase, Chang grabbed his jacket and called by Yuy's on his way to the elevator.

"Chang?" Yuy looked up as he waited for the last of the information to finish downloading to the disc.

"I have permission to investigate the police officers in charge of the investigation."

"Good. I'm almost done." The disc popped out indicating it was finished with the download and Yuy quickly pocketed it. Erasing all trace of his ever being inside the database, he shut down the computer. Picking up his jacket and bag, he walked with Chang back out into the hallway and towards the elevators.

"I hope Maxwell had some luck," Chang stated as they waited for the elevator to arrive.

"I'm sure I will find out once I get home," Heero replied.

"Call me with any developments." Wufei stepped into the elevator.

"I'll be sure to keep you informed of whatever we find."

The elevator doors swished shut and the car began its descent to the ground floor. Stepping out, the agents went through the usual security checks and then stepped out onto the sidewalk. Heero began to look around for a cab.

"Yuy? What _are_ you doing?"

"Trying to hail a cab," Heero replied in a tight voice. Surely it was obvious since he was waving frantically at anything yellow with the word 'taxi' emblazoned on it that happened to be in the vicinity.

"Why do you need a cab?"

"Duo took the car." Heero began to wave again. "Fucking hell, what do you have to do to get a damn cab around here?"

"Yuy, it's rush hour. Every man and his dog are looking for a cab right now. I hate to say it but to quote Maxwell, 'You don't stand a snowball's chance in hell of getting one.' They will all be running flat out for at least another couple of hours."

"Thanks for the confidence boost," Heero snapped.

Chang snickered. "Come on, I'll give you a lift."

"You sure?"

"Of course."

A slightly relieved Heero walked beside his Chinese friend and into the Preventer parking lot.

* * *

"It always looks much easier in the movies," Nurse Brown muttered to herself as she poked and prodded around the window sill. She was still trying to find a way out of this mess. So far, her investigation of the basement hadn't turned up much at all. There was a small sink with rusty taps and equally rusty water, the bed which Keitaro lay sleeping upon, a chair and rickety table.

They had given her a sort of 'chamber pot' to use when necessary. Nurse Brown had taken one look at the thing and resisted the urge to break it over her captor's head. Aside from the fact that it was degrading for a woman of her years to have to use such a thing, it was filthy. She had point blank refused.

An argument had ensued between the nurse and her captor and it soon became clear that her captor wasn't used to dealing with a woman of her nature.

Needless to say, Nurse Brown won the argument.

Her captor agreed, grudgingly, to allow her the use of the 'proper' facilities. When Nurse Brown had needed to use the facilities and saw the state they were in, she almost asked for the chamber pot back!

Her investigation of the room had only yielded the one door and a window. The door led back out to the main building so that was a no go, especially as it was kept locked; that left the window. She'd checked the sleeping babe before turning her attentions back to the small window. Even if she could manage to get it open there wasn't any guarantee it wasn't barred as well. If she were lucky enough not to have bars on it, there wasn't any way she would be able to slip through it.

"Maybe now would be a good time to start that diet I've been thinking about for a while," she muttered to herself. She had a pretty good feeling the window was not only barred, but boarded up as well as there wasn't much in the way of light coming through.

Her fingers wandered over the masonry, feeling for any area that may be starting to crumble. She found a couple of spots that she was sure she would be able to scrape away at and eventually manage to get through enough to dislodge a few bricks and thereby force the wood around the window to give. The wood was starting to rot too, which was a bonus, only she didn't have the strength to break through it the way it was. The mortar was still holding reasonably firm and thus keeping the frame in place.

What she wouldn't give for her purse right now. Not that she carried any sort of tools around in it, but she did have a nail file or two in there.

The sound of the key scraping in the lock alerted her to the arrival of someone and she quickly moved away from the window and back to her seat.

* * *

Duric made several twists and turns with his driving, opting to double back, change course and thoroughly confuse his passenger – or so he hoped. Duo wasn't silly, he knew what the man was up to and ignored the attempts to confuse him. He kept one eye on the sun and discovered that despite the turns, they were slowly heading north.

After about half an hour, Duric pulled over to the side of the road and retrieved his communicator. Keeping one eye on Duo, he punched in the code and waited.

"Duric?"

"Yes. We're five minutes out from the change over."

"Roger that."

"Duric, out."

"Nolen, out."

Duric put the communicator back in his pocket and slipped the car into gear again.

Duo ran the name through his head, trying to match it with anything from his past and came up blank. He didn't know the man from Adam, so what the hell it was he wanted with him, Duo could only try to guess. But then again, there were many people out there that had a grudge against a former Gundam pilot and wouldn't hesitate to act on that grudge – providing they knew the pilot's identity, that was.

After the war, their identities had been a closely guarded secret with only a few people actually knowing who they were, but that didn't mean others didn't know. After all, they had all been seen at some stage during the war and despite the number of years that had passed, all five still retained their looks. Yes, they had matured and grown, but the basic features were still the same.

Duo's mind wanderings were brought to a halt as Duric turned and drove the car through a set of heavy, double doors and into what appeared to be a warehouse. Bringing the car to a halt, Duric turned the engine off and motioned for Duo to get out.

"Now what?" Duo snapped as he looked around.

"Time to change transport. This way."

Duo felt the cold push of steel against the small of his back and he gave a low snarl as he started to walk. They passed through to another section of the warehouse, a black sedan waiting for them. Once inside, Duric again drove off and this time Duo was finding it harder to keep his bearings as the sun was starting to set and he couldn't get a good look at the stars through the window tinting in the vehicle.

After driving for another hour, Duric turned off the sealed road and onto a track. The car bumped its way along, trees thickening as they went deeper into the forest. Just when Duo was beginning to wonder if the shock absorbers were going to drop out of the car, the track opened up into a clearing, a stone structure lay ahead with pale light only just breaking through the drawn curtains.

Contacting his boss again, Duric parked the car a little way off and then with one hand on Duo's arm, he steered the man towards the house. As soon as they entered the building, Duo found himself pushed against the wall.

"Hands up where I can see them and spread for a frisk search!"

Resisting the urge to growl and just punch the guy in the face, Duo did as he was told, assuming the 'position'.

Nolen ran his hands over the slender form, locating and removing the gun and many knives, laying them to one side. Once he was satisfied he'd removed all the weapons, he spun Duo around. "I thought I told you to come unarmed," he hissed.

Duo shrugged and kept his face neutral. His eyes began to take in the man before him, memorizing the face.

"I should give you a little demonstration of just how serious I am, Mr Maxwell. Believe me when I say I do not like to harm women and children, but you were told that no harm would come to the infant or the nanny so long as you cooperated." Nolen gave an evil smirk. "And you don't seem to want to cooperate." Nolen turned around and began to walk away, then spun back around. "What is it you need to see before you're convinced I mean what I say? Should I have the child brought up here and tortured before you? Or maybe have the nanny's arms broken?"

Duo visibly paled.

"Tell me, Duo," Nolen began as he stalked over. "Besides the weapons, did you leave a note? Did you tell anyone where you were going?"

"No," Duo snarled. "All I did was what any person would do in the same situation, try to protect myself." _// And the ones I love, //_ he added silently.

"I'm not convinced."

"You harm either the child or the nanny and I swear I will take you apart, piece by piece."

"Tisk, tisk, Duo. I don't think you're in any position to make threats." Nolen turned around. "Take him to the basement and show him just how serious we are."

A shove from behind had Duo stumbling forward.

"This way, Mr Maxwell," Duric sneered.

~ * ~

tbc...


	27. Chapter 27

**Thank you all for the kind reviews. A few questions will be answered shortly, but there will also be a whole lot more asked as things start to pick up.**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 27

Wufei drove down the winding driveway to the front of the manor and brought the car to a stop. Keeping the motor running, he glanced at Heero who was collecting his things together.

"Thanks for the lift, Chang," Heero said as he opened the car door and got out.

"You're welcome, Yuy. I'll see you in the office at eight tomorrow."

"In the meantime if I find anything I'll call you."

"Thank you, that would be most appreciated. Tell Maxwell I want a full briefing on what he's up to tomorrow."

"I will. Drive carefully." Heero shut the car door and turned towards the house. Wufei drove off, leaving the agent walking towards the front steps.

Heero frowned a little at the unusual silence about the place. Normally, Miracle would come barking to the front door as soon as she heard a car pull in. There was always the chance that the dog was out playing or on a walk with either Duo or Nurse Brown, Heero thought as he inserted his key into the lock and opened the door.

The silence was even more oppressive inside the house. Heero removed the key and turned to the small, electronic key pad at the side, automatically going to disable the security system. Flipping open the small cover, he paused. The system was off. Heero scratched his head, brow furrowed as he stared at the key pad. It was highly unusual for the security system not to be on.

A feeling of unease began to steal over Heero. "Duo?" he called.

No answer.

"Nurse Brown?" Heero tried again.

With the feeling of dread building, Heero dropped his bag quietly to the floor and removed his gun from his shoulder holster. Flipping the safety off, he began to move silently through the house.

He checked the lounge room, dining room and found nothing out of the ordinary. He thought he heard a noise coming from upstairs and paused to listen carefully. Moving slowly, he began to ascend the stairs, ears and eyes straining for the slightest sound, tiniest movement.

Heero crept along the hall way, checking rooms as he went. All were vacant, no sign of the occupants to be found. Heero was beginning to get worried now. He stepped into the nursery and noted Keitaro's baby bag and stroller were gone. With Nurse Brown also absent, Heero concluded that it was highly possible that the nurse was out somewhere with the baby.

But where was Duo?

His husband had left a note saying he would be at home checking on a possible lead, so why couldn't he find him? Cautiously, Heero stepped into his and Duo's room. There was no sign of his partner. A quick perusal of the room showed Duo's uniform tossed onto the chair, indicating his husband _had_ come home. Heero was about to leave the room when he spotted something else. The closet door was open just a touch and something glinted in the depths. Heero went to check it out.

It was Duo's knife safe. Heero knew all about Duo's knives and the gundanium box he kept them locked away in. Duo only took them out to sharpen as a rule. The only other time they were removed was when Duo was on an assignment.

Heero checked the box. It only held three of Duo's knives. Duo wasn't on an assignment other than the one they were currently working on, so why would he remove his knives?

The puzzle deepened for Heero.

With the upper floor yielding nothing, Heero returned to his search of the lower floor. He heard a noise in the kitchen and silently moved in that direction. Gun poised, Heero slipped around the door of the kitchen ready to shoot. "Freeze!" he yelled.

"I surrender!"

"Barney!" Heero all but cried in relief. The Weiro was sitting on his perch, beady eyes staring straight at Heero's gun and if Heero didn't know any better he'd have sworn the bird was ready to raise his wings.

A whine and scratching at the back door told Heero where Miracle was. Putting the gun back in its holster, Heero gave the bird a sheepish look and went to let in the dog.

Miracle was overjoyed to see him and bounded around giving excited yaps and wagging her tail so hard her entire rear end was moving.

With so much noise going on, Heero would have expected Duo to have appeared by now; if he was working or in the house somewhere that was. He glanced around looking for a note, something, _anything_, that Duo would have left to let him know where he was. Nothing. Recalling what Duo had said about a possible lead, Heero made his way to the office. Maybe that would provide some clue as to where his lover was. Failing that, Heero was ready to search the grounds on the off chance Duo had been out with Miracle and some sort of accident had occurred.

That thought sent a tremble of fear through Heero as a distant memory of Duo when he was pregnant raced through his mind and he hastened his steps.

Entering the office, Heero could see the computer was turned on although the screen was in saver mode. A smile came to Heero lips as he watched Wing Zero and Deathscythe 'waltzing' around the screen. Heero moved the mouse and the last thing Duo had been working on came up.

He'd been hacking into the ESUN database.

Heero studied the screen for a moment. It appeared Duo had been taking a slightly different route into the database than Heero had. Deciding he would look into that a little deeper once he'd found his missing husband, Heero turned around and gazed at the dog who was sitting behind him. "Where's Duo, girl?" he asked.

Miracle just whined.

"Is he outside somewhere? Was he playing with you and something happened?"

Miracle whined again and lifted a paw.

Sighing, Heero ruffled the dog's ears. "Come on, let's take a look outside before it gets dark." Heero headed for the back door and outside, Miracle trotting beside him.

* * *

Duo found himself shoved roughly down a flight of stairs and stumbled. He grabbed the railing to steady himself and looked around. "Keitaro!" he shouted when he spotted his son lying on the small bed. Letting go of the rail, Duo all but sprinted across the small basement to snatch up his son and cradle him in his arms. With the baby safe in his arms, Duo spotted the nurse sitting in the chair, her face looking upset. "Nurse Brown, are you okay?"

"I'm so sorry, Duo," the nurse began, but Duo cut her off.

"No, don't apologize. You've done nothing wrong, it's these bastards that should be apologizing." Duo turned his eyes towards Duric and glared at the man.

Duric just smirked.

Another man appeared behind Duric. "Boss said you might need a hand."

Duric nodded. "It seems our Mr Maxwell needs to be taught a lesson. He doesn't take us seriously."

"Then I suggest we give him that lesson," Murphy sneered.

Before Duo had a chance to react, Duric pointed the gun directly at him whilst the other man moved swiftly across the room and dragged Nurse Brown to her feet. There was a startled gasp from the nurse followed by a sharp crack and cry of pain.

"You bastard!" Duo yelled and went to move.

"I don't think so," Duric said in a low tone. "Move and the baby will be next."

Duo hesitated and clutched his son closer to his chest. The gun was pointing directly at Keitaro now and Duo knew the man meant what he said. His shoulders slumped and he lowered his head in defeat.

"That's much better. Now, we will leave you alone to think about how serious we are. I suggest you cooperate completely with what the boss wants and avoid any further unpleasantness." Words said, Duric and Murphy left the basement, leaving the light on and locking the door behind them.

As soon as he heard the key in the lock, Duo was across the room and beside the nurse who had slumped back into her chair. "Nurse Brown, what happened?" Violet eyes scanned over the nurse and came to rest on her hands. She was clutching her left arm defensively.

"He broke my wrist," the nurse said through gritted teeth.

"Fuck!"

The nurse shot him a glare.

"Umm, sorry about the language and all. Here, let me take a look." Duo sat Keitaro on the floor so he could reach out and see the damage for himself. Fingers carefully explored the rapidly swelling and discolored flesh.

"Ouch! Be careful, that bloody well hurts!" the nurse cried out.

Duo's eyes widened at the cursing.

"Well? What do you expect me to say? Please be gentle as it's very sore and hurting me a lot?" the nurse huffed.

Duo managed to contain the snicker, but was even more careful with his explorations. "It's definitely broken," he stated.

"No kidding," the nurse replied, the sarcasm evident in her tone. "I think the crack, my scream of pain and the way it's swelling would tell you that."

"Uh, yeah," Duo replied.

"Question is, what can we do about it?" The nurse paused to look around. "I really need to strap it somehow. By rights it should be x-rayed and then set in plaster, but that's not an option right now."

Duo had never felt so helpless in all his life. Keitaro chose that moment to whimper. He was hungry, cold and needed changing. Duo suddenly had a thought. "Is the baby bag still here?"

"Yes. I know Keitaro needs feeding and changing, but you'll have to do that yourself, I'm not much use with only my right hand."

"I know that. Keitaro can wait a moment." Duo got up and located the baby bag. He fished around inside and gave a triumphant snort. "Perfect," he muttered and returned to the injured nurse. He carried two of Keitaro's cloth diapers with him.

Nurse Brown eyed him suspiciously.

"We can use these to strap your wrist and make a sort of sling to take the pressure off," Duo said with a smile.

"Not a bad idea," the nurse replied. "I hope you picked out the clean ones."

Duo gave her a look of disbelief. "Of course," he huffed, then his eyes softened as he noted the pain in the nurse's eyes. She was trying to use humor to distract herself from all that was happening. Gently taking her broken wrist in his hands, Duo began to wrap his makeshift bandage around the wrist. "I'm probably not doing a proper job of this and all, you being a nurse would know how to do it the right way, but I guess you can't like this so you're stuck with me."

"It's fine, Duo," the nurse said as she grit her teeth. Pain was unavoidable. "I wish they hadn't taken my purse away, I could really use a couple of aspirin right now."

"I'm sorry," Duo said in a whisper. "This is all my fault."

"No, it isn't," the nurse stated firmly. "If it's anyone's fault, then it's mine. I should have been quicker to notice what was going on and avoided being kidnapped."

Duo sighed and secured the makeshift bandage, then began the task of setting up the sling. "Really and truly no one is to blame other than those assho- err... idiots. Tell me what happened."

Whilst Duo rigged up the sling, Nurse Brown related what had happened to her and Keitaro in the park. As she spoke, Duo could feel his rage simmering and building beneath the surface. He knew he had to keep a hold on his temper, these people had already demonstrated that they meant business and he wouldn't allow anything else to befall either his son or the nurse. The apparent leader of their group was already living on borrowed time as far as Duo was concerned for taking what was his. The man called Duric and the other fool were both dead men too, they just didn't know it yet.

When Nurse Brown finished her story, Duo had secured her wrist and was now changing Keitaro. "You did the right thing," he said. "If you hadn't cooperated they may have killed you both," he said as he silently thanked the nurse for being sensible and also prepared in making sure Keitaro's bag had plenty of diapers in it.

"Surely not!" the nurse exclaimed.

"I wouldn't put it past them at all, not if they are willing to break your wrist like they did."

Margaret thought about that, then changed the topic slightly. "How did they contact you? And more to the point, what is it they want from you, us?"

Duo thought on that for a moment and then filled the nurse in on the phone call he'd gotten and the ensuing instructions. "As for what they want, I really don't know. I'm pretty sure it's me they are after, but what they want from me, I haven't a clue. So far all I've managed to figure out is they obviously want me to do something for them and are holding you and Keitaro as insurance that I will comply."

"Oh, Duo. What are we going to do?"

Good question. Duo wasn't sure he had an answer to that right now.

* * *

Heero headed out the back door with Miracle at his heels. He scanned around the small expanse of garden close to the house and came up blank. He set off deeper into the grounds, calling Duo's name from time to time and searching everywhere that he could think of that the braided man liked to retreat to.

And found no trace of his missing husband.

He paused in his search, then a thought struck him. "The garage!" he said aloud. "Maybe Duo's working on the car which is why he wouldn't have heard me come home." Knowing Duo's penchant for tinkering with anything mechanical, Heero took off at a run for the garage.

Opening the door and entering, Heero stopped in his tracks. Both cars were gone. He knew the nurse would have the sedan that Quatre had insisted they have to use for as long as they liked, given she was obviously out with Keitaro and the sedan was the car with the baby seat. But the pick up was missing too.

Now Heero was starting to get really worried. Duo _always_ let him know where he was going or what he was doing. He'd left him the note saying he was going home to follow up on a lead and Duo had obviously been doing that; but why hadn't he left him a note or contacted him to tell him he was going out? The security system being disabled also sat uneasily with Heero. Then there were the missing knives...

The knot of fear grew.

Mind made up, Heero went back to the house intent on calling Chang. Two heads were better than one. The thought that he may be overreacting didn't cross his mind. Heero knew his husband, knew his lover well enough by now to know that this was completely out of character for Duo.

Stepping back into the kitchen, Heero noticed Barney sitting on his perch, seemingly still in shock from his earlier confrontation with a loaded gun. He moved over to the birdcage, opened the door and held his finger out. Barney immediately jumped on it. Heero withdrew his hand, Barney still sitting happily and ran a finger down the soft feathers at the back of Barney's head. "Where is everyone?" he muttered.

"Gone shopping, gone shopping," Barney chirped and turned his head so he could nibble on Heero's finger with his beak.

Heero's eyes widened a touch. "Gone shopping?" he echoed.

A pair of beady eyes looked back at him.

"Who went shopping, Barney?"

"Baby shopping," the bird chirruped.

Heero thought for a moment and studied the bird more intently. It was worth a shot. "Where's Duo, Barney?"

Barney cocked his head. "Going out, going out," the bird responded.

Heero knew that much, or so he presumed. It was possible that Duo had gone with Nurse Brown and Keitaro to the mall. Given the missing pick up and his husband nowhere to be found, Heero could pretty much guarantee Duo was out somewhere. But why take his knives? Duo hated fighting, hated the killing and would only do so as a last resort. He was just as much an advocate for peace as Relena and Quatre were. "Gone out where?"

"Shit's gonna hit the fan," the bird squawked.

Heero rolled his eyes. "I must be losing it, asking a bird for help," he muttered to himself. Carefully, he put Barney back in the cage and went to make a phone call.

"Chang." Wufei's voice came down the line.

"Wufei, I think I may have a problem."

"Problem? You haven't tripped the security on the ESUN whilst hacking, have you?"

"No, nothing like that," Heero replied. "Actually, I'm not sure if it is a problem or if I'm just being paranoid."

"Yuy, what the hell are you going on about?" Chang was starting to get a little frustrated with the agent and the lack of information.

"Duo's not home. I can't find him anywhere."

"Then I suggest you enjoy the peace and quiet while you can," Wufei's voice said with a touch of sarcasm.

"Chang, you don't understand. He's not here."

"And that should be a problem, why?"

"I'm not sure, Chang, but my gut is telling me there's something very wrong."

"He's probably gone down the shops or something." Wufei softened his tone a little, he could tell Heero was really worried.

"If he was going out somewhere, he would have let me know."

"Are you sure?"

Heero snorted. "Of course! Duo always let's me know where he is or what he's doing. He either calls me or leaves me a note. Wufei, this is not like Duo."

Wufei had to concede that point. Heero knew his spouse best and if he said Duo always let him know his whereabouts, then something wasn't right. "Have you asked the nanny where he is?"

"She's not here either, nor is Keitaro. Barney said they'd gone shopping."

It was Wufei's turn to snort. "Since when do you take a bird's word as the truth, Yuy?"

"I know, but Barney _is_ pretty smart."

"Double check everything again, Yuy. I'll be there shortly."

"Wufei?"

"Yes?"

"Arigato."

* * *

Duo sat on the small chair with Keitaro in his arms. The baby had been changed and Duo was now feeding the infant the last of the formula that had been packed into the baby bag. Idly he wondered if their captors would provide more formula for the child, or would they try to starve them? There were far too many questions and not enough answers. Duo was giving himself a headache trying to figure everything out. He glanced across at the nurse who was lying on the bed, the diapers were serving their purpose well enough in acting as a support for her broken wrist, but Duo knew she needed medical attention.

His thoughts turned again to their predicament and how they could get out of it. He'd talked in length with the nurse and found himself impressed with her recon of the basement they were being held in. He admired her resourcefulness in trying to find a way out and snickered over the 'toilet' facilities. He could easily picture the stoic woman refusing to use a chamber pot!

With the window being their only feasible option for getting out, Duo had gone over the framework and masonry thoroughly. He saw what the nurse had told him and agreed that the crumbling brick work would be their best option for escape. But there was only so much one could do with fingernails against stone. He mused over whether their captors would allow then utensils to eat with, providing they fed them of course. And if so, would he be able to pinch one to make the task of breaking the crumbling masonry a little easier?

All these thoughts and more ran abundantly through his head, Duo allowing them to flow, knowing that sooner or later, his mind would sort them out and analyze them, make better sense of them and come up with something to help them all.

The bottle finished, Duo sat Keitaro up and wiped the child's chin. He absently rubbed the small back until Keitaro brought up the wind then held his son close. His ears picked up on the sound of a key in the door. He turned his head to see Duric entering, gun poised.

"Boss wants to see you."

The nurse had also woken from her light doze and looked at Duo. There was a mix of pain, fear and understanding in her eyes. "I'll look after the baby," she said quietly.

With a nod, Duo got up and carried his son to where the nurse was lying. "He should sleep for a bit."

"Duo? Be careful."

"I will." Giving the nurse a warm look, Duo squeezed her uninjured hand and turned to face his captor. "I'm ready."

Duric motioned for Duo to ascend the stairs, all the while keeping his gun trained on the pair resting on the bed. "Don't try anything or they both get it."

Eyes hardening, Duo gave his captor the once over, then climbed the stairs.

Duric shuddered. Those eyes that had been a clear amethyst now turned almost purple. Inside them, Duric could see the burning of an unholy flame.

And the promise of a Hell he couldn't even begin to comprehend.

~ * ~

tbc...


	28. Chapter 28

**Thank you for the kind reviews!**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 28

Heero stood staring at the blank vid screen for a moment, his mind trying to come up with a logical explanation for Duo's whereabouts. His eyes fixated on the screen, a sudden thought hit him.

"Duo's cell!" Heero didn't know why he hadn't thought of it before. He could call Duo and see where his husband was. Eagerly, Heero dived into his pocket and pulled his cell phone out. Flipping it open, he hit the speed dial for his husband and waited. It rang twice before diverting to Duo's message bank.

"Hi, you've called the God of Death. I'm a little busy doing some soul searching right now so please leave a message and I'll get back to you."

Heero frowned, then spoke. "Duo, it's me. Can you please call me?" Pocketing the cell, Heero left the study and returned to the bedroom to double check he hadn't missed anything. He scanned over the dresser, the bed and Duo's side table. Nothing, no note, no clue as to where Duo could possibly be. The Preventer uniform lay where Duo had left it. Heero moved to the bathroom on the off chance Duo may have left something in there to alert him to where he was. At that point, Heero heard the unmistakable sound of Duo's cell phone ringing. The 'death march' played out, a little muffled and Heero charged back into the bedroom to try and locate the cell. The sound went off, but not before Heero had managed to pin point the location. He dug through Duo's pants pocket and unearthed the cell.

That would explain why Duo hadn't picked up.

Heero was starting to get even more worried. Rarely did Duo go anywhere without his cell; he even took it on missions, even if he put it on 'silent' he still carried it with him. Putting the thoughts of his missing husband aside for the moment, Heero pulled his cell back out of his pocket, deciding to try and call Nurse Brown; maybe she could shed some light on Duo's whereabouts.

The call connected - and rang out.

Heero was beginning to go into full on panic mode. Nothing added up. Leaving the bedroom, Heero headed back downstairs to scour the lower levels once more.

* * *

Seething with anger, Duo allowed himself to be pushed along the hallway and into what appeared to have once been a kitchen. The man called Nolen was sitting, drinking a cup of coffee. When Duo came through the door, Nolen placed his cup back on the table and gestured for Duo to take a seat.

Scowling, Duo sat and waited.

Nolen watched Duo carefully and finished his coffee. Once he was done, he pushed his seat back a little, crossed his arms over his chest and cleared his throat.

Violet eyes narrowed.

"I suppose you want to know what it is you're doing here? Why we have gone to such extraordinary lengths to secure you and your cooperation?"

"It would be a start," Duo replied. "I prefer those I'm going to kill to know why they're dead men."

Nolen gave a laugh, albeit a slightly shaky one. "You are from L2, correct?"

"So what if I am?"

"You also work for Preventers."

Duo shrugged. "So do a lot of people."

"I'm also pretty certain you were a Gundam pilot."

"Cut the crap and get to the point," Duo snarled. He saw no reason to confirm the guy's guess; let him continue to think what he wanted.

"As a fellow L2 native, I'm sure you are aware of all the rebuilding projects currently taking place on the colonies, or in L2's case; the lack of."

Duo kept his face neutral, he wasn't about to give anything at all away regarding his own suspicions, let this guy talk, maybe Duo could pick up something to aid in his own search for the truth.

"We are concerned that L2 is missing out on its fair share of the funding."

"Really? And how do you come to that conclusion?" Duo snapped.

Nolen sighed. "Look, I don't intend to reveal to you all the details of our information source, but we have enough evidence to confirm our suspicions that a lot of the funding that should be going to L2, isn't."

"Wouldn't be the first time L2 citizens have been promised things that have never materialized."

"Precisely, and this is why the ESUN needs to know that L2 is not longer going to sit back and take this sort of treatment."

"And just how do you propose to do that?" Duo had a feeling the answer would involve the reason for his being there - and he wasn't too sure he was going to like it.

"That's where you come in, my friend."

"Then I suggest you should pick your friends a little better." Duo's eyes glinted dangerously.

"We've been watching you, we know quite a bit about you, Duo. What we want from you shouldn't be difficult at all for a man of your skills."

Duo raised an eyebrow. "I don't know what it is you're smoking, but I'd suggest asking for a refund, it's obviously frying your brain."

A whack to the back of his head had Duo spinning in his seat, one hand reaching for a non existent gun, the other snaking out and grabbing the offender's wrist.

Duric glared. "Show some respect," he snarled. "And let go of my wrist." Duric could feel the bones beginning to grate together and a small tremor of fear passed through him. The speed at which the man had reacted had Duric questioning their boss' sanity in acquiring this man's services.

Eyes locked for a moment, each man staring the other down.

Duric was the first to look away.

"If you two have quite finished, I'd like to get back to business." Nolen's voice broke the standoff.

Duo released the wrist.

"I'll get to the point," Nolen began. "We need for the ESUN to stand up and take notice that L2 exists, that it deserves to be re-built, to have the same amount of aid and assistance afforded to other colonies. To make them take notice, we need to do something drastic. It is our intention to assassinate the L1 ambassador..."

* * *

Wufei arrived at the Yuy-Maxwell residence within twenty minutes of Heero calling. He parked his car, locked it and pushed the door bell. The door was opened before his finger even left the small button.

"Chang."

"Any progress?" Wufei asked as stepped inside.

"No." Heero closed the door and motioned for Wufei to follow him through to the kitchen where he'd just made a pot of green tea to try and help soothe his frayed nerves. He poured them both a cup and sat down, sipping on the hot liquid.

"Start at the beginning, there has to be something we can work with." The thought that Duo could be playing a practical joke had crossed the Chinese man's mind and he vowed if that was the case he would personally string the long haired man up by the balls. One look at Yuy's face though had convinced Wufei that there was something definitely wrong and this was _no_ practical joke.

Heero told his story, from the moment he'd entered the house and found the security system turned off to his call to Chang.

Frowning, Wufei studied his tea cup for a moment. "I believe you when you say this is out of character for Maxwell. I have also tried his cell and gotten no answer other than his message bank."

"His cell is here."

"Ah. You say the security system was off?"

"Yes."

"And his knives are gone?"

"Most of them."

"I think it's safe to say he wasn't forcibly removed from the premises then."

"Tell me something I don't know," Heero replied running his fingers through his bangs in a frustrated fashion.

"You say the nurse and child are also absent?" Wufei pressed on regardless, something was niggling at his mind.

"Nurse Brown hasn't returned yet. I'm sure she went shopping; and before you ask, I've tried her cell too and it just rings out. Something's just not right here, Chang. Nurse Brown always has her cell on her and never fails to pick up."

The pair went silent for a moment, each locked in thought before Wufei spoke. "Are you sure she went shopping?"

"Where the fuck else would she be?!" Heero snapped. "Barney confirmed she's gone shopping, but why she hasn't returned yet... Oh god, you don't think?" Heero felt as if a bucket of iced water had been poured over him.

"Shit!" Wufei realized where Yuy's thoughts had gone.

"If anything has happened to my son..."

"I'm sure that everyone is fine, Heero." Wufei didn't get a chance to continue, Heero suddenly broke down.

"Oh god, Wufei. What if Nurse Brown or Keitaro has had an accident? That has to be it. They've had an accident and are in hospital. That's why Duo would have taken off without leaving a note or taking his cell... What if they're...?" Heero couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

Wufei was out of his chair and placed a comforting arm around Heero's shoulders. "Yuy, listen to me. If it were anything along those lines, I'm sure Maxwell would have called you before going himself."

"What if he didn't have time? What if it was so urgent he had to go straight away?"

Wufei had to think on that one. On the one hand it would make logical sense that something like an accident would cause Duo to simply drop everything and head off. But why would he take the time to grab his knives but not his cell? And if he was at a hospital, why hadn't he called already to let Heero know? "Yuy, let's call the major hospitals around the area and see if they have had a nanny and infant admitted anywhere in the last six hours."

Heero nodded. "That makes sense," he replied, gaining a little control over his panicked mind.

"You make a fresh pot of tea and I'll start making the calls, okay?"

"Hai."

With something to temporarily occupy Yuy, Wufei went through to the office and began to call around the local hospitals.

* * *

Nolen waited for the words to sink in.

"And just how do you think that assassinating the L1 ambassador will help L2?" Duo sneered.

"Assassinating the L1 ambassador will only be the beginning. Once we have disposed of him, we will proceed to a second target, eliminate them and then maybe the ESUN will be ready to listen to our demands for L2's aid. If they don't, or start to pussyfoot around, we will assassinate another ambassador and another until they do take us seriously," Nolen stated, his voice calm.

It was completely clear to Duo now just what it was they wanted from him. "No."

"I don't think you are in a position to refuse."

"This is peace time, there is no need to kill to get a point across."

"I beg to differ," Nolen stated.

"Ever heard of negotiation?"

"Face it, Maxwell. No one has listened to the L2 citizens before, why should now be any different? The proof is there, you should know seeing as how you have experienced it first hand, living on the streets, surviving by eating out of dumpsters. L2 has always been forgotten, the last to receive any assistance. Out of sight, out of mind."

"This time it's different. There _is_ aid going to the colony..."

"Bullshit!" Nolen cut Duo off. "I know what I'm talking about. Ever since this aid was promised at the end of the war we've been waiting for it to happen. Yes, I'll agree there is some aid coming through, but nowhere near what was promised. All the other colonies are re-building and recovering just fine with the assistance they're getting, but as usual, L2 is left in the dust."

"Look, I'll speak with the ESUN..."

"NO! It's the ESUN's fault that the aid isn't getting to L2."

"I take it you have proof?" Duo's eyes narrowed. Nolen fell silent. "You _don't_ have proof and yet you want me to go in and assassinate innocent people for you to prove a point based on hearsay. I won't do it."

"It's not hearsay and we have enough proof."

The penny began to drop in Duo's head. "That guy, the one that was found dead in the ESUN mainframe room, he was a part of your group," Duo whispered. One look at Nolen's face told Duo he'd hit the nail on the head.

"We have enough proof," Nolen repeated, refusing to verbally confirm or deny Duo's guess. "And you _will_ cooperate."

"I refuse to kill innocents."

"You will do as you're told," Nolen snarled. "You forget we have something of yours as surety. If you don't cooperate, try to escape or attempt to alert anyone to our whereabouts, plans or anything else, I will not hesitate to eliminate the nanny or the child, or both."

Duo's blood ran cold in his veins. His eyes narrowed as he fixed Nolen with a steely gaze. "You touch the nanny again and they will be scraping your remains off the floor. Touch one hair on that child's head and there won't be enough left of any of you to identify as ever being human."

Nolen smirked. "I don't think you're in the position to bargain. You leave in two hours." Nolen stood up indicating the meeting was over and left.

Duo remained sitting for a moment before a shove to his shoulder forced him to move.

"Back to the basement. I'll come for you in two hours and brief you on the way to the target," Duric said as he pointed the gun at Duo.

Mind still moving rapidly with the information overload, Duo stood and walked numbly back to the basement. Somehow he had to let Heero know where he was and the gravity of the situation.

* * *

"I see. Thank you." Wufei cut the call and slumped back in the seat. He looked up a moment later as Yuy entered with two mugs in his hands.

"Any luck?" Heero's hand shook a little as he passed over the mug.

"No. None of the hospitals within a fifty kilometer radius has had anyone fitting Nurse Brown's or Keitaro's descriptions admitted in the past six hours."

Heero heaved a sigh of relief. "That's good news I suppose, although it still doesn't help us much."

"True," Wufei replied. They sat in silence for a moment, each pondering their thoughts when the vid phone suddenly went off causing Chang to jump and spill some of his tea. "Shit!"

Heero pushed the receive button, the screen fuzzed for a moment and then cleared. "Quatre?"

Quatre's face appeared on the screen looking a little haggard. "Heero? Is Duo there?"

"No, he's - I don't know where he is," Heero choked out.

"Oh, Allah," Quatre whispered.

"Winner?" Wufei moved to see the screen properly and noticed Barton standing just behind the blonde.

"Wufei, is everything okay down there?" Trowa began. "Quatre, well, you know how his empathy can be. He's been feeling something's wrong which is why we're calling."

All the pilots were well aware of Quatre's empathy and his sensing when something was wrong and on many occasions he'd proven correct. When Quatre 'felt' something, everyone took notice.

"Maxwell is missing. So is Nurse Brown and Keitaro." Wufei spoke quietly in Heero's stead, the Japanese man was having trouble speaking right now.

"Brief us," Trowa said simply.

Wufei patiently filled them in on all they currently had, Heero adding bits every now and then.

"Accident?" Trowa asked.

"No. All hospitals in the vicinity have checked out clear."

"Any clues at all?"

"Nothing at this stage."

"Wufei? You stay with Heero. We're on our way," Quatre said and then went silent.

"ETA?" Wufei asked.

Quatre turned and did something off screen, then faced Wufei again. "Twelve hours. We will come direct to the mansion."

"Arigato, Quatre," Heero said.

"No thanks needed, Heero. We're family, remember?"

Heero nodded.

"See you soon."

With the call cut, Wufei and Heero faced each other.

"We can't file a missing persons report until the person has been missing for twenty-four hours," Wufei said.

"I think we need to notify Une," Heero replied.

"I agree." Wufei pulled out his cell and punched in the commander's number.

* * *

Quatre leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes and rubbed a hand across his chest. Relaxing, he let his empathy come forth, reaching out and searching. He gave a slight gasp and opened his eyes.

"Quatre?" Trowa stood beside his husband, concern in his green eyes.

"I can feel him, Trowa. He's okay physically, but mentally..." Quatre paused for a moment. "There's something terribly wrong, Trowa. I can feel pain, confusion and a little fear. There's something else too; anger, rage and... Oh, Allah."

"What is it, Quatre?"

"Shinigami, Trowa. Shinigami is lurking."

* * *

Deep inside Duo's body another change was occurring. While Shinigami waited on the fringes of Duo's psyche, so another union was taking place.

A bunch of cells were multiplying rapidly.

~ * ~

tbc...


	29. Chapter 29

**Thanks for the kind reviews!**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 29

Whilst Wufei waited for the commander to pick up, Heero continued to puzzle over his husband's out of character disappearance. He couldn't come up with any logical explanation for Duo's absence; as for Nurse Brown and Keitaro? Heero didn't have a clue.

"Commander? I apologize for calling you out of hours, but something has come up," Wufei began.

Once Wufei had briefly outlined the situation, he passed the cell over to Heero. "Une wishes to speak with you."

Taking the cell, Heero placed it to his ear. "Yuy here."

"Yuy? _What_ exactly is going on?"

Heero sighed. "As Chang has already informed you, Duo left work a little earlier as he had a couple of things he wanted to follow through on regarding the case we're currently investigating. When I arrived home he wasn't here."

"He is allowed to go out you know," Une stated.

"His cell is here, the security system wasn't turned on and some of his knives are missing. This is not normal for Duo. He hasn't contacted me as to his whereabouts, nor has he left me a note. Commander, my son and his nanny are also missing."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment before Une spoke again. "Have you tried to contact the nanny?"

"Hai. Her cell rings out. Given Keitaro is normally fed and bathed at six-thirty, then goes to bed at seven, this is extremely out of character." Heero glanced at the clock; it was seven-fifteen.

Une wasn't silly. She knew Margaret reasonably well and the nurse had always been a stickler for routine – especially where children were concerned. She had to agree with Heero, this was very unusual for the nurse. "Yuy, there isn't a lot we can do right now. This could be something simple like a flat tire or mechanical problem. Maybe she's caught up in traffic and her cell is flat which is why you can't contact her. As for Maxwell; there is probably a simple explanation for his absence too. But, having said all that, I think it might be wise to err on the side of caution. I'll have an alert put out to all agents to keep an eye out for Maxwell, the nurse and your son. Given the law, I cannot initiate a proper investigation until the parties have been missing for at least twenty-four hours."

"That's bullshit!"

Wufei's head jerked up at Heero's tone.

"YUY!" Une barked. "Let me finish!"

"My apologies, Commander. It's just that..."

"I _do_ understand, Yuy. I know you must be worried sick over their absence. Whilst we have to wait the regulation time before lodging an official missing person's report to the proper authorities, there's nothing to say we can't begin to look for clues now."

That made Heero feel a little better; but not much.

"I will need a full description of Margaret's car and her license plate. Also a description of Maxwell's car and license plate. I'll have them distributed amongst Preventer personnel as soon as possible. If they still haven't turned up once the waiting period is over, I'll pass all that information on to the local police and I expect you to accompany me to lodge the missing persons forms."

"Thank you." Heero felt a little relieved that at least something was being done and passed on the information Une had requested regarding the vehicles.

"I know I'm probably wasting my breath here, but do try to get some rest tonight, Yuy. You have my permission to remain off duty tomorrow if you wish given the circumstances. However, if you do choose to come to work, I will need you fully functional. If, in the meantime, any or all of the three turn up, or you do get in touch with them, I expect you to notify me immediately. Other than that, try to think of anything, anything at all that may indicate where any of them may have gone and report direct to me in the morning."

"I'll try, Commander."

"Yuy?"

"Hai?"

"We will find them."

Heero just nodded and handed the cell back to Wufei. The Chinese man exchanged a few more words with Une before disconnecting the call.

"Yuy?"

Heero looked up at his friend and fellow agent.

"I need to call Sally. She may be able to help us regarding the nanny and her possible whereabouts."

"Okay." Heero sat in silence, thinking deeply while Chang made his call. He could hear the low murmur of Wufei's voice as he informed Sally of their situation, but he didn't dwell on it; his mind was too preoccupied with trying to figure out where Duo or his son could be.

* * *

"I'll be back for you in two hours," Duric said as he left Duo at the top of the basement stairs and locked the door.

Running a weary hand over his face, Duo ascended the stairs, thankful that their captors had at least left the light on this time. He spotted Nurse Brown sitting on the bed, Keitaro curled up and asleep beside her. The nurse's face was pale and withdrawn, Duo could see the pain etched into her features, even though she was doing her best to hide it.

At the sound of the closing door, Margaret looked up as Duo returned. "What is going on?" she asked, grimacing slightly as she moved and jolted her broken wrist.

Duo didn't want to lie, but he didn't want the nurse worrying unduly either. He decided that it would probably be in everyone's best interest if he told her the complete truth about the severity of their situation. "How is your wrist?" Duo asked, trying to gain a little time in which to order his thoughts in response to her question.

"It's still broken and hurts a lot, but I can cope," Nurse Brown replied. "Now, answer my question. What do they want from us, or more specifically, you?"

Duo sat down and cradled his head in his hands. "It's a long story."

"I'm not exactly going anywhere," the nurse responded with a small attempt at humor.

Duo gave her a wry grin, letting her know he appreciated her efforts. "I'll try to keep it as brief as possible."

"Thank you."

"Tell me, do you remember when we went to L2 for Hilde's wedding?"

"Of course," the nurse replied with a small smile.

"Whilst we were there, I don't know if you noticed or not, but there was a small amount of rebuilding and restoration going on."

"All the colonies are currently being rebuilt and the like. I do remember the news reports from after the war and commend the ESUN for putting such a large scale operation into practice."

"Yeah, the intent is there."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Duo sighed and continued. "There is funding making it through, however, in L2's case, the funding is a lot less than for the other colonies."

"I don't understand."

"This is part of the case Heero and I are currently working on. It seems that the funds allocated and what actually makes it through to the colony in the form of aid, do not add up. All the other colonies appear to be rebuilding at a much faster pace. There's a lot more materials and assistance on the other colonies than there currently is on L2."

"You mean?"

"Yes. Somewhere along the line it appears that money is going missing. It seems we are not the only ones to have picked this up and started investigating it. These guys have been doing a little of their own research and are not particularly happy that the other colonies are getting funding whilst L2 is missing out - majorly."

"Why would anyone want to steal funds from such a project?"

"That, I'm afraid, is the million dollar question. And before you ask, I can't divulge any further details on our investigation; it's classified."

"So, where exactly do these guys fit in? And why do they want us?"

"They're not at all happy with things and want the ESUN to take notice." Duo swallowed hard. "I have to leave in under two hours. They want me to assassinate the L1 ambassador."

Nurse Brown's good hand flew to her mouth in shock. "Duo, you can't do that; that's... that's _murder_."

"I have to, I'm afraid I don't have a choice. Trust me when I say I've tried to talk them out of this, refused to comply..."

"They're holding me and Keitaro as surety, aren't they?" Nurse Brown whispered as the enormity of the situation suddenly hit her.

Duo nodded. "If I kill the L1 ambassador they will start to make their point and both Keitaro and yourself will remain safe. If I don't..." Duo didn't want to even think about that.

Nurse Brown looked at her broken wrist. "So this was a sort of 'proof of intent'," she said, nodding at her wrist. "Oh, Duo. I'm so sorry."

"Not your fault."

"If I had been more aware..."

"It wouldn't have made any difference. This is not your fault, hell, it's not mine either, but we're stuck here and currently I'm fresh out of ideas as to how to get us all out of this mess." Duo cradled his head in his hands, resisting the urge to pull his hair out in frustration. He hated this, hated being so helpless. The warmth of a hand resting on his forearm drew him from his self loathing and he looked up into the nurse's eyes.

"We will find a way out of this."

"I hope so," Duo replied.

"I'm sure Heero and your friends will soon be looking for all of us. Knowing what I do about that husband of yours and his protective streak for Keitaro, I'd say he's busy tearing apart the city looking for him right now."

Duo couldn't help the small chuckle. Heero _did_ have a very possessive streak when it came to their son. He soon sobered up though and turned to face the nurse again. "I don't know if Heero will be able to find us. He's probably half out of his mind with worry right now. You see, I couldn't tell anyone where I was going, no contact with anyone or anything was part of the deal. I just hope Heero doesn't wait too long to try and find us. He will know something's wrong seeing as I didn't leave a note. Hopefully he will find my knives are missing too; that should be enough to let him know it's serious. When both you and Keitaro fail to turn up too, well, I'd say he's going to shift heaven and hell to find us."

"I wish there was some way we could get a message to him," Nurse Brown sighed. "Although, I don't know how much help that would be to him as I don't have a clue where we are."

Duo's mind began to tick over, his brow furrowed as he thought. "You know, we might just be able to do something."

"Really?"

"Yeah. From what I observed of our travels to this place, we're somewhere north of the city."

"Guess that's a start."

"Look, when I have to go I want you to try and pick away at the crumbling mortar around the window."

"But, I don't have anything I can use other than my fingernails, and they're not exactly long." Given her job and the handling of the infant, Nurse Brown always kept her nails short, mostly for hygienic reasons but also so she wouldn't accidentally scratch the child.

"That's okay." Duo fiddled in his hair for a moment and then produced a bit of metal. He grinned at the nurse. "Here, it's one of my lock picks. It's not very big, but it is strong and should help to a point in loosening the mortar. If we can get enough of it broken away, we should be able to break part of the frame and then we can use the wood from that to chip away at the rest."

"You carry lock picks?" The nurse frowned a little.

"Yeah. Old habits and all that."

Margaret raised an eyebrow. She could question that later, for now though she had another question. "If you have lock picks hidden away, why haven't you tried to pick the lock here and get us out? Surely that would be easier than breaking through a window?"

"True," Duo replied. "But then once we get the door open, we still have to contend with at least three idiots up there that don't want us to leave. Plus they have weapons and I'm not about to endanger my son or you."

"I see your point." Nurse Brown had to admit she was rather fond of living.

"You try and get some sleep, I'll take first shot at the window mortar. They will be back for me in about an hour and a half; whilst I'm gone you can carry on. Be careful though."

The nurse lay herself down on the bed next to Keitaro and did her best to get some sleep. It wasn't easy with all the thoughts swirling in her head.

* * *

"Sally is on her way here," Wufei informed Heero as he closed his cell and pocketed it.

Heero looked at his long time friend through tired, distraught eyes. "Chang? What if we don't find them? I can't..."

"Yuy!" Chang barked. "Stop that right now. We will find them, _all_ of them," he continued with more conviction than he felt. "Right now we need to start to gather together our clues. You're a Preventer agent with a case to solve, so start acting like one!" Wufei knew he was probably being a little harsh here, but Yuy needed to be doing something. The longer his mind was unoccupied, the more his thoughts would dwell on the many different scenarios - none of them pleasant.

"Let's get some paper, pens and start making a list of what we know so far." Wufei tugged on Heero's arm, forcing the other man into action.

Heero knew Chang was right, he needed to keep focused on the mission and not on what may have happened to his missing family. He led the way to the study and grabbed a couple of notebooks and pens. The pair sat down and began to think, noting down all they had thus far on the case. Twenty minutes later, Sally was knocking on the door.

Heero opened the door for the doctor and allowed her entry.

"Heero? What is going on? Wufei said Duo, Margaret and Keitaro are missing?"

"Come through to the study, Sally, and we will fill you in." Heero led the way down the hall to the study.

Wufei smiled softly at the doctor as she entered. "Doctor Po," he greeted.

"For heaven's sake, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Sally?" the woman growled.

Wufei looked suitably chastised. "Sally," he corrected, "Thank you for coming to help."

"It's my pleasure. Now, will you care to brief me fully so I know what assistance I can give?"

Heero took up the tale, explaining how Duo had left early to follow up on a lead and when he'd gotten home there was no sign of his husband, nanny or son. He told Sally of the missing knives, security system turned off and no note from Duo as to his whereabouts. Having concluded with his attempts to contact both Duo and the nanny and Barney's input about shopping, Heero finished and looked at the doctor. "This is so not Duo," he whispered, voice cracking a little.

Sally thought deep and hard before asking a few questions. Having gotten her answers, she fixed Heero with her gaze and spoke softly. "You would know far better than I about Duo's habits, however, I think I know a little more about Margaret. I can tell you now, this is not like her at all. She's always one for sticking to a routine when it comes to children and I know she simply adores Keitaro and there's no way she would interrupt his routine unless absolutely necessary."

Heero had to agree with Sally there. He'd not spent the past seven months with the nurse looking after the child without knowing she was completely devoted to her job.

"That means there must be something seriously wrong for her to be this late," Wufei interjected.

"Exactly," Sally replied. "Frankly, I'm worried." She saw the look of fear on Heero's face and quickly clarified her words. "I don't mean worried as in any harm befallen them, Heero. Margaret would never put your son in any danger; she would protect him with her life. What I mean is I'm worried because it's obvious that Margaret can't for some reason get back home or contact us. If her car is the problem, she would have called for assistance and let someone here know. If her cell is flat, I'm sure she would have found a phone box or some other way to contact home. Has anyone spoken to Harim?"

"We were just in the process of listing down what we know and what we need to find out or confirm," Wufei huffed.

"Then I suggest we get on to it," Sally said took a seat.

"Trowa and Quatre are on their way," Heero stated.

"They are?"

"Hai. They called a little while ago. Quatre's always been empathic as you know and he had a strong feeling that all wasn't right."

"How much can he tell with his empathy?"

"I'm not completely sure. All he said was he could feel something was wrong. We can ask him more when they arrive tomorrow. They should be earth side around seven in the morning. I don't know how long it will take them to get here, but they're coming direct to the mansion."

"Fine."

"If everyone is finished, might I suggest we get back to looking for clues?" Wufei said.

The three began to jot down notes.

* * *

Duo diligently hacked away at the crumbling mortar surrounding the window. He managed to make some headway, although it was tough going with only a small lock pick. What he wouldn't have given for some C4 right then. He was careful to collect all the bits of cement and hide them amongst some rags in the corner of the basement. The last thing he needed was for their attempted escape route to be discovered. Luckily the window was on the side of the basement wall that didn't get a lot of light. Whilst it made it tougher to see for 'digging', it also meant their captors wouldn't be able to see properly either.

Glancing at his watch, Duo noted his time was almost up. They would be coming for him in another fifteen minutes. Quickly he cleaned up the area, secured the lock pick back in his braid and washed his hands in the small bowl of water they'd been left.

Whilst he'd been working, his mind had been continuously swirling with thoughts on how to let Heero know where they were. It would have to be subtle, something only Heero would pick up on. His main problem would be hoping Heero would be a part of the investigation team into the death of the ambassador he was going to assassinate. He felt confident that Preventer would be assigned the case, it was the type of things the organization was set up for after all.

Having given himself a headache with all the thinking, Duo slumped into the chair and rubbed his temples. Then he had an idea.

The door to the basement opened and Duric came down the steps with his gun ready. "It's time to go," he told Duo.

The sound of Duric entering awoke Nurse Brown and she quickly sat up, looking to where Duo was rising from his seat. "Duo?"

Duo quickly went to the bed and placed a reassuring hand on the nurse's arm. "I'll be okay. You make sure to stay safe and look after my son for me."

Nurse Brown swallowed and nodded. "Take care of yourself."

"I will." Duo leaned over and pressed a kiss to the nurse's cheek then one to his son's head. "I love you, Keitaro."

"Come on, we don't have all night," Duric snapped.

With a sigh, Duo straightened and turned. He gave one last smile to the nurse, kissed Keitaro on the head again and left.

~ * ~

tbc...


	30. Chapter 30

**Thank you all for the kind reviews. Tension is set to increase as this rollercoaster is about to commence. ^_^**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 30

"Harim has confirmed that no one other than Nurse Brown, Duo, myself and you two have entered or left the premises today," Heero informed Sally and Wufei as he re-entered the mansion after paying Harim a visit.

Wufei rubbed his tired eyes. "We don't have much to work with," he stated.

"We might have a little more," Heero replied mysteriously.

"How?" asked Sally.

Heero waved a vid disc at the pair. "This is the surveillance disc from the monitors around the grounds."

"Ah. Then I suggest we play it," Wufei said and got up from his seat to follow Heero through to the lounge room, grabbing the notebook and pen as he did.

Heero put the vid disc in the machine and grabbed the remote. With the three of them settled comfortably on the couch, he hit play and they all watched intently.

There wasn't a lot of human movement on the disc which was to be expected, so Heero fast forwarded through the majority of it, pausing to play when one of them spotted something that might be of use. They watched as they left for work then skimmed through again.

"Hold it, Heero," Sally said as she spotted someone coming out of the mansion.

Heero duly hit the pause, then play button and the three stared intently at the screen, watching as Nurse Brown appeared with Keitaro and settled him in the car. The car departed and Heero hit pause again.

"Make a note of the time she left, Chang," Heero said, scanning the small clock on the bottom of the screen.

"Fourteen hundred," Chang replied and wrote it down. "Having left at that time, she should have been back ages ago."

"There didn't appear to be anything wrong with the car that I could see," Sally added.

Heero made a note of how far into the disc they were before continuing. He paused it again not long after. "That's Duo," he stated softly and they watched the disc as Duo appeared driving up to the house.

"Time?" Wufei asked.

Heero glanced at the clock on the bottom of the screen again. "Fifteen-thirty-five."

"Right."

The disc played again for a short while before Heero hit the pause again. This time Duo could be seen leaving the house and heading for his car in quite a hurry.

"Can you zoom in on him, Heero?" Sally asked, her brow wrinkled.

"What time does it say?" Chang demanded.

"Seventeen-ten, and I'll see what I can do about the close up."

The screen flickered a little as Heero did his best to close in on Duo. He'd also noticed something not quite right. When he managed to get fairly close without distorting the image too much, he stopped and stared.

"He looks upset," Sally commented.

"More like pissed off," Heero muttered as he studied the image closely.

Duo's face did appear to be fixed in anger, Heero could tell simply by looking into his husband's eyes that he wasn't a happy man.

"Why would he be so angry?" Chang puzzled. "If the nurse had called for assistance, I can't see him being annoyed over that."

Something in Heero's mind suddenly clicked and he shot upright in his seat. "Of course!"

"What?" Chang and Sally both said in unison.

"The vid phone," Heero replied as he dropped the remote to the couch and took off out the room and back to the office to where the vid phone was.

Sally and Wufei looked at each other before scrambling to their feet and following. When they entered the office, Heero was typing madly on the keyboard.

"Yuy?"

"If Nurse Brown called to get help, it will be logged in the vid phone memory. All I have to do is access the memory and I'll know any incoming or outgoing calls." Heero continued his typing.

"You can call up the records on your computer?" Sally questioned. "I thought you could only get those sorts of records through the vid phone company."

"That's usually how you do it," Heero replied. "But I have our vid phone hooked through the computer too, It's all part of the security upgrade I did when we first moved in here. With Duo's condition we took every precaution we could think of to keep his secret safe and that included the incoming and out going vid calls. We didn't want to risk the possibility of the media getting wind of anything."

"Smart move," Sally praised.

"Hn. Ah, here we go." The screen began to show a list of incoming and out going calls for the previous forty-eight hours. Heero began to scroll down the list, pausing to check more thoroughly any and all calls made after two that afternoon.

"That one," Wufei snapped and pointed to a sequence on the screen.

Heero highlighted the call in question and brought the details up on the screen. "That's not Nurse Brown's cell number," he growled.

"No, it isn't," Sally replied.

"The call came in at sixteen-fifty-five," Wufei noted.

"Fifteen minutes before he left," Heero pondered out aloud.

"Can you trace where that call came from?" Sally asked.

Heero cracked his knuckles. "Just _watch_ me."

* * *

Nurse Brown watched Duo leave, a heavy feeling in her heart. It wasn't fair he was being forced into murdering an innocent man. If only she'd been more aware, if only she'd tried to resist a little more, if only she still had her purse she could call for help, if only she'd grabbed the can of mace she kept in her purse at the first sign of trouble, _if only_...

If only. Too late. They were the saddest words in the English language.

No amount of 'if only's was going to change anything, only she could do that; and she was bound and determined there wasn't going to be a 'too late' added to the equation either! Noting that the door had been locked again had her mind ticking over to the lock pick Duo was going to leave for her. She got up and checked around for it. No luck.

Damn! He must have forgotten to leave it for her. Then another thought occurred to her. He would need that lock pick for what he had to do. With a grim look of determination on her face, Margaret began to hunt around the basement for anything she could use to dig away at the mortar.

Fifteen minutes later, she was fed up, her wrist hurt, Keitaro was starting to wake and she still hadn't found anything. Wearily she trudged back to the bed and soothed the infant. He needed a diaper change and feeding. She rummaged through the baby bag only to discover there were no clean diapers left - or formula for that matter. As Keitaro was now six months old, he was moving onto solid food and would require an actual meal, not just formula to see him through the night.

She glanced at her watch. The dial told her it was ten past ten. No wonder she was tired!

Keitaro began to cry louder.

Knowing there wasn't much she could do for the child, she began to call out for assistance. After five minutes, the door opened.

"What the fuck is all the yelling about?" Murphy snapped.

Margaret stopped her calls for help but Keitaro continued his wailing. Managing to raise her voice enough to be heard over the child's cries, Nurse Brown went into rant mode.

"This child is hungry and needs changing," she hollered.

"Then do it!" Murphy growled. "Just shut him up!"

"How am I supposed to feed and change him when I don't have any food, formula or clean diapers?" Margaret yelled back.

"Ah."

"I suggest you do something and do it quickly. This child has several more volume pitches he can reach and I'm sure the neighbors will get suspicious if he's not quieted soon."

The door closed, then reopened a few minutes later. Murphy came into the basement with a pen, paper and jug of water. "Here, give him some water to shut him up for a moment. Tell me what you need and I'll make a list."

Frowning, but with no other option, Nurse Brown rinsed out one of the baby bottles and filled it with the water. She knew it wouldn't keep him quiet for long, but it would help a little. Whilst she gave the child his drink, she rattled off a list of what she wanted.

Murphy looked at the list. "You sure you need _all_ this shit?"

"Unless you want a screaming child on your hands for however long it is you intend to keep us here, I'd suggest you get it all and then some."

"Okay." Murphy got up and went to leave.

"Make sure you get the correct size diapers too. Six to nine months."

Murphy shook his head and left.

Margaret sat back and cradled the child as best she could, talking soothingly to him and hoping their captors wouldn't take too long to get the things she needed. As if sensing all was not right, Keitaro kept his wailing to low whimpers.

Murphy managed to find a store open that stocked all the baby things he needed on the list. He grabbed a cart and all but ran up and down the aisles, tossing in the things from the list. He double checked the size on the packet of disposable diapers, grunting in satisfaction at having gotten the right ones. Within half an hour he had everything and was headed back to the hideout.

"About time," Margaret snipped as Murphy entered the basement with the things she'd requested. Keitaro had steadily gotten louder in his demands to be fed and changed and Margaret was starting to get a little flustered herself being unable to do anything other than wait.

She rummaged through the bags that contained the 'shopping' and pulled out what she needed. "Here, take that and heat it up for me," she demanded as she passed over a tin of baby food.

"What?"

"Are you deaf? I said, take the can, open it, put the food into a bowl and heat it up. Then, bring it back here with a spoon so I can feed the child. Whilst you're at it, I need some hot water to make up the formula, preferably boiled water and some cool, bottled water to cool it off once I've made it up otherwise it will be too hot for him to drink."

Murphy blinked. "Now see here, you're not the one to give the orders..." he began, only to be stopped by Nurse Brown's sudden, angry interruption.

"No! Now, _you_ listen to _me_ and listen good. This child is hungry and needs to be fed. I will not compromise his health by feeding him cold food or giving him formula that may be contaminated. Whilst we're on the topic, you can take these bottles, scrub them clean and boil them up too."

"Do it yourself," snarled Murphy.

"And just _how_ do you expect me to do that? I don't have access to the facilities I need to start with, and then there's the slight problem of this." Nurse Brown indicated her broken wrist. "Seeing as how you lot were the ones who decided we were to partake of your hospitality, regardless of whether we wanted to or not, you're now going to have to face up to your responsibilities as a host. I didn't ask to be here, I didn't ask for you to injure me; this child is an innocent being dragged into all this rubbish, so the least you can do is allow me to give him a hot _meal_!"

By the time Nurse Brown had finished her rant, she was seething with anger. Keitaro had gone quiet and Murphy was looking wide eyed at the woman and was decidedly nervous.

"Ah, pass me the can and bottles and I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you." Margaret snapped and then passed the items over. "Make sure the food isn't too hot either," she ordered as Murphy beat a hasty retreat.

With Murphy gone, the adrenaline began to drain from the nurse and she sagged a little, sitting on the bed next to the infant and resting her head in her one hand. "I don't believe I just did that," she whispered.

Keitaro gurgled and gave the nurse a big grin.

Margaret smiled. "Come on, little man, let's see what we can do about getting you changed."

* * *

"Here." Duric passed over a small sheaf of papers to Duo as he drove through the night.

Duo took them and began to look through. They were basic, crude drawings of the building the L1 ambassador was staying in.

"They will give you the information you need. Ambassador is using the second guest bedroom."

"Security?"

"Cameras and outer perimeter guard patrol. Razor wire on top of wall."

Duo continued to study the crude blueprints, a plan slowly forming in his mind.

"You have forty-five minutes to get in, do the job and get out," Duric informed him.

"And if I don't?"

"You will have a communicator with you. I will be in touch constantly with you and should the need arise, I can allow a window of another ten minutes at the most. I remind you, talking to anyone, trying to escape or aid your escape by informing anyone of your actions will result in the immediate termination of the child and nanny." Duric spared a moment to look at Duo. "The communicator also doubles as a rather destructive explosive. If you fail to complete the job, try to inform anyone of what is happening or get caught in the process, the thing will detonate." Duric gave an evil grin.

"And don't even think about trying to diffuse it. Any tampering will result in an immediate detonation."

Duo chewed that over in his mind for a moment.

"Just in case you're thinking of playing the hero and blowing yourself up with it anyway, remember this; we still have the child and nanny, the only way they will remain alive is if you complete the job and return."

The anger roiled inside Duo. Either way he was screwed.

* * *

"Got it!" Heero exclaimed and immediately Wufei and Sally were beside him, looking eagerly at the screen.

"That's where it originated from?" asked Sally.

"Hai. Those are the coordinates for the place where the call was made from."

"Can you...?" Wufei didn't get any further.

"Already tracking it down," Heero replied as his fingers flew over the keyboard and a map of the city appeared in another window, the gridlock narrowing as it homed in on the coordinates.

"There!" Wufei pointed to a spot on the screen.

"The call was made from within five hundred meters of that spot," Heero stated confidently.

"Then why are we sitting here?" Sally questioned. "Let's go check it out."

Leaving the computer still on, Heero grabbed his gun, jacket and keys, following Wufei and Sally out of the mansion and into the car to check the origin of the call.

* * *

Duric slowed the car down and turned off the headlights. They coasted along a badly lit back street, passing almost silently along the road between average looking houses. Duric brought the car to a stop in a shadowed alley way and cut the engine. Only the moonlight penetrated the car.

"The property is just at the end of the road, to the right. You'll see it as soon as you get to the T-junction." Duric grabbed a bag from under his seat and withdrew several items from within. He fiddled with one of the items before handing it over to Duo. "That's your communicator. Remember what I said before about it. I will be able to monitor you at all times, however, I'll only contact you when necessary. Other than that, you contact me should you need to."

Duo took the small contraption and stared at it intently. It was similar to the ones that Preventer used, but different in a crude way. It was obviously home made, slightly larger that Preventer ones and not as sophisticated. A small ear piece was passed over which Duo proceeded to put in his ear.

Testing the unit, Duo could hear the sounds easily enough, even though there was a bit of static through the connection.

"There's also a small camera located in the base of it. I expect photographs to prove you've done your job."

Scowling, Duo checked out the camera operation; it was similar to those installed in cell phones. He felt his gut churn, bad enough he had to take a life, but now they wanted pictures too!?

"Here." Duric handed Duo a knife.

The knife was small, blade glinting in the moonlight as Duo turned it over in his hands and checked the sharpness of it. "I'd rather have my own," he commented as the edge left much to be desired. "This isn't exactly sharp."

"It's sharp enough," Duric snapped.

"Not to cause a relatively painless and quick death," Duo retorted. In his mind he knew if he had to kill the ambassador, the least he could do was make it swift and as pain free as possible. His knives would do that easily, this one would be like trying to cut leather with spoon.

"You make do with what you have," Duric snarled.

"Then give me a gun."

"No, too noisy and messy."

"Using this blunt thing will mean it's going to be noisy and messy anyway. Ever heard of silencers?"

"Enough! The clock is ticking and time's running out. Use the knife and remember, no tricks or the ambassador's won't be the only funeral happening. I expect you to be in and out, job complete and back here to the car in forty-five minutes maximum."

Grabbing the blue prints, Duo gave them one last glance over, trusting his photographic memory to keep the plans safe in his head. He exited the car and made his way out of the alley and to the bottom of the street. He glanced left and right, spotted the wall with the razor wire and noted his target.

Tucking his braid down the back of the black sweater they'd given him, Duo checked the knife where he'd stashed it in his boot and began to look for the best way over the wall and into the property.

* * *

Wufei drove whilst Heero gave directions. The place where the call had come from was across the other side of the city. As they began to close in on their target, Sally, along with Heero, scoured the passing landscape with their eyes, looking for any sign of Duo, Nurse Brown, Keitaro or the missing cars.

It was futile. No trace of human or vehicle was to be seen.

"It should be around here," Wufei said as he checked the coordinates against the street he was driving along.

All three doubled their efforts.

"Shit!" Wufei hissed.

"What?" Heero barked.

Wufei pointed.

On the corner of the street, in the exact spot the coordinates said, stood a public telephone box.

"Well, that certainly fucked up that idea," came Sally's voice.

"We have no way of finding out who made that call now. Way too many people use the public phones, it could be anyone of over a hundred people," Heero sighed, the defeat showing in his face.

"If it was Margaret who called, I'm sure there would be a resident around here that would remember a nanny and baby. For that matter, if she's broken down around here, then surely both Duo and Margaret's cars should be here somewhere?" Sally's logic made sense.

"We should search the surrounding side streets and maybe do a bit of door knocking to see if anyone has seen them," Wufei suggested.

"Searching the side streets is a good idea, but I don't think knocking on peoples doors is such a good idea right now," replied Sally.

"Why not?"

"It's ten-thirty at night, Wufei."

"Ah. I see. Good point. Maybe we should stick to looking for the cars now and do the door knocking tomorrow," Wufei replied.

Before Wufei could start to formulate a plan for searching the streets, his cell rang. Pulling over to the side of the road, he fished it out of his pocket and noted the caller id. "Commander?"

Heero fidgeted nervously as Chang spoke briefly with the commander.

"We're on our way now, commander." Wufei closed the cell and put it back in his pocket.

"What's going on?" Heero asked impatiently.

"One of the agents has spotted a car matching the description of the one Nurse Brown drives. We are to go there immediately and positively identify it."

"Keitaro?" Heero whispered.

"There's no sign of the nanny or the child."

~ * ~

tbc...


	31. Chapter 31

**Many thanks to all who are reading!**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 31

Duo kept himself in the shadows as he moved along the wall. He picked a likely spot and pulled the sweater off, tucking his braid down the back of his shirt for now. Tying the arms of the sweater around his waist, he managed to locate enough of the broken and jutting bricks to find hand and foot holds, the gloves he was wearing helping him to quickly scale the wall. When he was about to reach the top, He pulled the sweater from around his waist and tossed it over the razor wire. Heaving himself up, he kept low and took a look around.

The building stood just ahead and slightly to the left, below there were garden beds at the base of the wall with low shrubs in them. Duo glanced around and noted the foot guard patrolling the perimeter heading away from his current location. Sighing softly, he gingerly climbed over the razor wire and pulled the sweater free, letting it drop silently to the ground. The bricks weren't as broken on this side and Duo managed to get about half way down the wall before letting go and landing quietly amongst the shrubbery. He picked up the sweater and put it back on, keeping his hair tucked inside.

Crawling through the low shrubs, Duo observed the guard, noting his movements and waited for his chance. Once the guard had passed by, He slunk across the garden, keeping in the shadows and amongst the plants as much as he was able. He spotted the locations of the external cameras, having a fairly good idea already where they would be mounted. Working for Preventer had seen both Heero and himself assigned as bodyguards from time to time for visiting dignitaries and as such, they knew the basic camera layout used on most of the residences that the visitors stayed at. Although Duo had never seen this place before, he knew the cameras would be placed in the same, basic positions as all the other residences.

Sure enough, there was one positioned on each corner of the building he was now looking at. Duo smiled to himself and also made a mental note to let Une know they really needed to change and vary how security was set for such places. Knowing the range of the camera, length and duration of each sweep, also came in handy. Watching carefully, Duo waited until he knew the camera would be facing away from where he proposed to enter the building, then crept forth.

He paused by a window and snuck a look inside. There was an empty wine glass sitting on the table and the lights were low. Duo thought it a safe bet that the L1 ambassador had retired for the night. Using all his stealth skills, Duo crept to a side door and fiddled with his braid, pulling out the lock pick. It suddenly dawned on him, he'd meant to leave the lock pick for Nurse Brown. Just as well he hadn't.

Slipping the thin piece of metal into the lock, he jiggled it around and gave a grin as the tumblers fell into place and the door unlocked. Still keeping low, Duo slipped inside.

* * *

Heero's mouth was set in a grim line as Wufei turned the car around and drove to where Une had said the car fitting Nurse Brown's car's description was parked. His mind was working overtime, flooded with questions and none of the answers were forthcoming right now. "Where is the car?" Heero asked in an attempt to stop his mind from chasing itself.

"It's in a car park by the Sutherlands recreation reserve," Wufei replied.

"Who found it?"

"I don't know," Chang replied honestly. "All Une said was another agent had called in saying he'd spotted a car matching the description you gave her of the nanny's car."

"Hn."

Silence returned, each locked in their own thoughts of what they would find.

* * *

The door to the basement opened again and Nurse Brown looked up from where she was sitting next to the child on the bed. Keitaro had settled a little, only whimpering from time to time and that helped to soothe the nanny's nerves a little.

"Is this okay?" Murphy asked as he entered carrying a tray with several items on it. He set the tray down on the small, rickety table.

Margaret stood up and took a look at the items. There were two large bottles of water, one hot and one cold, an empty jug, tin of formula and a small, plastic bowl with the baby food in it. To the side sat a small teaspoon. "Thank you, this should be fine," she said and immediately checked the temperature of the food in the bowl.

Seeing he was no longer needed, Murphy beat a hasty exit, locking the door behind him. Whilst he didn't particularly like the woman, he didn't hate her either; more like he was a touch wary of her. He'd not been scolded in a manner like the nanny had earlier since he was a little boy and his mother caught him pinching apples from the elderly man down the street's garden.

With the smell of food, Keitaro's whimpering had started to rise in volume, he was hungry.

"Okay, little man. Let's get you sitting up a bit so I can feed you." The nurse managed to arrange the pillow and prop the child against it, pushing her jacket and the baby bag on either side to prevent him from falling over. Keitaro could sit quite happily by himself and was just starting to find his hands and knees for crawling. It wouldn't be long and he would be mobile - then his parents would really know they had a child!

Happy that the child was as supported as he could be, Margaret fetched the bowl, putting the spoon in it and set it down on the side of the bed. She carefully sat herself, then reached for the spoon and began to feed the infant.

* * *

Duo glided like a ghost through the large residence, his photographic memory providing him with the layout and finding the L1 ambassador's bed chamber easily enough. He'd avoided the cameras thus far and only come across two menservants whom he was easily able to avoid. On his way through the residence, he'd stopped by the kitchen, pleased to find it empty and rifled through the drawers. Regardless of what Duric said, Duo was not going to use a blunt knife. He'd been lucky and found a sharpening steel. It only took him a minute or two to sharpen the blade up. It still wasn't as sharp as he would have liked, but it was a hell of a lot better than it had been!

Crouched low, Duo pressed his ear against the door and listened carefully. The only sound he could hear was that of low snoring. His eyes darkened, breathing deepened as Duo drew on all his inner strength. He closed his eyes and allowed the dark side of his persona to come forth, almost welcoming the other half of his mind. If he had to do this then he would utilize his alter ego. During the war he'd allowed Shinigami to take over, it had been the only way he knew to cope with the mass destruction and loss of life dealt by his own hand.

He felt the darkness well up inside, a soft caress against his troubled mind, soothing and easing him into the role he had to play. Mouth set into a grim line, Duo opened his eyes, the soft amethyst hue gone and replaced with a deep, purple fire. Carefully, he eased the door open and slithered inside.

* * *

Duric checked his watch again. It had been twenty minutes. So far there had been no communication between himself and Maxwell. Duric didn't know if that was a good thing or not. His mind moved on though, analyzing the reasons for being here and doing what he was.

It was a fact that L2 was not getting the help it so desperately needed, Cropp had managed to send through some proof of that - although it remained to be seen exactly what else he'd found before being terminated. Farrow had done his best, but he wasn't as skilled as Duric would have liked. Maybe if Cropp hadn't been discovered they would have the indisputable proof that all was not right and could have gone to the authorities through the right channels.

"Yeah, and pigs might fly too," he snorted softly to himself.

He knew himself that L2 was always the last to receive anything from Earth or the other colonies alike. It was as if all the other colonies wished L2 to simply vanish. Sure, it wasn't the most profitable or affluent of colony clusters, but that wasn't the citizens' fault. Duric blamed the governments at the time of colony building for the state of L2.

When the colonies had first begun to be built, funding had been allocated up to a certain point and all colonies had benefited. Then the money had run out from the government and private industry had taken over to finish off what remained. The other four colonies had major investors sink funding into them, but L2?

L2, from what Duric had learned, attracted the less glamorous investors. Crime lords, drug barons and the like saw a chance and took it, investing in the L2 cluster. From there, L2's checkered existence began; and the rest as they say - is history.

Sadly, there was no escaping one's past and many of the L2 citizens took to a life of crime to survive. On each of the colonies contained within the cluster there remained small bands of criminals, drug users, whores and the homeless. The war had managed to wipe out a lot of them; although Duric had his suspicions in some cases that it wasn't just the war that had decimated the population. Now L2 had the chance to re-build, drag itself out of the poverty stricken cycle it had fallen into and make something of itself - only to be stalled yet again.

He could see Nolen's point, his reasons for doing what he was, and when Duric had been approached to join him in his cause, he hadn't hesitated. Whilst he knew in his own mind that killing wasn't going to be the answer, it would sure as hell get them the attention they desired and maybe, just maybe some good could come out of all this.

Duric sighed and looked at his watch again. Thirty minutes had passed. Maxwell should be returning soon. So far it seemed that all was going well. Duric hadn't heard any alarms, not seen any indication that his hostage had been caught so he had to presume everything was okay. He reached for a packet in his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. Lighting it, he drew back and then exhaled, eyes watching the shadows for the return of Maxwell.

* * *

"Over there," Sally said and pointed.

Wufei nodded and slowed the car, turning into the car park and driving over to where there were a couple of cars parked. He brought the vehicle to a stop and cut the engine, Yuy and Sally hopping out as soon as the car stopped.

Heero strode over to the car only to be stopped by a police officer. A Preventer agent stepped up and addressed the officer when he recognized Heero. "Officer, this is Agent Day of Preventer. He's the one that notified us of the missing car and persons."

"Agent Day," the officer nodded. "I'm Constable Gilmore."

"Pleased to meet you," Heero returned and shook the officer's hand. "This is Agent Fire and Doctor Po."

Sally and Wufei exchanged greetings with the officer. "Who found the car?" asked Wufei.

The preventer agent filled them in. "I was on my way home when I spotted the police car in the car park. I pulled in to see if I could be of any assistance and recognized the vehicle as being one of the two that matched the description that Commander Une had alerted us all to keep an eye out for. I called HQ to get a verification on the number plate and it matched. Apparently the police had a report of what appeared to be an abandoned vehicle in the car park from a nearby resident and so they came to look into it."

"When I called the information in, we didn't have any reports of this vehicle being stolen, or reported as missing and I was about to call the captain to see what he wanted doing about it when this guy turned up," Officer Gilmore supplied, nodding at the preventer agent.

"It hasn't been reported missing as yet to the police," Heero replied.

Gilmore cocked an eyebrow.

Heero didn't elaborate, instead, he began to ask a few questions of his own. "Was there any sign of the occupants when you got here?"

"No. The car is exactly as I found it."

Heero moved closer to the vehicle, peering inside and trying to see if there were any clues as to the nanny or Keitaro's whereabouts.

Chang took over questioning the officer and other Preventer agent, making notes in his notebook. Once he was satisfied he had all he was going to get, he thanked the officer and told him that Preventer would now be taking over the case. The other agent was dismissed after also being thanked and Wufei turned his attention to the nanny's car.

Sighing, Heero straightened and ran a hand over his face. "It's locked, no sign of a struggle or anything else to indicate a problem."

Sally looked around and noted the paths leading into the park. "Doesn't Margaret bring Keitaro to the lake from time to time? I know she always used to go herself and feed the ducks."

"Hai. She does." Heero paused and swallowed, hard. "You don't think..."

Sally cut him off from that train of thought. "No, Heero. That lake isn't deep at all. There's no way either Keitaro or Margaret are in there. If by any possible chance Keitaro had managed to fall into the lake, Margaret would have had him out in two seconds flat. It's only about two foot deep so there's no way the nanny could be in there without anyone seeing her."

Whilst that made Heero feel a little better, it still didn't solve the mystery of where the nanny and his son were.

"Got it."

Heero and Sally spun around to face Chang who had spoken.

"Got what?" Sally questioned.

Chang gave a smirk and held up a piece of wire. He opened the car door. "Maxwell's not the only one with skills," he smiled.

Heero didn't even _want_ to know where Wufei had learnt to open car door locks with wire, but was grateful for the skill. The three rummaged around in the car, searching for anything that would give them a clue as to where the nanny and child could be.

"Stroller's missing, also the baby bag," Sally said, sticking her head out from inside the trunk.

"Engine's cold which means its been parked here for a while," Heero added.

"Nothing unusual in the interior," Wufei said as he emerged.

Heero shook his head in frustration. "Where the hell can they be?" he asked, voice bordering on the hysterical.

"Easy, Heero," Sally soothed. "We will find them."

"How? We have no clue as to their whereabouts at all! There's nothing to work with, no clues, just dead ends!"

"Yuy, I know how difficult this is for you right now, but please, trust us. We will find them, all of them; and bring them home safe and sound," Wufei said, his mouth set in a grim line.

"But how, Chang? We don't have a fucking clue where the hell they are, or if they're okay. Not a word, a sign, nothing!" Heero knew he was being unreasonable, but he didn't care. Right now his heart was being torn from him, his grief over the disappearance of his family clouding everything in his mind

"I promise you, we will find them and bring them all home safe." Wufei fixed Heero with his dark eyes. "Have I ever broken a promise to you?"

That brought Heero up short. He lowered his eyes. "No," he whispered, his mind going back to several months ago when Duo had gone into premature labor and he'd been on an assignment. Chang had promised to have him at the hospital in time for Keitaro's birth, and his Chinese friend hadn't let him down.

"I won't break this one either," Wufei vowed.

Sally waited patiently at the side for the two men to finish, allowing them a moment of silence. Once Heero had regained his composure, she spoke up. "I think it would be a good idea to get this car back to headquarters where the forensics team can take a look over it. I'd suggest after that, we all go home and try to get some sleep. Tomorrow we can return and do a complete sweep of the park and surrounding area, ask questions, talk to people. Heero?"

"Hai?"

"Can you dig up a recent photograph of Margaret, Keitaro and Duo? It would help if we have a picture to show people, see if they remember seeing any of them."

Heero nodded. As much as he wanted to stay and search the park now, he knew it would be futile. They couldn't see much in the dark and working with torches they could miss vital clues. Trowa and Quatre were also arriving first thing on the 'morrow and they would be an extra pair to assist in the search. Reluctantly, Heero agreed to return home. "How will we get the car back to HQ?"

"Leave that to me," Wufei smirked.

"That's right, I'd forgotten you're the expert when it comes to hot wiring," Heero replied with a hint of humor.

"One is only as good as his teacher," Wufei replied. "And I had the very _best_ of teachers," he added a moment later. Wufei moved to the car and proceeded to hot wire it, Heero's thoughts once again drifting to a certain police car and Chinese agent that had managed to hot wire that and get him to the hospital in time for his son's birth.

* * *

Once inside the bedroom, Duo flattened himself against the wall and took stock of the room. His sharp eyes made a quick note of the lack of security cameras - fortunate for him, but unfortunate for the ambassador. His target lay underneath the covers on the large bed, the snoring a little louder now he was in the room with the man.

The ambassador's back was to Duo, one arm out of the covers and resting on top. Taking a deep breath, Duo forced himself to relax a touch and move silently across the room. Inside his head his other persona was taking stock, planning the best way to end the ambassador's life quickly and painlessly.

A gloved hand reached for the knife and tested the sharpness of it once more. The inner voice told him the best way to proceed would be to slit the man's throat, but in order to make it quick and painless, he would need to use quite a bit of strength. Had he had his own knives, there wouldn't be a problem; they were razor sharp. This one was going to take a little more strength behind it.

Feeling the soft caress of Shinigami against his mind, Duo surrendered to the dark presence and let him do his work.

The ambassador didn't have a chance. His head was pulled back and before his eyes could open or arm could move, the blade flashed down and across, red, life giving fluid pouring from the gash and being soaked up rapidly by the bedclothes. His eyes did manage to blink open for a second, but they saw nothing but darkness as his life force ebbed from within.

A soft gurgle indicated that the job was done and Duo released the man's hair, allowing the head to fall back against the pillow. His fingers slipped over the eyelids and closed them.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered softly and wiped the blade clean on the end of the bed sheet.

Removing the small communicator, Duo took the requested pictures, trying to keep the bile in his stomach from forcing its way up his gullet. Putting the communicator away, he tugged at a few wisps of hair that had escaped his braid. He knew that Preventer would be called in to investigate the murder and he could only hope that Chang or Heero would be a part of the investigating team. Pulling the few hairs from his scalp, he twined them together and managed to slip them into the ambassador's hand, closing the fingers around them. Gritting his teeth and bringing his stomach back under control, Duo took the tip of the knife and dipped it into the rapidly disappearing blood. On the edge of the pillow he smeared the blood into a tiny message.

'02 + 2'

He sent a silent prayer that his small clue would be found and that Heero would understand.

For now that was all he could do.

Checking his watch, he realized he only had fifteen minutes to get back out of the house and to where Duric waited. Pocketing the knife, he exited the room.

* * *

Located deep inside Duo's abdomen, the cells were still multiplying, the small being beginning to take on a very crude similarity to that of a human child.

~ * ~

tbc...


	32. Chapter 32

**Thank you to all who are reading and hugs for the lovely reviews! The feedback is very much appreciated. ^_^**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 32

Heero drove Nurse Brown's car back to Preventer headquarters, Wufei and Sally following behind in Wufei's car. Driving into the underground parking area, Heero parked the car and got out, leaving the engine running for the moment. They would need to contact the skeleton night crew to gain access to the forensics garage and leave the car there for the forensics team to do their work the following day.

Parking beside the nanny's car, Wufei shut his engine off and leaving Sally with Heero, he went to organize the moving of the car to the proper place. He'd thought Heero could use the company more than him under the circumstances, hence his leaving Sally with the Japanese agent.

"If there are any clues in the car, Heero, you know the forensics team will find them," Sally said, her voice reassuring.

"I know." Heero's voice sounded dejected even to his own ears.

Sally put a comforting arm around is shoulders. "We will find them, Heero."

Sad, blue eyes looked at her and Sally felt a lump rise in her throat.

"What if we don't? What if they're..." Heero paused and swallowed hard. "I can't live without them," he whispered.

"_Heero Yuy-Maxwell!"_ Sally snapped, using the agent's full married name. "Now you listen to me and listen good. We will find them, all three of them. Obviously there is something very wrong, we know that Duo or Nurse Brown would not have simply left without letting you know where they were going, and that for some reason they are unable to contact you. Now is when you need to be strong for them, use those skills you developed during the war and put them to use in locating your husband and son. I know damn well that Duo would be doing everything he possibly can to either get back to you or let you know where he is. The Heero I know isn't a quitter." Sally knew the words were harsh, but she needed to jolt Heero out of his self loathing and misery, needed to get him back online and functioning as the top agent he was.

It seemed to work.

The hard words struck a chord in Heero. Sally was right, Duo, Keitaro and Nurse Brown needed him, needed him to find them. He straightened his back and took a deep breath. "Mission accepted," he said quietly.

* * *

Keitaro finished his meal and began to doze off. Margaret smiled softly at the child and covered him over with the ratty blanket. Checking he was secure, she turned back to the used dishes and began to stack them up on the tray Murphy had brought the food, water and other utensils in on. As she placed the bowl and spoon there, a thought came to her and she paused. Her eyes looked at the spoon and then to the window.

Without further thought, she grabbed the spoon and made her way over to the crumbling mortar. She dug in with the spoon and almost sobbed with relief. The mortar was crumbling enough that the spoon had an instant effect, the broken, chalky bits of masonry giving way a lot easier under the spoon's assault than when Duo had tried with the lock pick.

Happy to have found something of use, Nurse Brown began to chip away, pleased to have something to occupy herself with and useful too. She kept an ear out for the sounds of anyone approaching the basement door whilst she slowly, but surely made progress.

* * *

Slipping through the shadows, Duo made his way out of the ambassador's residence, avoiding the cameras and security guards. He located the place on the wall where he'd climbed over and waited for the guard to pass by before removing his sweater, tying it around his waist and scaling the wall again. The sweater covered the razor wire and allowed him to slip over without damaging himself. Once he knew he was clear, he grabbed the sweater and jumped to the ground, landing with a soft thud.

A quick glance up and down the street confirmed he was alone. Slipping the sweater back on, Duo began to walk silently and quickly back to where Duric waited.

Duric's eyes were scanning the area, watching and waiting for Duo to return. He'd heard nothing over the communicator, no sounds of alarms going off so he assumed that everything was going according to plan. The sweat trickled down his back, his nerves becoming edgy as the time allowed began to draw to a close.

Then his eyes picked up on a shadow.

Duo slid into the passenger seat of the car and tossed the communicator to Duric. "It's done," he said flatly.

Taking the communicator, Duric flicked a couple of switches and saw the first of the photos. He closed his eyes briefly, swallowing the bile in his throat and turned the thing off. Turning the ignition key, the car roared to life and they left the scene of the crime.

* * *

It didn't take Wufei long to locate an agent with the authority to open the forensics garage and he soon returned to Heero and Sally. "Agent Summer is waiting by the entry to the forensics section. He will open the doors so we can take the car in there ready for the team to start work on it tomorrow morning."

Heero nodded and got back in the car, Wufei and Sally walking just ahead. Moments later the large door to the forensics garage section opened and Heero drove the car inside, bringing it to a halt in the bay that Agent Summer had indicated. Wufei pulled on a couple of wires once Heero had exited and the car's engine shut off.

Heero stood to one side with Sally and let Wufei explain to the other agent about the car, making sure to let him know that the forensics team would be fully briefed in the morning on why the vehicle was there. With the briefing over, Wufei returned to the pair.

"I'll take you home, Yuy," he said quietly.

Blue eyes looked up and Heero opened his mouth to protest. He wanted to head back to the park and start looking for any clues there that may indicate where Nurse Brown, Duo and Keitaro may have vanished to.

Seeing the protest coming, Wufei was quick to cut it off. "There isn't anything we can do out there right now. It's dark and getting late. You need to return home and get some rest, it's going to be a very busy day tomorrow and you will need to be alert and ready to go."

Whilst Heero knew what Chang sad was true, it didn't mean he had to like it.

"What time did you say Quatre and Trowa were arriving?" Sally asked as Chang took Yuy by the elbow and practically propelled him towards Wufei's car.

"Sometime in the early morning," Heero replied mechanically. "They didn't give an actual time, said they would contact me once they were earth side."

"Okay." Sally looked at Wufei who read the unspoken question and nodded in agreeance. "Come on, let's get you back home then. We can discuss our plan of action for tomorrow on the ride home."

With Heero in the car, Wufei set off for the mansion.

* * *

Duric brought the car to a stop around the back of the house they were using as a base. He climbed out, making sure to stay slightly behind Duo as they walked towards the back door. Duric knocked sharply three times, paused then knocked again twice, waiting for a brief moment before the door cracked open an inch.

Seeing Duric on the other side, Murphy opened the door to admit the two men.

"Where's Nolen?" Duric asked.

"Through there," Murphy replied with a nod of his head in the direction of the hallway.

Duric grabbed Duo by the arm and pushed him towards the hall. They walked silently along until they came to a door which Duric knocked on.

"Enter." Nolen looked up from where he was looking over the shoulder of Farrow who was busy typing commands into a laptop. Farrow quickly minimized the window when Nolen nudged him. Walking around from behind the desk, Nolen approached the pair. "Well?"

"It's complete," Duric replied and passed over the communicator.

"Good. Take him back to the other two then report back to me."

"Fine." Duric turned and pushed Duo towards the door.

Duo growled low in his throat, his hands twitching with the effort it took to stop himself from grabbing the guy around the neck and snapping it. He had to be patient, he reminded himself. His opportunity would come, of that he was sure. And when it did, Duric would rue the day he was born.

* * *

Hearing the sounds of someone coming down the stairs towards the basement, Margaret quickly hid the spoon and positioned herself in the chair, trying to look like she was dozing. The door opened and she looked up to see Duo shoved through it, the door slamming shut behind him.

"Duo? Oh lord! Are you all right, son?" she asked as she shot out of her chair and across the room to the young man.

"I'm okay," Duo replied wearily. "Keitaro?"

"He's fine, sleeping now."

Duo shuffled across the room to the bed and gazed lovingly at his son. He felt his heart swell and a lump rise in his throat as he took in every detail of the sleeping infant. He was so relived to find his son safe and the nanny too. He felt the last of his energy reserves draining, leaving him washed out; the emotional roller coaster he'd been on finally catching up with him.

"Duo? I think you should sit down," the nanny said, concern in her voice. Duo looked rather pale to her.

Turning, Duo gave the nanny a soft smile. "I'll be okay, it's just the adrenaline leaving the system and the relief that you're both still okay."

Regardless of Duo's words, Margaret gently steered him to the chair, sitting him in it and fussing over him. "I'd make you a cup of tea if I could," she said softly. "But they haven't given me anything I can use to boil water in, or tea even."

"It's okay," Duo said as he rested his hand on the nanny's arm. He could tell she was relieved he was back. "How are you holding up?"

"It's not been easy, I ran out of formula and diapers."

"Then where did all this come from?" Duo asked as he waved at the bag of diapers sitting to one side on the floor and the tray with the used dishes and utensils on it.

"I decided if we're to be guests of these people, the least they can do is to look after us properly."

"In other words, you read them the riot act," Duo snickered.

"Not quite how I would have put it, but yes, I did make certain demands of my own," the nurse replied with a small smile.

Duo could just picture the nurse letting fly with a barrage of words. Whilst she may be small in stature and a female to boot, she could certainly be a formidable force when necessary. Heero may have the glare, but Nurse Brown had the vocabulary. "How is the wrist?"

"Aches," the nurse replied honestly.

"Here." Duo slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small packet of Paracetamol.

"Where did you get these?" the nurse asked as she took the packet and quickly popped two of the pills out of their foil seal. She picked up the water bottle and poured some out into the small mug Murphy had given her earlier when he'd brought the baby things in.

"Let's just say they won't be of any use to the person I took them from," Duo replied in a slightly pained voice.

"Oh, Duo," Margaret said softly as she swallowed the pills and then came to crouch beside the chair. "They made you go through with it?"

Duo nodded, his voice too unsteady to trust right now.

Margaret placed her uninjured arm around the young man and drew him into a hug as best she could. "I'm so sorry, Duo."

The tears were threatening to fall, but Duo held them back. The frustration, anger and feeling of utter helplessness washed over him, leaving him in desperate need of the offered hug. In all his life he could only ever remember being held like this by one other person - Sister Helen. She'd been the closest thing to the mother he'd never known and right now he felt like a small, lost little boy in need of a mother's care. He let himself relax and accept the offered comfort.

* * *

Wufei had only just brought the car to a stop when Heero was out and striding towards the front door of the mansion. Sally followed quickly, Wufei jogging to catch up once he'd locked the car. Once inside the mansion, Heero made a beeline for the study, immediately checking the vid phone.

There were no missed calls, no messages. Heero really hadn't expected there to be, but he could always hope.

"Why don't you go take a shower, Yuy?"

Heero turned to look at his superior officer and nodded. Without speaking he left the room and headed for the stairs and his and Duo's bedroom.

Watching him leave, Wufei rubbed a tired hand over his face. A hand on his shoulder had him turning to see Sally standing behind him.

"I'll go see what's in the kitchen and make us all something to eat," she said.

"Thank you. I'll take a quick look upstairs and find us a couple of rooms we can use," Wufei replied.

With Sally departing for the kitchen to make supper, Chang followed in Heero's footsteps to find them both a room to sleep in.

Heero stripped off slowly, working completely on autopilot. The pain in his chest was currently a dull ache, an ache that he knew would only get deeper and more painful the longer Duo and Keitaro were missing.

The hot water rained down, wetting his skin as his hands soaped himself up. Washing himself was a mechanical task, his mind continuously processing all the information they had to date on the missing trio. Right now they didn't have much at all in the way of leads.

Shower finished, Heero dried himself off and slipped on a pair of sweats, t-shirt and sweater. Hanging the towel back up, he decided to go back to the computer, see if he could find any clues there as to where Duo may have gone.

* * *

Nolen passed the communicator over to Farrow who connected it to the computer and downloaded the pictures. Duric returned with Murphy in tow.

"Any problems?" Nolen asked while he waited for Farrow to finish.

"No," Duric replied. "He was in and out within forty minutes. No alarms went off and no lights came on so I assume all went according to plan."

"Good." Nolen turned back to the computer screen where the images were loading up.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Farrow muttered. "Excuse me." Without further preamble, Farrow quickly left the room.

Murphy snickered, but then turned an interesting shade of green when he saw what was on the screen. "I think I'll go check on Farrow."

Nolen shook his head, Duric gave a roll of his eyes.

Nolen studied the photos for a couple of minutes and seemed satisfied with the results. He shut the window down and sat in Farrow's vacated seat, thinking deeply.

"What's the next move?" Duric asked as he rested his hip on the desk and lit up a cigarette.

"By the morning this will be all over the news," Nolen replied. "We wait until the afternoon, then we contact the media."

Duric nodded.

"That's when we claim responsibility for the murder and let our demands be known."

"What if they don't believe us?"

"They will. I'll be sure to send a couple of photos to back up our claims and demands."

"What if they stall on the demands or don't deliver?" asked Duric.

"Then we will have to take out another politician; and we will keep assassinating until they take us seriously," Nolen growled.

"Okay, boss." Duric stretched and yawned. "I'm gonna grab some sleep. Murphy taking first watch?"

"Yes, if he can get himself out of the toilet long enough," Nolen snapped.

Duric snickered and left.

* * *

Heero stopped pushing his food around the plate and set his fork down, sighing as he did so. "I'm sorry, Sally. I'm just not hungry," he said and stood to take his still full plate to the garbage.

"I understand, Heero." Sally was surprised that any of them had managed to eat much at all.

"I'm going to go to bed," Wufei said and picked his plate up, scraping the scraps into the container Heero had sitting on the side for the dog.

"I think we could all do with some sleep," Sally said as she cleaned off her plate and passed it to Wufei who loaded all the dishes into the dishwasher.

Heero let Miracle out for a quick run, then set the security alarms and locked up. With heavy footsteps, Heero made his way up the stairs to his and Duo's bedroom, Wufei and Sally following along behind. Heero had questioned them when they'd announced their intention to stay the night, he could understand their reasons. They paused in the hallway to say their good nights.

"I know I'm probably wasting my breath here, but try to get a good night's sleep, Heero. You will need your rest if you're going to be fully functional tomorrow," Sally said and gave the Japanese man a hug.

"I'll try," Heero responded in a dull tone.

"First thing in the morning we will go into headquarters, let the forensic team know what we need in regards to the car and then I'll contact Une and bring her up to date with what we have so far," Chang stated. "After that I think it would be a good idea to go back to the park and see what we can find in the way of clues.

"Thank you, Wufei."

Chang nodded.

The three separated and did their best to get some sleep.

* * *

The young maid set the tray down on the small table in the hall before knocking on the door and waiting for the call to enter. She fidgeted and knocked again. After waiting another minute or two, she decided the ambassador must still be asleep. Carefully, she opened the door and peeked inside.

The room was dark, the curtains still drawn.

Picking up the tray, the maid walked into the room and set the tray down on the desk. Turning, she went to the large windows and seized the edge of the drapes, pulling them apart and allowing the sunlight to filtrate the room.

"Good morning, ambassador," she said cheerily as she went back to the desk and proceeded to remove the covers from the dishes there. "Cook has made you a fresh fruit salad followed by scrambled eggs and bacon just as you requested."

The maid turned around as she lifted the covers to see why the ambassador hadn't answered her. The covers dropped to the floor and a scream tore from the young maid's throat as she stared into the face of a dead man.

~ * ~

tbc...


	33. Chapter 33

**Thank you to all who are reading and hugs for the lovely reviews!**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 33

"Come on, come on," Quatre muttered under his breath as the immigration officer checked his passport. A soft caress to his lower back reminded him that Trowa was there and just as impatient to get moving.

The officer smiled and stamped the passport, handing it back along with Trowa's. "Welcome to Earth, Mr Winner. Enjoy your stay."

"Thank you. I'll try," Quatre replied quickly and all but snatched his passport back, leaving the immigration officer with a perplexed look on his face.

"Business stress," Trowa apologized with a smile as he took his own passport and practically had to jog to catch up with his smaller husband.

The immigration officer scratched his head._ // It takes all kinds, //_ he thought.

Customs was the next stop and again Quatre waited impatiently for the officers to check his and Trowa's luggage. Whilst they may have arrived by their own private shuttle, it still didn't excuse them from the formalities.

"That's all fine, Mr Barton, Mr Winner," the customs official stated as he passed their luggage back to them.

"Thank you," Trowa replied seeing as his husband was more intent on simply grabbing his bag and tearing out of the shuttle port than remembering his manners.

The customs man raised an eyebrow at Quatre's hasty departure.

"He's late for a business appointment," Trowa offered as an explanation.

"Ah."

Without waiting for the official to say anything else, Trowa hurried after his partner. Once he caught up with the speedy blonde, Trowa grabbed his elbow. "Quatre, slow down," he hissed. "Customs is still watching you."

"Let them watch, I've nothing to hide, they've already checked my bags. Something's wrong, Trowa, seriously wrong and I'm not going to waste any more time than I have to in getting to Heero and finding out exactly what is going on," Quatre snapped. "Now, where the hell is the rental booth?"

Knowing there wasn't much he could do to calm his partner, Trowa chose to go with the flow. "Over there," he replied and steered his husband towards the car rental booth.

Minutes later they were stowing their luggage in the trunk and then flying down the highway towards the mansion Heero and Duo were calling home.

* * *

The dawn light was just breaking across the sky when Heero woke up. He'd slept fitfully, waking ever hour or two with a lead weight in his heart and the constant question in his mind. Where was Duo? Knowing he wasn't going to get any further sleep, Heero got up and went through to the bathroom to perform his morning ablutions.

Miracle met him at the door to the kitchen, whining to go out. Heero let the dog out and put the coffee machine on. Whilst he waited for the coffee to brew, Heero checked the vid phone again and then his cell just in case he'd missed anything. There were no missed calls or messages.

With the coffee ready, he made himself a cup and walked outside to the patio area to watch the sun complete its journey into the sky. A noise from inside the kitchen had him turning around to see Chang yawning as he filled the kettle to make himself a tea. Once the beverage was ready, Wufei wandered outside to join Heero.

"No news?" asked Chang.

"Iie. Nothing at all," Heero replied.

"I'll wake Sally in a moment and then get us all some breakfast."

"Hn."

"I'll contact Une shortly and see if there's any news from that end."

Heero nodded and walked back inside. Sally had just shuffled her way into the kitchen, following her nose to the coffee pot.

"I was just coming to wake you," Chang stated as he made himself a fresh tea.

"I need coffee," Sally replied through bleary eyes. "Not awake yet."

"Morning, morning," Barney chirped from his perch.

"Morning, Barney," Heero replied and let Miracle back in. He picked up the dog's bowl and put her breakfast in it, much to the dog's delight.

Wufei began to rummage around in the 'fridge, finding something for breakfast. He placed a carton of eggs on the side, milk and a loaf of bread. "Scrambled eggs on toast okay for everyone?"

"Fine," Sally replied.

"I'm not hungry," Heero stated.

"I'm starving," Barney chirruped.

Three sets of eyes turned to look at the bird.

Seeing all the eyes trained on him, Barney cocked his head to one side and stared back through his beady eyes. "Shit's gonna hit the fan," he squawked.

"Is he normally this talkative?" Sally questioned as she sat down at the kitchen table.

"He's a great mimic," Heero replied. "He's very fast at picking things up and repeating them."

"Hmmm," Sally mumbled absently. "I wonder..."

"You wonder what?" Chang questioned as he began to whisk the eggs.

"Maybe he can give us a clue to where Duo, Keitaro and Nurse Brown could be."

Wufei rolled his eyes. "Like I told Yuy, since when do you take a bird's word as the truth?"

"Well we sure as hell don't have _jack shit_ else to go on," Sally snapped.

Chang's mouth began to open and close like a landed fish; Heero couldn't help it, he snickered. A glare from Wufei though soon had him silent again.

"You asked Barney?" Sally continued, ignoring the shocked look on Wufei's face at her outburst.

"Hai. I can ask him again."

"Please do."

"Barney?" Heero turned to the Weiro who had been watching the conversation with interest. "Where's Nurse Brown?"

"Gone shopping,' Barney chirruped.

"Where's Keitaro?"

"Gone baby shopping," the bird responded.

"Barney, where is Duo?"

"Going out, going out," the bird chirped and bounced up and down on his perch.

"Going out where?" Sally asked.

"Shit's gonna hit the fan," Barney replied.

"Where did Duo go?" Heero tried.

"Fuck off," Barney chirped.

Wufei dropped the whisk, Sally snickered and Heero simply sighed.

"I don't think we're going to get much out of him," Heero stated flatly.

"Pretty boy, give us a kiss." Beady eyes stared at Heero.

"Thanks, but no thanks, Barney," Heero replied and sat down at the table with another coffee.

"At least we know he's telling the truth," Sally smiled.

"How do you figure that?" Wufei asked as he finished whisking the eggs and poured them into the pan to cook.

"We know from where Nurse Brown's car was found that she'd planned on going shopping. The mall is just across the street from the park."

"And we know from the security vid that Duo left in a hurry," Heero added as he tossed the thoughts around in his head once more. "That tells me there was something seriously wrong."

"Hence the words 'shit's gonna hit the fan'," Sally finished.

Wufei shook his head and placed the toast and eggs onto the plates, placing one in front of Sally, one for Heero and taking the last one for himself.

"I'm not hungry, Chang," Heero repeated.

"I know, but you need to get something into you if you are to be of any assistance in locating Duo and your son," Wufei replied, his tone deadly serious.

With another sigh, Heero began the mechanical task of eating. He'd managed two mouthfuls when the vid phone rang. Heero's chair went flying as he leapt up and dashed to the small office to answer the call, hoping it would be his missing husband. Wufei and Sally were right behind him.

Hitting the accept button, the screen flickered and cleared. Trowa's face appeared.

"Hn, it's you," Heero muttered, unable to contain his disappointment.

"Good to see you too, Heero," Trowa said, not taking any offense at the greeting. "I take it there's still no word on the missing family?"

Heero shook his head.

"Barton," Wufei greeted, looking over Heero's shoulder.

"Chang," Trowa returned. "What is the current status?"

"Still no sign of Maxwell, the child or the nurse. We have located the nurse's car though."

"Ah." Barton turned and exchanged a few words with his partner, obviously repeating what Wufei had just told him. "Where was the car?"

"Car park by the mall and park in the local town. What is your ETA?"

"We will be at the mansion in approximately fifteen minutes - shit!"

Barton suddenly shot to the left of the screen and some cursing that sounded horribly like - _'Get out of the way, you fucking moron! Why the hell didn't we get a rental with fucking lights and sirens!'_ - could be heard in the background.

"Better make that ten minutes," a pale looking Trowa corrected as he straightened up and then turned to address the driver of the vehicle. "If you don't slow down and drive properly you will be _pursued_ by lights and sirens!"

Wufei quirked an eyebrow and glanced at Yuy, who rolled his eyes in response. Both men didn't really want to think about the last time they'd had a certain blonde, lights and sirens at their disposal.

"We will have the security off so you can come straight through," Chang informed him.

"Thanks. Ahhh! Quatre! Look out for that... Oh, fuck." There was the sound of screeching tires and a horn blaring, Trowa's face distorting slightly and moving rather violently back and forth over the screen.

"Barton? Are you okay?" Sally asked from over Heero's other shoulder.

"I think I'll need a change of jeans," came the strangled reply.

"Don't you mean a change of underwear?" Sally asked, a little perplexed.

"Trust me, I'll need to change both."

* * *

The screams of the maid had the staff of the ambassador's residence running for the room. The security guard was the first to arrive, the butler hot on his heels. They burst into the bedroom to be confronted with a scene from their worst nightmare. The maid was still screaming hysterically, the security guard ignored her and ran directly for the bed and the ambassador.

The butler took in the sight and quickly grabbed the maid, slapping her once across the cheek to bring her to her senses and then pulling her close to his chest. "Is he...?"

The security guard didn't need to take the ambassador's pulse, he could tell the man was dead by simply looking at him. He turned back to the butler who was doing his best to calm the sobbing maid. "Did she see anything?"

The butler tried to pry the maid off him a little to ask the question, but the poor girl was too much in shock to answer and simply clung on tighter. "I think she needs to calm down a little before you question her," he answered.

"Take her back to the kitchen. I need to call the authorities."

The butler nodded and managed to lead the frightened girl from the room and back to the kitchen. The security guard took a quick look around, careful not to touch anything and then followed the butler out of the room. He grabbed the first phone he spotted and placed his call to the local police.

In the kitchen the butler sat the girl down and made the young maid a hot cup of tea. He stood beside her with a soothing hand on her shoulder as she sipped at the beverage, her nerves calming a little. When she was half way through her tea the security guard came in.

"The local police are on their way," he informed the pair and then sat opposite the maid. "What's her name?" the officer asked the butler.

"Candy," the butler replied.

Keeping his voice a soft and encouraging as possible, the security guard attempted to question the girl. "Did you see anything, Candy? Anything at all?"

The maid shook her head.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"I - I went to take his breakfast to him. He didn't answer the door when I knocked so I went in. He was in the bed... He looked... Oh god!" the girl dissolved into a weeping mess again at the thought of what she'd seen.

"It's okay, Candy. Thank you for your help," the officer soothed. He turned his attention to the butler. "The local cops will be here shortly, they will want to speak to her and the rest of the staff. Can you get me a list of all the house staff that were on duty since yesterday morning, please? I'll get the list of security officers."

"Of course," the butler said.

"Thanks. I'll be back shortly." The officer left the butler to do as requested whilst he headed off to compile his own list.

* * *

Quatre brought the car to a stop outside the front entrance to the mansion and cut the engine. He was out of the car and heading for the front door whilst Trowa was still trying to extract himself from the seat belt that had him in a stranglehold. By the time Yuy answered the door, both men were waiting patiently.

"Barton, Winner," Heero greeted.

Quatre noted the dark circles under Heero's eyes, Trowa took in the slightly haggard appearance and both knew Heero wasn't coping at all well. Quatre placed his hand over his chest as Heero's emotions hit him when he let down his shields enough to feel.

"Heero, despite the circumstances, it's good to see you again," Quatre said as both he and Trowa entered the mansion.

"Thank you for coming," Heero replied. "Sally and Chang are in the kitchen," he continued as he led the way through the mansion.

Trowa and Quatre followed, both feeling more disturbed with each step they took. Entering the kitchen, they greeted the others with hugs and quiet words. With the greetings done with, Quatre decided it was time to get down to business.

"What can you tell us so far?" he asked.

Heero, Wufei and Sally brought the pair up to date with all that had happened so far. Quatre and Trowa listened without interrupting, saving their questions until the trio had finished.

"Duo didn't leave a note? No clue at all to where he was going?" asked Quatre.

"No, nothing. His cell phone is still here and some of his knives are missing." Heero looked even more despondent, the pain of reliving his nightmare from last night returning with full force.

"The nanny's car has been found?" Trowa questioned.

"Yes. It's at Preventer forensic section awaiting testing," Wufei supplied.

"Has Duo's car been spotted at all?" Quatre asked.

"No. A full description including number plate has been given to all Preventer agents."

"What about the police?"

"We can't file a missing persons report until the person has been missing for twenty-four hours," Wufei stated. "If we still have no word by this afternoon, we _will_ be filing that report."

Quatre went quiet for a moment, letting the continuing conversation wash over him as he blocked out everything emotional in the room. Slowly he let his shields down and began to reach out with his empathy, tentatively sending it forth and searching for Duo. He gasped and clutched his chest.

"Quatre?" Trowa asked, the concern in his voice.

All eyes in the room suddenly fixed themselves on the blonde whose own eyes were glassy as he concentrated on something only he could feel.

Heero raised a questioning eyebrow to Trowa. All the ex pilots knew of Quatre's gift, but none of them had really understood it. "What is he doing? Is he trying to...?"

Trowa gave his husband another look over before turning his attention back to Heero. "He's reaching out, trying to locate Duo, I think. He felt him last night after we'd finished talking to you."

"And?" Heero asked, a little demanding.

"He could feel him. It was strange though." Trowa scratched his chin. "He said he could feel a darkness inside Duo."

"Darkness?"

"Yes. Shinigami was there, Heero."

The room went deathly silent. All of them knew of Duo's 'alter ego', it was the dark side of Duo's psyche, the part of him he had depended upon, called upon during the war to help him complete the missions and stay sane at the same time.

Heero knew if Shinigami was out to play, then it meant Duo was in a _very_ bad situation.

Quatre calmed, gave a sigh and refocused his eyes. Taking a moment to sort through his feelings as he put his shields in place again, he turned to Heero and addressed the ex Wing pilot. "Duo is alive," he began. "I can't tell where he is, my empathy doesn't stretch to that I'm afraid, but he's tired, angry, frustrated and hurting. Something isn't right, there's conflict going on. I can feel Shinigami in there with him, lurking." Quatre shook his head as if trying to clear his mind. "I don't know, it doesn't make sense."

Everyone in the room latched onto Quatre's words and tried to make head or tail of them. They all came up blank.

"Thank god he's alive," Sally said, voicing the one thought they'd all had.

Wufei broke the tension. "I think we should go to HQ, we still have the forensics team to brief, Une to bring up to speed and a park to search."

"Mind if we tag along?" Trowa asked.

"I have no objection," Heero answered. "Chang?"

"I'll have to clear it with Une. Civilians are not permitted to work on Preventer cases," he said. "It's the rules. Although in this case I'm sure they can be waived considering you're both former Gundam pilots and this technically speaking isn't yet a Preventer case."

"Thank you."

* * *

The forensics team were given all the information Wufei, Heero and Sally had on the nanny's car and requested to go over it with a fine toothcomb to see if they could find anything at all. Leaving the agents to do their job, Chang led the small group through the Preventer building and into the elevator, riding it to the commander's floor. They exited and walked quickly down the corridor to Une's office where Wufei knocked and waited.

"Enter."

Commander Une looked up as three of her agents and two other familiar faces entered her office. "Chang?" she questioned.

Wufei explained all that had happened regarding the missing trio thus far and outlined what they wished to do, including Trowa and Quatre's involvement.

Une sighed and sat back, thinking through all Chang had said. She eyed everyone in the room and thought carefully before speaking. "Chang and Yuy, you are both temporarily suspended from all other duties to investigate the missing agent. Barton and Winner; as you are not Preventer agents I cannot allow you to participate in the investigation relating to the missing agent."

Quatre looked like he was about to voice his displeasure, but Une cut him off before he could start on his rant.

With a conniving look in her eye, she spoke. "However, I cannot stop you from conducting your own search for Maxwell or the nanny and child, providing you keep Agents Fire and Day informed of any and all findings. Sally, you will need to report back to the medical section and resume your normal duties."

"But commander," Sally objected.

"No. Doctor Po, you are needed here. Your job is as a Preventer medical officer, not a field agent. Yuy and Chang are more than capable of investigating this case. Agents; please be aware that if another case comes in that requires your skills you will be expected to put this one on temporary hold. Until this becomes an official missing person's case, then there isn't anything more I can do about it; I'm bending the rules enough as it is. I wish you the best of luck. Keep me informed."

Understanding that their commander was sticking her neck out as it was, Chang and Yuy accepted the terms.

"We appreciate the risk you're taking, commander," Quatre said quietly.

Une nodded.

"We'd best get started. Thank you, commander," Heero said and he turned to follow the rest of the group who were making their way to the door.

"Yuy?"

Heero paused and turned back.

"I'm worried about them all too," she said softly.

Heero gave his boss a rare smile of understanding, then with a nod, he left to catch up to the others.

~ * ~

tbc...


	34. Chapter 34

**Thanks for the kind reviews and for reading! **

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 34

"Thank you for coming so quickly, detective," was the security officer's greeting as the local police arrived, complete with a detective.

The detective nodded then spoke. "Has anyone entered the crime scene since you called us?"

"No. I've posted one of the other security officers at the door with strict instructions that no one is to enter," replied the guard as he led the way into the residence.

"Good."

"Would you like to start in the ambassador's room?"

"Not yet. I have some questions first. Can we go somewhere private?"

"Certainly. Follow me." The guard escorted the detective to the study.

"Thank you. If you don't mind, I'd like to have the two constables stand guard over the crime scene. The sergeant can remain with me."

"No problem. I'll have one of the other guards show them up." The security guard called for another of his team and passed on his instructions. The young guard left with the two constables in tow.

The detective took a quick look around the study then sat himself down in the leather chair behind the large desk, the sergeant standing just behind him. He pulled a notebook out from his pocket along with a pen and flipped it open. Fixing the security guard with a firm stare, he began his questions.

The guard answered as honestly as he could and produced the list of all staff currently working at the residence along with a second list of all staff that had been working there in the previous twenty-four hours.

Scanning the list, the detective asked that all those listed be available for interviewing and have their statements recorded. With the preliminary questioning done, the detective was ready to view the crime scene.

The guard took him and the sergeant to the ambassador's room. "Nothing has been touched that I know of. The maid brought him his breakfast and that's when we discovered the body. I checked to confirm he was deceased then removed everyone from the room and put the call in to you."

"Thank you." The detective turned to the sergeant and two constables and spoke briefly with them before turning back to the guard. "Constable Stevens will accompany you and the sergeant back to the study and begin to take down statements from the staff. I will examine the crime scene and go from there. I'll call for you if I need anything."

"No problem."

"Sergeant, Stevens, if you will?"

The constable nodded and followed the sergeant and security guard back down to the study to commence taking the statements from the staff. The detective took a deep breath, slipped on a pair of latex gloves and entered the ambassador's room.

* * *

Chang parked the car in the car park near where they had found Nurse Brown's vehicle, Quatre pulling in beside him. "Did you bring a recent photograph of Keitaro, Nurse Brown and Duo?" he asked Heero.

"Hai." Heero pulled three photos from his pocket and handed them over. There was one of Keitaro and Nurse Brown, one of Nurse Brown, Duo and Keitaro and the last one of Duo and Keitaro. "They were all taken in the last three weeks," he informed Chang.

"Good." Wufei took a quick look and seemed satisfied.

They got out of the car and joined an impatient Quatre and long suffering Trowa.

"I suggest we split up," Chang began. "We can search the park looking for clues and ask anyone we see if they have seen any of the three. Here." Chang passed over the photo of Nurse Brown, Duo and Keitaro to Trowa. "Show anyone you meet the photo, see if they may have seen any of them at all in the past twenty-four hours anywhere in this vicinity."

"Okay." Trowa studied the photo and then passed it to Quatre. "We'll cover the east side from north to south with the lake as the middle boundary."

"Fine. Yuy and I will take the west side. If you find anything, anything at all, call either Yuy or myself on our cells, we will do likewise."

"Roger that. Good luck."

"And to you. We will rendezvous back here in two hours, unless you find out anything in the meantime."

"Right." Pocketing the picture, Trowa checked his watch, took his husband by the arm and steered him in the easterly direction.

Chang and Yuy set off for the west side.

* * *

The detective looked carefully around the room, noting the position of the body in the bed, the lid from the breakfast dish still lying on the floor where the maid had dropped it and the complete silence that reigned over everything. He approached the bed, taking in the gashed throat and dried blood on the bedding. From the bed he moved to the window, carefully pushing the drapes aside and scanning the latch, sill and surrounding woodwork for any sign of entry.

There was nothing.

Or rather, nothing that the naked eye could detect.

Moving around the perimeter of the room, the detective searched for any clue to answer the question of how the murderer had gained entry. The more he searched, the more uneasy he felt. There was simply nothing to be found. This was looking more and more to him like the case of a professional hit man, something that forensics would be needed to confirm. Checking the body over as best he could without actually touching, he noted that the murderer knew what he was doing. The cut to the throat was precise, ensuring the victim would die within seconds with minimal, if any, pain.

Not at all comfortable with the case and crime itself, the detective pulled his cell from his pocket and called the precinct.

"Captain?" The detective explained the case to his superior officer, detailing all he'd learnt so far. The captain mulled over the information and asked a few questions of his own which the detective replied to as best he could.

"The ambassador was here for meetings with the ESUN?"

"I believe so," the detective answered.

"The residence he was staying at is an ESUN delegated residence?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Detective, considering that this is a high profile person connected with the ESUN and associates, and that it would appear from what you have observed thus far it's a case of a professional hit man, I'd recommend we hand this case over to the Preventer Organization."

The detective sighed. "That's what I was thinking."

"I would assume that this man would be covered by the Preventer network for security and such so I'll place the call to Preventer headquarters now and let you know what to do. Meanwhile, sit tight, take as many statements as you can from the staff and don't touch anything in the crime scene. I will advise you shortly."

"Right, Captain. I'll wait for your call."

The detective pocketed his cell and took one last look around the room. In one way he was more than happy to hand this case over to the Preventer network, he had enough cases on his plate right now to deal with without another, especially one such as this involving a high profile person. The press would have a field day once they got wind of it. He walked over to the door and exited. Removing his latex gloves once he was out of the room, the detective rubbed a weary hand across his face and then addressed the constable still guarding the door. "The captain is contacting the Preventer organization. This is a Preventer case, not local police. I want you to remain here and not let anyone in until told otherwise by myself."

The constable nodded.

"I'll be back downstairs with the sergeant and Stevens taking the rest of the statements if you need me."

"Yes, sir."

The detective left and went back to the study to join his colleagues and continue with the 'leg work'.

* * *

Trowa and Quatre scoured the park looking for anything at all remotely related to any of the missing three. They found nothing. Quatre stopped many people passing by and showed them the photograph; a couple of people recognized the nurse, commenting that they had seen her in the past, but not the previous day.

It was getting frustrating to say the least. Trowa hoped that Yuy and Chang were having better luck.

Wufei had taken the job of showing people the photos, he figured with the current look on Heero's face the man would scare off anyone as soon as they took a look at him, and that was something they didn't need to happen.

Heero was scouring the edges of the lake, the ducks following him around with hopeful expressions on their little faces. Completely ignoring the wildlife, Heero concentrated on searching for any clues at all.

* * *

The council worker lifted the rubbish bag he was carrying and trekked on along the footpath. He picked up the odd piece of litter here and there, muttering to himself about lazy public and their habits of disposing of their rubbish everywhere but in the provided bins. To the side of him, another worker was making his way through the garden beds and lawned area, also cleaning up after the public.

Still mumbling to himself, the council worker looked up to see how much further he had to go when he spotted something on the edge of the path and partially in the garden bed. "That one's yours, Mike," he grinned.

"Thanks a lot, Bob," Mike replied and headed to the bed. Bob really didn't mind picking up the rubbish, quite often he found useful things, not to mention the odd bit of money in the form of a coin or note. His best find, in Bob's opinion, had been when he'd stumbled across a six pack of beer, still in its carton and lodged under one of the bushes. Bob had enjoyed a drink for a few nights after that find.

He walked casually towards the garden bed, popping a few more pieces of rubbish into the bag he carried and then stopped at the large item Mike had pointed out to him. Setting his bag and 'litter pickers' to one side, Bob reached forth and grasped hold of the item, tugging it free from the shrubbery and out into the open. "Well shit," he muttered. "Who would want to chuck something like that out? It looks fairly new."

Bob studied the child's stroller he'd liberated from the garden. It was in good condition. He scratched his head.

"What is it, Bob?" Mike questioned and walked over, his own rubbish collection forgotten for the moment.

"A kid's stroller," Bob replied. "It's in good nick too."

Mike had a look. "Geeze, people these days, they chuck out anything."

"I think I'll keep this. Nothing wrong with it that I can tell and with our Susie expecting her second in the next couple of months, it will come in handy," Bob said as he studied the stroller and figured out how to close it up. With the stroller folded up, Bob managed to grab his rubbish bag and hang onto the handles of the stroller at the same time. It was too far to walk back to their vehicle with just the stroller, he'd only got a little way left to cover before he was finished this part of the park and then they would be moving to the next section.

* * *

"Preventer headquarters. How may I help you?"

"It's Captain Lewis from the 43rd Precinct. I need to speak to someone."

"Can you give me a few details, captain? Then I can direct your call to the appropriate person."

"I have a situation involving the death of an ESUN ambassador."

"One moment, sir."

"Commander Une speaking."

"Commander. It's Captain Lewis from the 43rd precinct here, I have a situation that I think the Preventer group should be investigating and not us."

"Please explain, Captain."

The captain went on to give Une all the details they currently had on the suspected murder of the ambassador.

Une listened without comment.

"I have my men currently guarding the crime scene and taking statements from all staff at the residence," the captain finished.

"Thank you, captain, for bringing this to my attention. I'll have agents dispatched immediately to the residence to take over the investigation. You are right, this is a matter for Preventer, not the local police and I appreciate your assistance."

"No problem, commander. I'll contact my men and have them wait at the residence until your people turn up. They can continue with their statement taking."

"That is acceptable. I'll be in touch." Une closed the connection and rubbed her temples. It was going to be one of those days. Pushing the intercom, she spoke to her secretary. "Shirley, I need coffee, now."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Now, who can I put on this case?"

* * *

The four searching the park met up after their two hours were up and compared what they had found out. There were no clues worth investigating. No one had seen anyone remotely matching Duo's picture, a few people had seen the nanny and Keitaro though. Unfortunately, none had seen her the previous day so there wasn't anything the guys could do.

"What about asking them?" Quatre said as he spotted a couple of guys by a truck.

"Who?" Heero questioned and turned to look where Quatre was pointing. There were two council workers putting what looked like rubbish bags into the back of a small truck.

"Worth a try," Wufei said and began to walk towards the council workers, the other three following behind.

Mike and Bob looked up when they noticed a group of four young men approaching. Two of them were wearing Preventer uniforms, the other two were dressed casually.

"Can I help you, guys?" Bob asked. They were used to being approached by members of the public for anything from street directions to people wanting to vent their anger about something they felt the council wasn't doing properly. During his twenty years of service for the council, Bob had pretty much seen and heard it all.

"I'm Preventer Agent Fire," Wufei introduced himself and produced his badge. "My fellow agent and I are investigating the disappearance of a nanny and child from this vicinity yesterday." Wufei produced the picture. "Do either of you recall seeing this woman or the child here in the park at any time yesterday?"

Bob took the photo and studied it before passing it to Mike. "I've seen her a couple of times feeding the ducks, but I've not been in the park for the past couple of days. What about you, Mike?"

Mike took the picture and stared at it. "I do recall seeing her on occasion, but I wasn't in the park yesterday either, had some trees to prune." He passed the photo back to Wufei. "Sorry we can't be of more help to you."

"Thank you, gentlemen." Wufei took the photo and slipped it back into his pocket.

"Chang?"

Wufei turned when he heard Heero call his name.

"Take a look."

Chang walked to the rear of the truck where Heero was searching through the rubbish.

Whilst Chang had been talking to the council workers, Heero had moved around the truck, eyes scanning over everything as he normally did. The handle of a stroller caught his eye and he called the other agent over. He reached into the pile of rubbish and tried to get hold of the handle.

"What is it?"

"A stroller. It looks similar to Keitaro's," Heero replied and began to tug and pull with renewed vigor.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Mike called out when he realized the agents were going through their carefully stacked rubbish bags.

Heero ignored the worker and finally managed to yank the stroller out. He gazed at it, feeling his heart rate speed up and the knot of fear tighten in his gut.

"Is it?" Chang began.

"Hai. It's Keitaro's stroller." Heero could feel the emotion swelling inside and did his best to put a lid on it - for now.

"Look here, you guys can't go pulling the rubbish out the back of the truck," Mike began, but was quickly cut off by Heero.

"Where did you find this?" he demanded.

Mike instantly shut up when he saw the look on the agent's face.

"I found it," Bob spoke up.

"Where?" Heero repeated.

"Over there, in the garden bed." Bob pointed in the direction he'd found the stroller. "Why?"

"Was there anything else there?" Heero asked, ignoring the worker's question and preparing to grab the many bags of rubbish from within the truck and start to empty them out.

"Hang on a minute! You can't go dumping all that rubbish back out! It's just taken us both the best part of a couple of hours to pick all that up. Besides, it's called littering and that's an offense punishable by the law," Mike yelled as Heero pulled one bag out.

Chang thought it best to intervene. "This stroller belongs to the missing child."

"Ah."

"Now, did you find anything else in the vicinity of the stroller?" Wufei asked, keeping his patience.

"No, we didn't. Just the usual rubbish, you know, cans, bottles, wrappers; that type of thing."

"Can you show us exactly where you found it, please?" Trowa decided to join in seeing as how the other two were getting a little ruffled. A calm, polite voice just might have more of a result than Chang's bluntness or Yuy's glare he figured.

It did.

"Follow me." Bob led them to the garden bed where he'd located the stroller. "It was in here."

"Thank you."

Wufei's cell went off and he pulled it from his pocket, an eyebrow raised when he saw the caller ID. "Commander?" he answered as he moved slightly away from the group.

* * *

Une ran all the agents she currently had available through her head and sighed. There was no two ways about it, she would need Chang on this one. Actually, she would like Chang, Yuy and Maxwell to investigate, but with Maxwell still missing, that wasn't an option.

Knowing she really didn't have any other choice, reluctantly she placed the call to Chang.

"Commander?"

"Agent Fire. I have a situation come up and I need you and Yuy back here to take it on."

"Damn! You sure you can't give it to another agent?"

"Agent Fire, need I remind you I am your commanding officer and this is a very important case that requires the skills of my best agents."

"My apologies, commander. You are correct. It's just that we may have a break in the case of the missing persons."

"Oh? What break?"

"We have located the child's stroller."

"Are Barton and Winner still with you?"

"Yes."

"Then have them continue with the investigation into the disappearance, I need you and Yuy back here pronto."

"Yes, commander," Wufei replied, his tone one of resignation. "We will return immediately. Chang out."

"Good. Report straight to me when you get back for a briefing. Une out."

Wufei pocketed his cell and walked back over to where Heero, Trowa and Quatre were scouring the garden bed and surrounding area for any further clues. "Yuy? We are to report back to HQ immediately."

Heero looked up sharply. "But, Chang, we've just had a break here."

"I know. I did explain that to the commander but she insists we return. Barton and Winner can continue with the investigation here for the moment."

Heero was about to object again when he saw the look on Chang's face. He didn't like it either.

"You two go, we can carry on here. We'll continue to search around and get a statement from the two council workers. Once we've got all that, we'll head back to HQ too and give you all the information." Trowa gave them both a reassuring smile.

"Thank you, Barton. Yuy, move out now." Wufei turned to his agent who wasn't looking at all happy and the pair made their way back to the car and Une's office.

Heero thought the commander had better have a damn good case waiting for them, otherwise Heero would be back in the park and searching for his missing family and to hell with the consequences.

~ * ~

tbc...


	35. Chapter 35

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 35

Dawn broke, bringing with it the chorus of many birds. Duo's eyes opened and for a moment he was completely disorientated; then everything came back to him in a rush. His stomach dropped to his feet as he realized his situation was real and not a dream. He took a look around, easing cramped muscles as he did so. Nurse Brown and Keitaro were both still sleeping on the bed, Duo having insisted the nanny sleep there with the child whilst he took the rickety chair.

Keeping as quiet as he could, Duo managed to stand up and ease the crick from his neck and kinks from his spine. He longed for a coffee, but as they had no means to make one, he'd have to wait for their captors to bring them something - hopefully, they would.

Shuffling softly across the room, Duo picked up the small spoon the nanny had been using to scrape away at the mortar and continued on to the window. With nothing else to do, he figured he might as well continue with the job. With any luck he could do enough damage to the rotting concrete and wood to allow one of them to slip through and alert the authorities to their whereabouts.

As he chipped away, Duo's thoughts switched back to his husband. If he knew Heero the man would be shifting heaven and earth by now to try and find them. He could only hope that the clues he'd left behind at the scene of the crime would be detected, that somehow Heero would learn of them and give Heero some hope of finding them.

* * *

Une looked up as the two agents entered her office, one wore a scowl fit to curdle milk and the other's glare would melt titanium. Lucky for Une she'd finished her coffee and didn't have much in the way of titanium in her office. "Sit!" she commanded before either man could give vent to his thoughts.

"This had better be good," Yuy muttered as he fixed his commanding officer with a look that clearly said he would prefer to be out looking for his missing family and not here.

"I'm sorry to have called you both away from your current investigation, but a situation has come up that I don't trust to anyone else."

"And what could be more important than finding my husband and son?" Heero growled.

"Yuy," Wufei warned as he put a restraining hand on the other agent's arm.

"I have just received a call from the captain at the 43rd precinct. The L1 ambassador, currently here on earth for talks has been found dead in his residence."

"Shit!" Wufei exclaimed.

Heero simply stared. He really didn't give a shit, he just wanted to be back out there and finding his missing family.

"It appears to be the work of a trained hit man, or so the captain thinks given what his detective has told him. Being as the ambassador was residing in a Preventer residence and under our protection whilst here, this is a Preventer case. I have asked the local police to remain at the scene until you two get there. They are currently interviewing all residence staff and taking statements whilst keeping the crime scene secure."

"Nothing further?" Wufei inquired.

"Not at this stage. I want you two to go out and investigate. I will send one of the forensics teams out with you to assist."

"Details?"

Une handed over a manila envelope with all she currently had on the L1 ambassador, the residence and staff employed there. "Good luck, gentlemen and please, keep me informed."

Wufei took the envelope and gave Yuy a nudge. The Japanese agent stood and followed Chang from Une's office to the Chinese agent's office.

* * *

Hearing Keitaro and the nanny starting to stir, Duo left the window mortar alone and returned to the bed.

"We're still here?" the nanny questioned.

"Yeah, I'm afraid so."

"Damn. I was hoping it had been a nightmare."

"How are you feeling?"

"The wrist is throbbing, a lot. Other than that, I'm okay. What about you, Duo?"

"I'll survive." Duo picked his son up and cradled him close, the infant making happy, gurgling noises.

"I'll get him a bottle if you wouldn't mind changing him," the nurse said as she managed to get herself off the bed.

"No problem." Duo lay the baby down and began to change his diaper, Nurse Brown pottering around to make up a bottle.

"I suppose I'd better call for some assistance from our hosts," Margaret said with a touch of sarcasm as she made up the formula.

Duo simply grunted and finished changing his son.

Margaret managed to get the attention of Murphy who took the bottle away and returned several minutes later with not only the bottle, but some breakfast as well for both Duo and Margaret.

The coffee was particularly welcome to Duo, even if it was only lukewarm, the rest of the tray held several slices of toast, butter and a plastic knife.

With Keitaro changed and sucking happily on his bottle, Duo made sure that Nurse Brown took another two panandol tablets from the packet he'd pinched, they seemed to work a little in easing the pain, not as much as Duo would have liked, but the nanny really needed a hospital and to have the wrist set properly before the pain would be manageable.

Scraping some butter onto a couple of slices, he passed one over to the nanny and took the other for himself. His stomach felt a little queasy, but Duo forced himself to eat. He would need all his strength if he was to try and get them all out of there in one piece. Chewing and swallowing, Duo ignored his finicky stomach and insisted his body accept the food.

* * *

Chang and Yuy checked the information in the manila folder Une had given them. There wasn't much, just a brief run down on the L1 ambassador and backgrounds on the staff currently employed at the residence. Details of the security system were also present and Yuy ran his expert eye over the information. It was pretty standard Preventer security, a system that had served well in the past and was currently employed in all the Preventer residences for visiting dignitaries. Obviously though, it wasn't enough, the system had to be flawed in some way; that much was evident given they had a dead body.

Heero made a mental note to double check the system completely when they arrived at the residence. Having all the information necessary, the pair headed out for the L1 ambassador's residence, the forensic team meeting up with them in the Preventer garage and following in their own vehicle.

It didn't take long for the agents and the team to reach the residence. Chang parked out front next to the police car, the forensics team pulling in beside them. Chang exited, Yuy right with him and headed for the front doors where they were met by the local constabulary.

Flashing their badges, they were escorted through to the study where the detective and a couple more police officers were continuing with their interviewing of the staff and taking down statements. The introductions over with, Chang and the team were brought up to speed by the detective as he escorted them through the residence to the ambassador's bedroom.

"I've only done a preliminary check of the room," the detective informed them. "I've scanned around for possible entry and exit points, nothing seemed obvious to the naked eye. The ambassador died from a knife wound to the throat." The detective paused outside the ambassador's room. "From my initial observations of the crime scene, I believe this is the work of a professional assassin. Nothing has been touched in the room." The detective opened the door to admit the agents and stepped back. "I'll wait out here. If you need me at all, just call."

"Thank you, detective. You and your men have been most helpful, Preventer appreciates the trouble you have gone to in order to assist us in this investigation." Chang fed the detective the standard spiel, it paid to let the police know one appreciated their efforts - after all, who knew when you might need them?

The detective ate up the praise, his chest puffing out a little. "Glad to be of assistance. I'll leave you all to it."

With the door now closed, the pair had their first proper look around the room, the forensics team waiting for the all clear before they would move in to do their part. "No signs of a scuffle," Chang stated.

"Iie," Heero replied and scanned for where the security should have been. "Cameras have been removed," he noted.

"There aren't any cameras in the bedrooms any more," Wufei replied as he walked over to the bed and the dead man.

"Why not?"

"Enough to say that a visiting dignitary was caught on tape in a rather compromising position."

Heero's eyes opened a little.

"Somehow his wife obtained a copy and she wasn't too happy about it. Can't say I blame her as she wasn't the one in his bed."

"Hn."

"Une was forced to have all cameras removed from the bedrooms after that." Wufei's attention continued to remain on the body, eyes scanning over the cold flesh.

The forensics team moved in having been given the all clear by Wufei to start checking on possible entry and exit points. The photographer pulled his camera out, set it up and began to take snaps of the room, victim and everything within.

"Clean cut to the throat, slicing the jugular and carotid artery; death would have happened within seconds. The murderer certainly knew what they were doing," Chang murmured as he examined the wound.

Heero's eyes flicked over the throat, a small bell ringing in the back of his mind. He looked a little closer.

Chang slipped on a pair of latex gloves and gently moved the corpse's head.

"What was that?" Heero asked as something caught the corner of his eye.

"What? Where?"

"Just to the side."

"It's blood, Yuy. The man had his throat cut, stands to common sense there's going to be a lot of blood."

"I know that," Yuy growled. "It's something else."

"It is?" Change manipulated the head again, this time Heero moved in for a closer look.

"Shit!"

"What is it?" Chang lowered the head again only this time he put it slightly to the side so he could see what it was that had Yuy all excited.

"Look there. It's a clue."

"Sorry, Yuy. I don't see anything but blood smears and spots."

"No, look closer." The bell in the back of Heero's mind suddenly began to ring loudly. "Duo did this," he whispered.

"I beg your pardon?!" Of all the things Yuy could have possibly said, this was not the one he was expecting.

"Duo. This is his work. The method of execution, that's Duo's style. I've seen enough of his victims through the war, Chang, to know that Duo preferred to use knives and would always slit the throat with a precision that would cause the least pain and quickest death."

"If it _is_ Maxwell's work, then I hardly think it's something to get excited about. It means he's now wanted for _murder_."

"Look here, Chang."

Wufei bent closer to see what had Yuy so determined his husband had committed murder.

"What does that look like to you?"

"Shit!" Wufei hissed.

Heero gazed back at the small clue, the dried blood on the pillow that said '02+2'. "He left us a clue, Chang."

"Agent Fire?"

Wufei looked up at the forensics guy, his mind still trying to wrap itself around what Yuy was saying. "Yes?"

"I think you should take a look, we have something here that could identify the killer."

Both Chang and Yuy moved to see what the forensic guy had found. There in the hand of the ambassador were a few strands of hair. The closer Heero looked the more convinced he became that this was Duo's work. But why?

That was the million dollar question.

"We will do a DNA test on the hair sample back at the lab. I'm sure we will have a match and our killer within twenty -four hours," the forensic guy stated.

Chang and Yuy nodded.

"Something's bothering you, Yuy," Chang said. He knew the stoic ex-pilot well enough by now to notice subtle changes in the man - now was one of those times.

"Chang, bear with me whilst I talk this through."

Chang nodded and glanced around. The rest of the team were busy taking samples, scrapings and noting anything else they came across, leaving the body on the bed until last.

"I have a theory here. The way the murder was committed indicates a trained assassin. The fact that we can't find anything to show forced entry to the room indicates to me that the assassin came through the door. In order for him to do that, he would need to know where the cameras were situated and have a good idea of the guards, their sweep pattern and how often the security tapes were checked. Also, the hair found in the ambassador's fingers, that was put there after the murder."

Chang raised an eyebrow.

"If he'd grabbed it whilst struggling with his attacker the bed clothes would be in disarray, also the fingers would have locked more tightly around the strands. They were only loosely holding them. Then there is the message in blood on the pillow slip. Chang, I'm positive it was Duo that committed this crime and I'm also thinking he had no choice in the matter."

"How?"

"Duo was one of the agents to work on the basic security system for all the dignitaries residences. He would know the schedules of the patrols, guards and cameras like he knows his own desk. That hair was the same color as Duo's, not to mention the length. The message in blood tells me he's alive and wherever he is he has Nurse Brown and Keitaro with him, plus he's been forced into this for some reason."

"That's a pretty wild theory, Yuy," Chang stated. "But I have to admit, it carries some merit."

"I'm betting Duo would have come over the wall. No point in using the gate as it's alarmed."

"Right." Wufei turned to address the forensic team, explaining he wanted them to go over the place with a fine toothcomb. Meanwhile, he and Agent Day would check the perimeter of the grounds and around the residence itself. Checking everyone had their communicators on them, Chang and Yuy left.

* * *

Inside Duo's abdomen and completely unaware of the strange make up of its mother, the small fetus was steadily growing. The cells were dividing, multiplying and creating whatever part of the new human being that was registered in its nucleus. Some cells were forming the brain, others the heart or lungs. It was truly a miracle of nature.

* * *

Yuy and Chang scoured the grounds of the residence, paying particular attention to the areas surrounded by shrubbery. They also made note of the razor wire adorning the top of the brick wall, scanning for even the tiniest piece of fabric or flesh that may have been left behind.

Whilst Heero hoped with all his heart that Duo _hadn't_ murdered the L1 ambassador, he knew that hope was futile. Something told him though that Duo would have had a good reason for doing this. All he could hope for was that his and Chang's skills would be enough to crack this case, to find his husband, son and the nanny and bring them all home safe.

"Yuy? Over here."

Heero moved to the base of the wall behind the shrubs Wufei was searching through. "I think it's a safe bet to say he came over here, and probably left the same way."

On the ground were the faintest traces of the soles of shoes.

"They could belong to the gardener," Heero stated.

"No. The gardener wears gum boots, these impressions were left by a different type of boot. And before you say it, the security guards all wear steel cap boots. I'm betting we will find similar marks on the ground on the other side of the wall." Wufei looked around before picking up a branch and tossing it into the air and on top of the razor wire. "That's our marker," he said to Heero. "Come on, let's take a look around the outside."

The pair passed thought the main gates and walked the outside perimeter until they spotted the branch sitting on the wire atop of the wall. Immediately their eyes switched to scanning he ground. Sure enough, after a few minutes of searching, they located some very faint footprints.

"They match the ones on the inside of the wall," Chang stated. "I'm certain this is where the perpetrator entered the premises."

Heero nodded and looked around, further down the road a small side street sat. Theories began to swarm around in his mind. Before he had a chance to try and analyze them, Chang's cell went off, the Chinese agent answering it immediately.

"Commander?"

"Agent Fire. I need you and Agent Day to return to HQ immediately."

"Oh?"

"There's been a breakthrough in the case."

"On our way, commander."

~ * ~

tbc...


	36. Chapter 36

**Thank you to all who are reading and for the kind reviews. A few more clues in this part.**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 36

"Any clue as to what has Une's goat up?" Heero asked as he and Chang sped back to the Preventer HQ having left the forensics team at the residence to continue their work on the case.

"No. All she said was there's a breakthrough in the case."

The rest of the trip was made in silence, Chang trying to determine what the break could be and Heero still running theories about Duo's involvement in the murder through his mind.

Arriving back at HQ, the pair quickly made their way to Une's office. They didn't have to wait to be shown in, Une was waiting for them.

"Agents, thank you for returning so quickly. I'll hear what you have to say about the case thus far in a moment. Firstly, you need to see this." Une moved to pick up the remote to the small vid recorder and turned it on. The vid screen came on and Une paused for a moment to address the agents again.

"This was delivered via e-mail to the ESUN about half an hour ago. They contacted us and immediately sent it through."

Heero and Wufei's eyes widened as they watched.

* * *

Nolen sat back and smirked to himself as Farrow shut down the computer and disconnected the small camera.

"I think that went well," Duric stated as he tapped his packet of cigarettes and withdrew one.

"Yes, I think it did. Time will tell though," replied Nolen.

"I'd say they're all running around like headless chickens by now."

Nolen chuckled. "Better than what they usually do - sit around like stuffed turkeys."

Duric joined in the laughter.

"You need me any more, boss?" Farrow asked.

"Not for a while. Thank you, Farrow."

"I'll get back onto hacking then, see if I can't find more evidence." Farrow left the pair and headed back to the small room he had his equipment set up in.

"Ah, what I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall at the ESUN right now."

* * *

Une hit the play button and the disc began. The image of a man appeared, slightly blurred and his voice was distorted.

"Good day to you all. My name is not important, but my reasons for contacting you are. By now you will all be aware of the death of the L1 ambassador. Let me say that whilst this was a regrettable act to have to commit, you as politicians and peacekeepers need to see that I am serious in what it is I wish from you. No, I do not demand ransom money or anything like that, but it seems to me that the ESUN is somewhat lacking when it comes to the Colony rebuilding schemes."

The figure on the screen paused for a moment, then leaned in closer to the camera.

"My demands are simple. The colony cluster known as L2 once again appears to be forgotten by the powers that be. I am well aware of the progress currently being made on the other colonies and their rebuilding, however, it seems that L2 is again lagging behind. All I ask is that L2 be given more funding, be rebuilt and the services promised are forthcoming. And I don't mean in another two or three years; I mean now. The death of the L1 ambassador is simply to prove to you exactly how serious I am. You have forty-eight hours to comply. If I do not see any improvement in funding, materials and the like, then I will be forced to act further. You have been warned."

The screen went blank, Une turning the machine off for the moment and facing her agents.

"How do we know this isn't some crackpot claiming responsibility?" Wufei questioned.

"He sent through proof," Une replied.

"Proof?"

Une hit the play button again. "Photos."

The screen showed several shots of the dead ambassador. Even a rookie could see that the death was fresh, the blood was still oozing from the throat.

Wufei swallowed. "I see."

Une switched the machine off.

"What does the ESUN plan on doing?" Wufei asked.

"They're currently in the middle of talks pertaining to this matter. From what I've been told, all the colonies were receiving the same funding, L2 included. I am going to the ESUN shortly to see what I can find out regarding this funding."

Heero's mind was still locked in thought, pieces of a jigsaw puzzle were slowly coming together. He gave a grunt as another piece slotted into place. Une picked up on it and turned to the agent.

"You have something to say, Agent Day?"

"Hn. I'm not too sure about all this, I have a sort of theory, but no evidence to back it up. Right now all I have are thoughts."

"I suggest you may wish to share these thoughts."

Giving a deep sigh, Heero decided to lay it all on the line. "The ambassador's murder was most definitely committed by someone who knew what they were doing. In fact, I'm positive it was Duo's work."

"Agent Night?! But, how? Why?" Une exclaimed.

"That, I'm not sure of. I have several other things going through my head right now and I'm sure everything is linked together somehow. I need more time to figure it all out."

"A clue was left at the crime scene," Wufei stated. "On the ambassador's pillow slip we found a simple message. It said '02 + 2'. Yuy said the way the murder was committed was in keeping with how Maxwell disposed of enemies during the war, a precise, neat cut to the throat that would ensure a quick and relatively painless death. We also found strands of hair matching the length and color of Maxwell's hair clutched in the ambassador's hand. Forensics will be doing a DNA test on it once they return and I'm certain it will be a match to Agent Night."

"It is my belief that Duo murdered the ambassador. I'm sure he's being held against his will and that he also has the nanny and my son with him," Heero growled. "I also have a few other theories to go with this, but I need to look into them a little more."

Une leaned back in her chair and let a breath slide out slowly. "Gentlemen, I have no need to tell you how much of a shock this is. What I need though are facts, facts to back up your theories. I have to go to the ESUN now, I expect you both to work more on this. Yuy, you look into these theories and see what you come up with. Chang, I want forensics to treat this case with the highest priority and secrecy. I also expect you to work with Yuy in figuring out these theories. I'll be back later today and I expect a complete update on the case when I do. Dismissed."

Chang and Yuy left the commander's office and returned to Yuy's office. Once seated behind his desk, Heero grabbed a pen and paper to write his theories down on and try to figure them out one by one.

Chang took a seat on the other side of Yuy's desk. "Care to fill me in on these theories?"

"I'll try."

* * *

"Yes, sir. I'll see to it right away." Wainright cut the connection and leaned heavily on his desk. "Fuck!" he snarled to the four walls of his office. This was not happening. With a sigh, he punched the intercom unit to his secretary. "Get Richards in here, now."

Five minutes later, Richards walked in and closed the door. He took a seat, face pale and met the other man's eyes.

"You heard about the death of Harvey?"

"The L1 ambassador?" Richards replied. "I think everyone here has."

"I've just been contacted by the boss. He wants to know who these people are."

"Shit." He went even paler.

Wainright dragged his fingers through his hair. "The operation is to go ahead a little earlier than scheduled. We get out tonight."

"Tonight?" Richards parroted.

"Yes, tonight. Anything you have that may be traced back to the operation is to be destroyed. Am I clear?"

"Yes."

"Good. Come to my place at eight tonight. I have the coordinates for the rendezvous point. Zaheer will accompany us."

"Right. Is that all?"

"Yes."

"I will see you this evening then." Richards stood and took his leave.

Wainright cradled his head in his hands for a moment, then got to work erasing all files on his computer.

* * *

"I'll contact Trowa and Quatre, shall I?" Wufei asked as Heero continued to wrestle with his theories.

"Good idea. If we can get them to come here then another two heads will be better in trying to sort this mess out," Heero replied.

"Okay." Wufei pulled his cell from his pocket and dialed Quatre's number. Moments later he was putting the cell back in his pocket. "They're on their way."

"Good."

Yuy's vid phone rang and he stabbed absently at the button. "Agent Day."

"Agent Day. I've received a call from the police regarding a pick up truck that's registered to Agent Night."

Instantly Heero's attention was fully on the vid screen. Wufei was around the desk in a flash.

"What about it? Where is it? Is there any sign of Agent Day?" The questions poured out of Heero's mouth.

"They didn't say much, just that they had a report of an abandoned vehicle and when they went to check it out they traced the registration to Agent Night. I have the details for you to contact them if you wish."

"Thank you. Send them through."

The receptionist gave Heero the contact name and number, then cut the call to leave the agent to do his work.

"It's a start," Wufei muttered. "Call them."

Heero was already punching in the numbers. The call connected.

"21st Precinct Police station. Can I help you?"

"I need to speak to a Constable Jameson, please."

"May I ask who is calling?"

"It's Agent Day from the Preventer Organization."

"One moment whilst I put you though, sir."

"Jameson."

"Constable Jameson, it's Agent Day from the Preventer Organization. I believe you have found a pick up truck registered to my partner Agent Night, or rather Duo Maxwell?"

"Ah, yes, sir. That is correct. I have tried to contact the registered owner of the vehicle, but so far I've had no luck."

"Where is the vehicle now, constable?"

"It's still in the parking lot where it was reported being abandoned. I was about to organize to get it towed in to the precinct."

"Constable, could you please leave it where it is and give me the location? I'll go out there and pick it up. I'd prefer it if you could meet us there as this is part of a Preventer investigation and any clues that may be found there are of vital importance, hence the need to leave it as is."

"No problem. I can meet you there in half an hour."

"That would be good."

The constable passed over the information of the pick up's location and Heero disconnected the call. Grabbing his jacket, he looked at Wufei. "You coming?"

"Right with you, Yuy." Wufei also grabbed his jacket and followed the agent out the door.

* * *

"Did Wufei say what this was all about, Quatre?" Trowa asked as he drove them to the Preventer Headquarters.

"No. He didn't want to say much in case the line wasn't secure. I'm sure we will find out everything once we get there though."

Trowa continued to drive in silence. His mind was working overtime and still coming up blank. They had the baby stroller in the trunk, intending to have forensics go over it for prints, DNA and anything else they might find. They had taken the details of the council workers along with fingerprints to rule them out should their prints be detected amongst any others on the child's stroller. With Chang's call all further investigations had drawn to a halt for the moment.

Trowa was soon pulling into the parking lot at Preventer HQ. Cutting the engine, the pair exited the vehicle, Quatre getting the stroller from the trunk. He carried it carefully, having wrapped a couple of rags around his hands so as not to add his own fingerprints to any existing ones.

Approaching the reception desk, Trowa hoped Heero or Wufei had informed the receptionist of their arrival, otherwise they would be stuck.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes. I'm Trowa Barton and this is Quatre Winner; Agent Fire and Agent Day are expecting us."

"Wait one moment, please." The receptionist turned away from them for a minute.

Quatre looked at Trowa who shrugged. He didn't have any clue either.

"I have a message here for you, Mr. Barton. Both agents had to step out for a while, but they did say you were bringing in some evidence relating to a case they're currently working on and that I'm to organize someone from Forensics to pick it up. Do you have the evidence?"

"Yes," Quatre replied and motioned to the stroller.

The receptionist didn't bat an eye at the unusual item, rather she got onto the 'phone to contact the Forensic department as if baby strollers turning up as evidence were an everyday occurrence.

"Forensics will be here in a moment, gentlemen. If you would care to take a seat whilst you wait. Once they've finished, Agent Fire asked if you would be so kind as to wait in the cafeteria for them, I will contact them to let them know you have arrived and they will collect you once they return."

"Thank you," Trowa replied and escorted his husband to a section at the side that had several plush couches scattered around. They took a seat and waited for the Forensics person to turn up.

A tall, elderly man came strolling through the reception area after five minutes and spoke briefly with the receptionist before approaching Trowa and Quatre.

"I'm Agent Summer from Forensics. You must be Barton and Winner?" he asked as he held out his hand.

"I'm Barton," Trowa replied and shook the agent's hand. "And this is Mr Winner."

"Pleasure to meet you," Quatre said as he shook hands.

"I was told to expect you and some evidence pertaining to a case Agents Fire and Day are currently working on, correct?"

"Yes." Quatre turned and picked up the baby stroller. "This is the evidence. I believe it is to be tested for DNA and also any fingerprints. I have taken the liberty of getting the fingerprints from the council workers who found it so you can eliminate theirs from any prints you may find." He handed the stroller over.

Before taking the stroller, the agent slipped on a pair of latex gloves. "Thank you. I'll take this to our labs and get started on it right away. Good day." Agent Summer left with the stroller.

"Guess we should head for the cafeteria and get a drink or something. I have no idea how long Wufei and Heero will be," Quatre said as he walked back towards the receptionist to ask for directions to the cafeteria.

The receptionist gave them clear directions and also put in the call to Wufei regarding their arrival. Chang replied to let the pair know they would be about an hour before returning to HQ and apologized for the wait. The receptionist passed over the information and the pair left to get a hot drink and see if there was anything edible in the cafeteria.

* * *

"Over there," Heero said and pointed to where a police patrol car and Duo's pick up sat parked.

Chang drove over whilst Heero took a look around. It was a basic parking lot out front of a diner. Nothing special about it, nothing that stood out. Chang pulled up and cut the engine. The officer got out of the police car and came to meet them.

"I'm Agent Fire and this is Agent Day," Wufei introduced them and flashed his badge as identification.

"Constable Jameson," the officer replied. "As you can see, that's the pick up. We had a call about it this morning from a worker in the diner. They said it was parked there last night, still there when they locked up and went home and seeing it still parked there this morning, they called us," Jameson told the agents as they walked over to the car.

Heero had the spare keys on him and fished them out from his pocket, along with a pair of latex gloves. "Has anyone touched the car?" he asked.

"Only myself that I know of. I only tested the door handles, but it's locked."

"Hn." Heero unlocked the pick up and began to search around inside for any clues. Wufei continued to question the constable.

Satisfied that all was as it should be aside from the missing driver, Heero closed the door and joined Chang.

"I can't find anything out of the ordinary inside the car and there's no evidence of damage or the like on the outside," Heero reported to Chang.

"In one way, that's good," Wufei replied. "I have a statement from the constable, there's nothing really he can add so I've let him return to the police station. I have his contact details should we need to question him again."

Heero turned to look at the diner. "I think we should speak to the staff in there. They may have seen Duo or noticed something happening in the car park."

"Do you still have the photo of Maxwell?"

"Hai."

"Come on then, let's go interrogate the staff."

~ * ~

tbc...


	37. Chapter 37

Note: Unbetaed as my beta is currently MIA with other things so please forgive any errors. ^_^

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 37

Heero strode towards the diner entrance, Wufei beside him. They entered and took a look around. It wasn't anything to write home about, booths along three walls, chairs and tables scattered about and a long counter with stools; just your average Diner. There were three men sitting on the various stools and two of the booths were occupied, there was no sign of Duo.

A gum chewing waitress approached and gave both men a good look up and down, obviously liking what she saw. "Hey, sugar, what can I get you?" she asked with a bat of her eyelashes.

Completely ignoring the blatant come on, Wufei reached for his Preventer ID and flashed it under the woman's nose. "I'm Preventer Agent Fire and this is Agent Day. We'd like to ask you a few questions regarding the pick up truck out the front."

"No good asking me, honey. I've just returned after two days off," she replied, not at all perturbed by Wufei's cool tone.

"Are there any staff here that were working yesterday?" Heero asked, impatient to find out something - _anything_ that might lead him to his husband and son.

"I think Holly was on yesterday, oh, Sam the cook would have been here too. Hang on a sec, tiger, I'll go check." The waitress turned and walked back behind the long counter and disappeared through the swinging doors to the kitchen.

"When I said interrogate the staff, Yuy, I _didn't_ mean in the manner of which you are used to from the war. These are civilians and we need to be careful in how we ask our questions if we wish to succeed in gaining answers," Chang snipped.

"I know. I'll try to be polite," Heero replied, "But it's frustrating, Chang, I feel like I'm so close to finding Duo only to run into another brick wall."

"I understand, I'm just as frustrated as you are and want nothing more than to find Maxwell, your son and the nanny, but we need to do this right. If you start questioning them in the manner Oz did to us then all we will get is silence and a request to leave."

Heero sighed and moved towards the counter, perching on a stool and motioning for Wufei to sit. Chang declined, but stood next to the other agent. A few moments later the waitress returned with another waitress and a rather portly man dressed in a white t-shirt, black pants and wearing an apron and hat. At least Wufei guessed it must have been a white t-shirt at some stage, although now it was almost gray and covered in grease stains.

"Holly was here for most of yesterday and Sam was on the afternoon shift," the waitress stated and then left the agents with the cook and other waitress, going to tend to her other customers.

"What can we do for ya?" the cook asked as he plonked down on a stool and wiped his greasy hands on a tea towel.

Chang resisted the urge to gag.

"The pick up truck out the front. Did either of you happen to notice what time it arrived here yesterday?" Heero asked.

"Nope, I can't see much from out the kitchen," Sam replied.

"I'm afraid I can't put a time to it either," Holly said.

Chang nudged Heero. "The photo."

"Hn." Heero reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the photo of Duo and Keitaro. "Have either of you seen this man or this child?" Heero passed over the photo, Sam about to take it when Holly grabbed it instead.

She studied it for a moment then looked at Heero. "I haven't seen the child but the guy looks familiar."

Heero's eyes sparked a little.

Holly thought long and hard, then spoke again. "He came in yesterday, I'm sure of it 'cause I remember thinking about how lovely his hair was. A woman would kill to have hair like that, you know, so long and silky looking, but I'm getting side tracked. He had a coffee and sat in the booth over there."

"What time would that have been?" Chang questioned.

"Let's see, I don't remember the actual time, but it would have been somewhere around five-thirty or sixish. The dinner crowd were just starting to make their way in."

"That fits in with the time frame from the surveillance," Heero stated.

"How long did he stay? Was there anyone with him?" Chang pushed on.

"He didn't stay long, just ordered a coffee, nothing to eat," Holly replied and then thought for a moment. "Another man joined him not long after he came in."

"Can you remember anything about the two of them? Were they chatting in a friendly manner? Or did they seem aggravated?" Heero asked.

"Let's see," Holly searched her mind.

"It doesn't matter how small, anything at all you can remember would be of help to us," Chang added.

"He in trouble or somethin'?" Sam inquired.

"No. I am not at liberty to divulge the details of the case, but suffice to say, this man is missing and it is vitally important we find him as quickly as possible," Chang stated in a tone that clearly said he wouldn't say any more.

"I wish you luck," Sam said. "I don't think I'm gonna be much use to ya, so if it's okay with you guys, I'll get back to my kitchen, there's meals awaitin'."

"Thank you for your assistance, that will be fine," Chang said and the cook departed leaving the two agents alone with Holly.

"Now, Holly, if you could relate to us anything at all that you can remember about this person and the one that joined him it could help us to find him," Heero prompted.

"I don't know how much help I will be, but I'll tell you all I can remember from the time they came in to when they left."

"Thank you."

"The long haired guy came in first and ordered a coffee like I already told you. He was by himself for about ten minutes, then this other guy came in and sat with him. He ordered a coffee too and they sat and chatted together. I don't know what they talked about, I'm not in the habit of listening in on customers' conversations, but the long haired guy seemed a little agitated, tense if you like. The other guy appeared calm. They talked for a while but they didn't get rowdy or loud or anything, just talked in sort of low tones. They were only in here for about ten or fifteen minutes, then they left."

"They left together?" Chang asked.

"Yeah. Left a pretty good tip too. The long haired guy didn't seem too happy when they went, at least that's the impression I got from the look on his face. Where they went or what car they left in, I couldn't tell you," Holly said and then relaxed back on the stool she'd sat on.

Wufei had his notebook out and had scribbled down all the relevant information. At least it was something to go on.

"Could you describe the other man?" Heero questioned.

"I can try, I don't remember a whole lot about him. In this game you don't tend to take a lot of notice of the customers. Unless they're really hot," she added with a smile.

Heero blushed a little, Chang rolled his eyes.

"Just tell us anything you _can_ remember about him," Chang pushed.

"Let's see, he would have been late twenties, maybe early thirties, short hair - brown I think." Holly's brow furrowed as she searched her memory. "He was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a flannel shirt, I don't recall what color the shirt was."

"Did he have a beard? Eye color?" Heero prompted.

"No, he was clean shaven. Couldn't tell you what color his eyes were, I didn't notice. He was taller than the other man, the one you're looking for; I'd say about six inches taller."

"Anything else?" Chang asked as he wrote down the description.

Holly shook her head. "That's all I can think of," she replied.

"Thank you, you've been most helpful," Heero said and reached for his Preventer card. "Here, that's my card and it has my contact number on it. If you should think of anything else, doesn't matter how small, please call me. Also, if you should see either of these men again, please ring me immediately."

Taking the card, Holly looked at it and then slipped it into the pocket of her apron. "No problem. I'll be sure to do that. Good luck with finding the guy."

Heero and Wufei took their leave, stepping back out into the fresh air and pausing for a moment. "We need to head back to HQ, I think we have a lot to work on and Barton and Winner are waiting for us," Wufei said.

"Shit!" Heero had forgotten all about Trowa and Quatre in his haste to get to the pick up truck and a possible lead on Duo's whereabouts. "I'll drive Duo's pick up back and meet you there."

"Okay. See you in the garage." Wufei took his leave, Heero following suit.

* * *

"If this is the sort of food they feed to their agents, I dread to think what they give to their prisoners," Quatre commented dryly as he poked the food on his plate.

Trowa had opted to have a sandwich rather than risk the items on display in the hot food section of the Preventer cafeteria.

"I swear this is recycled meatloaf."

Trowa glanced at his husband's plate and frowned. "What is it supposed to be?"

"Roast beef and vegetables."

"I'd quit now before you come down with food poisoning."

"Valid point," Quatre replied and placed his knife and fork on the plate of barely touched food. His hand sneaked across and snagged one of Trowa's sandwiches. "Much better."

Trowa's eyes widened a little at the blatant 'snitching' of his lunch, then he gave a sigh and resigned himself to being on a 'restricted diet' until dinner time.

They were finishing off their drinks when Trowa's cell began to ring. Pulling it from his pocket, the Latin answered the call.

"Okay. I see. Yes, we will head back now. Bye."

Quatre watched his husband with an amused twinkle in his eye.

"That was Wufei. They're back and asked us to meet them in reception for a meeting to discuss the latest findings."

"Any clues as to what is happening?"

"No, Chang didn't say," Trowa replied as he swallowed the last of his juice.

Quatre tossed his garbage into the bin, placed the tray on top with the others and followed his lover from the cafeteria.

* * *

Nurse Brown groaned softly as she tried to get into a more comfortable position on the bed. Her wrist throbbed and ached, the swelling causing her wrist to become twice the size it usually was. The skin was red, in places turning purple from the bruising. A glass of water and another two panadol appeared in front of her and she took them gratefully.

"I wish there was more I could do for you," Duo said softly, the concern in his eyes showing through.

"I'm afraid there isn't much anyone other than a doctor and surgery can do for me," replied the nurse with a small smile. "At least the panadol is helping with the pain."

Duo was frustrated, he hated being this helpless. Granted, if he'd been on his own he would probably have been out of here by now and the group holding them would be either dead or a very sorry bunch. Unfortunately, he couldn't do much with his son and the nanny being held too and used against him. He couldn't risk any further harm to either of them.

But he _had_ made himself a promise.

Once Keitaro and Nurse Brown were no longer in danger he would take these miserable bastards down and make them pay severely for what they had dared to touch.

No one fucked with Duo Maxwell and what was his without regretting it.

"What I wouldn't give for a cup of tea," the nurse sighed.

"If I could make you one, I would," Duo said. "Given the provisions about all I can stretch to is an iced tea, although that won't be very cold."

The nurse chuckled. "It's okay." She smiled at the young man who stood before her, his son in his arms. "Would you like me to take him for a bit?"

"If you feel up to it."

"Of course. Here, put him next to me, I'm sure he will have a nap very shortly."

Duo had been playing with Keitaro for some time, giving the nanny a chance to get some rest and also to wear the child out a little. With Keitaro almost nine months old, he was staying awake for longer periods of time and had a natural curiosity of the world around him. He was just starting to crawl which meant Duo was like a cat on a hot tin roof, constantly watching and monitoring the child.

Duo understood that Keitaro had to be allowed to crawl around, to get into things and discover more about his world, but Duo wasn't too keen on the state of the basement they were being kept in. Thus he tried to allow the child to do some exploring, but keep him confined as much as possible.

Brushing back the hair from the child's brow, Duo pressed a loving kiss to his son's cheek and then lay him next to the nurse. Keitaro immediately snuggled against Nurse Brown and began to drift off to sleep.

"He'll be fine," the nurse said as she placed her uninjured arm around the infant. "Why don't you get some rest too?"

"Nah. I think I'll have another go at that window," Duo said.

The nurse nodded, understanding his need to be doing something positive, something that just might help them get away.

Walking back to the window, Duo pulled the spoon from his pocket and continued to dig away at the crumbling mortar. He'd made quite a bit of headway, but there was still a way to go yet before he would be able to use brute force to remove the surrounding wood and make a hole big enough for them all to get through.

But right now he didn't have anything better to do.

* * *

There was no sign of either Heero or Wufei when Trowa and Quatre entered the Preventer reception area again so they took a seat and awaited their friends' arrival. It wasn't long before Chang showed up, Heero a few minutes behind him.

Rather than discuss the current events in the reception area, the four went up to Wufei's office where they would have the privacy they needed. Once inside and seated, Wufei and Heero proceeded to fill Trowa and Quatre in on what had transpired since they left them at the park.

With all the information passed on, both Quatre and Trowa looked a little shell shocked to say the least.

Heero had let Wufei explain most of the information, his head was whirling with thoughts, pieces of the puzzle were all floating around, taunting him, daring him to try and fit them together. He knew they would all fit, he just needed to find the right sequence - but that was going to take time and time was something Heero didn't have a lot of right now.

"You believe the assassination of the L1 ambassador was done by Duo?" Quatre questioned. "I can't see him killing for the sake of it, that's just not Duo."

"I'm pretty certain it was Duo," Heero replied. "The crime scene all points to the style of execution Duo used during the war."

"Don't forget the clues left behind too," Wufei interjected. "The hair sample and the message."

"And you say this person sent an e-mail to the ESUN claiming responsibility for the assassination and then made demands, but not the usual demands?" Trowa checked, wanting to make sure he had all the facts correct.

"Hai. Une has gone to the ESUN to discuss what they plan to do," Heero answered.

"Can they trace the e-mail?" Quatre asked.

"Une has a team working on it."

A light suddenly went off in Quatre's head. He turned to Heero, barely hanging onto the excitement in his voice. "Heero?"

"Hai?"

"What exactly were the demands again?"

"They said something about wanting more funding for the L2 colony cluster... Shit!" A piece of the puzzle suddenly slotted into place, Heero's eyes narrowing as he let his mind analyze the piece.

"Duo spoke to me regarding the rebuilding and funding that's currently going to L2. Did he mention anything about it to you, Heero?" Quatre asked.

Trowa was starting to look a little lost. He didn't know the entire story, just bits and pieces.

"Hai, he did. We had done a little work on it together but not found anything; unless..." Heero's mind began to tick over.

"Unless what?" Quatre questioned.

"The day Duo disappeared he left me a note saying he was following up on a potential lead."

"I think we need to go back to your place, Heero. If I know Duo, he will have records kept somewhere of what he has found," Quatre said with a knowing look.

"What are you both going on about?" Trowa asked, not at all pleased to be left out of the loop.

Wufei wasn't looking too impressed either.

Quatre quickly filled Trowa and Wufei in on what Duo had suspected. The funding for the L2 colony didn't seem to be on par with that of the other colonies. From what Quatre and Heero knew of Duo's investigations thus far, all the incoming materials and aid to L2 equaled the current expenditure.

"I'm certain this is somehow tied in with the guy that was found murdered at the ESUN," Heero said. "I wonder if that was the lead Duo was following up on?"

"You were trying to hack the ESUN data base as you believe the answer to the guy's death was in there somewhere," Wufei reminded Heero.

"Hai, I am, but as yet I haven't finished getting through the security."

"Duo did ask me for a copy of the donations Winner Enterprises had made to the colony rebuilding fund; I sent them through the other day," Quatre announced.

Heero stood up and grabbed his jacket. "I'm heading home to see if there's any clues on Duo's computer."

"We're coming with you," Wufei stated and also stood, Quatre and Trowa right with him.

The four left Preventer headquarters and headed back to Heero and Duo's residence.

* * *

Wainright rolled his head from side to side and eased a little of the ache in his shoulders. Returning to the keyboard again, he continued to scan through his files and delete those he'd copied to disc. An hour later he was finished.

Removing the disc, he checked his computer again, pleased to note that all the incriminating files were now gone. He slipped the disc into his briefcase and then continued with his other work.

Richards had also cleaned his computer of any evidence and felt a lot better about the whole business now. His mind switched to the evening and his meeting with Wainright. He was nervous about how things had suddenly sped up, but he trusted the other senator and knew that now was probably the best time to get out.

* * *

Une shook her head and sighed. Really, these politicians were just plain stupid! It was obvious this person was not messing around, the death of the L1 ambassador was certainly proof enough of that. Whilst she did not agree with giving in to terrorists, she couldn't understand why they needed to have a _three hour_ debate on the topic. To her it was simple.

You looked into the funding.

Why would this person be demanding extra funding for L2 if the colonies were all getting the same support?

Une liked things in black and white, to find the source of the matter, go right to the heart of it and check it out. This terrorist was demanding funding, funding that was already being dispensed, wouldn't it be easy enough then to simply check the records? See what aid had been dispensed the all colonies? Then, if there was a problem, look into it.

She only hoped that her agents were having better luck than she was.

* * *

Returning to the mansion, Heero immediately headed for the office and Duo's computer. He booted it up and whilst waiting for it to load, removed his jacket and got comfortable.

Wufei pulled a chair up next to Yuy, Trowa and Quatre disappeared to the kitchen to make refreshments, returning shortly with mugs of coffee for all. Quatre pulled up another chair while Trowa stood behind the three, eyes glued to the screen.

Once Heero had logged on, he set about tracing Duo's last movements on the computer. Wufei scanned over the cluttered desk and spotted a disc. He reached for it and picked it up. Turning it over, he gazed curiously at it. The words 'Sanq Foundation' stared back at him.

"What's that, Wufei?" Quatre asked.

"It's a disc. It was sitting just there," Wufei replied.

"Sanq Foundation," Trowa read over Wufei's shoulder. "What's that mean?"

Quatre's face crinkled into a frown. "That's Relena's foundation. The Sanq Foundation is responsible for raising money and donating it to various causes. Along with Winner Enterprises they were the other largest fund donor to the Colony rebuilding scheme. Heero, I think you should check what's on the disc."

Heero grunted. "I've found what Duo was investigating, and that disc is a vital part of it."

~ * ~

tbc...


	38. Chapter 38

**Thank you for the lovely feedback!**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 38

Another two hours of debating had passed and the group were no closer to coming to a decision than when they had started. Une was fed up of the constant arguing and bickering amongst the delegates and decided that enough was enough.

"Ladies and gentlemen, will you all just shut up for a moment, please?" she barked when a moment of silence allowed her to speak.

All the delegates turned in her direction, wide eyed and a little miffed that someone should have interrupted them and in such a rude fashion.

"Thank you. This constant back and forth arguing isn't getting us anywhere. If what I have heard thus far is true, then all the colonies were receiving the same amount of funding, correct?"

"Yes, but..."

Before the senator could say any more Une cut him off. "This person is demanding funding for the L2 cluster, stating that L2 is being left behind, not getting the same funding as the other colonies. Have any of you thought why he would be saying this and demanding more funds?"

"Well..."

"I thought not," Une said sharply, cutting off any chance of protest. "Wouldn't it make sense then to check the funding portfolio? Surely you have a committee set up to monitor and run this operation?"

"Well, yes, we do..."

"Then I suggest you contact the committee and take a look at the portfolio, see what funding has been allocated and to where. Who is in charge of this committee?"

"Now look here, commander..."

"I think the commander has a valid point," Relena interrupted. "There has to be some reason for this person to think that L2 isn't getting the same funding. I'd suggest we take the commander's advice and check the funding portfolio, see where the funds are going and what has been spent on each colony and where. Once we have that information and this person contacts us back, we can then present all the facts and figures, proving that L2 is getting just as much as the other colonies."

Une flashed the woman a grateful smile. Maybe now they would start to get somewhere.

There were a few muttered words amongst the remaining senators but no one could come up with a valid argument not to do as suggested. Grudgingly, they agreed.

"Who is in charge of the rebuilding scheme?" Une asked.

Relena scanned through the files she'd brought with her. "I believe it's Senator Wainright," she announced after locating what she wanted in the files.

"Does anyone have any objection to asking the senator to bring in the files associated with the rebuilding scheme?" Une asked.

Despite a few mumbles, no one opposed the proposal.

"Good." Une turned her attention back to Relena. "Would you mind asking the senator to bring the relevant files to a meeting with us all where we can check them over, please?"

"No problem. I'll see to it right away." Relena stood and exited the conference room to place a call. Une leaned back in her seat, aware of the tension in the room and the cat she'd just tossed in amongst the pigeons.

* * *

Wufei leaned a little closer to the screen as Heero slipped the disc into the computer and brought up the contents. He'd located the files Duo had stored his information on and currently had them loading up.

"Is this anything to do with the ESUN data base?" Wufei asked.

"Not that I know of," Heero replied. "Duo did mention something to me about the lack of rebuilding currently taking place on L2, he said he didn't think L2 was getting enough funding and was going to look into it a bit further. He hadn't told me if he'd found anything and the scanning programs we were using hadn't come up with anything as yet that I know of, so I assumed he was still investigating."

"He contacted me in regards to the funding," Quatre said.

Heero frowned. "I don't recall him saying anything about involving you specifically, Quatre."

"He probably didn't. Knowing Duo, he'd wait until he felt he had something to work with before letting you know what he was investigating," Quatre stated.

"What exactly did he say about the funding?" Wufei asked, getting the topic back on track.

"He said he'd been looking into some of the paperwork Relena had managed to get for him and wanted to know if I could double check on the invoices for Sandrock Construction. It's a company I own and it's been a vital part of the rebuilding scheme in delivering supplies and other necessities for the colonies to rebuild. I did and I couldn't find anything amiss. Trowa looked into it too and all the invoices matched with the outgoing supplies. I also mentioned that Winner Enterprises, along with the Sanq Foundation was one of the largest donors to the rebuilding fund. I sent through, at his request, copies of all the donations Winner Enterprises had made. I'm assuming from that disc, that Relena did the same."

"Hn," Heero grunted and all eyes turned back to him. He scanned over the information Duo had on the files, confirming in his own mind what he thought Duo was on to before saying anything to the others. "Duo was definitely looking into the funding," he stated.

Wufei moved closer, Quatre and Trowa also coming to stand directly behind and to the other side of Heero. All eyes were trained on the computer screen and the information displayed.

"This is a complete list of all funds allocated and the purchases made for the scheme," Heero said.

"Where did he get that from?" Wufei inquired. He had a pretty good idea, but wanted to see if Heero would confirm his suspicions.

"Remember when we went to the ESUN to investigate the murder of the security guard and the infiltrator?"

Wufei nodded.

"Duo had asked Relena if she could possibly obtain a copy of the colony rebuilding portfolio so he could check the inventories, see where the funds were allocated, what was purchased and match it against what was delivered to the colonies."

"I see."

"Whilst we were there, Relena gave him a copy of the files."

"Ah."

"From what I can tell, the inventories all match with the allocated funds, purchases and deliveries."

Quatre leaned a little closer and ran a skilled eye over the figures on the screen. Both Trowa and himself had a basic idea of what Duo suspected and was investigating, but they didn't know the whole story. Seemed they were getting an information dump. "I agree with you, Heero. All figures match."

Heero minimized the window and brought up those with the disc information on them. "I have a hunch," he stated quietly and began to scroll down the screen, typing commands as he went.

"Hunch?" Wufei questioned.

"Duo isn't one to investigate things if he's not pretty sure there's something funny going on. I have a hunch he wasn't convinced with the figures from the files, especially after seeing first hand the slowness of the rebuilding on L2. Compared to the rate of improvement on the other three colonies, L2 is quite a way behind, even I could see that. I'm guessing he wanted to compare the donations to the fund with the amounts spent thus far. I have a pretty good idea he was thinking along the same track I am now; that the other colonies are receiving more from the donations than what L2 is." Heero continued to type away as he spoke.

"Sounds logical to me," Quatre said.

"Bingo," Heero announced quietly. Immediately the other three were hovering over his shoulder, eyes taking in the information displayed.

"Shit!" Wufei's eyes widened.

"I think we have something here," Heero said softly.

"If that is correct, then there's several thousand credits unaccounted for," Quatre commented as he did some fast, mental calculations.

"Hn." Heero typed away again. "It seems, no matter which way you add this up, the total amounts of the donations do not equal the funds that appear in the files."

"Yet the allocated funds equal the purchases," Wufei said.

"So somewhere between the donations and the allocations, several thousand credits have disappeared," Trowa finished off.

"Yuy, did you manage to finish hacking into the ESUN data base?" Wufei questioned.

"No, I haven't."

Wufei frowned a little as he thought.

"Why would you want to hack the ESUN data base?" Quatre asked.

Heero looked to Wufei, the unspoken request to let Trowa and Quatre know what they were investigating written in his eyes. Wufei nodded his consent. Whilst it wasn't allowable under the Preventer rules and regulations for cases to be discussed with anyone other than those agents assigned to the case, both Quatre and Trowa weren't ordinary people. Neither man would breathe a word, besides, they just might be able to give a fresh view on the case.

With the permission granted, Heero informed the two of their current investigation and their reasons for wanting to hack the data base.

* * *

"Yes?" Wainright spoke into the intercom system, his voice a little irritated at being interrupted.

The secretary ignored the tone and informed the senator of the committee's request for the files on the colony rebuilding scheme.

"They want them now?" Wainright said, stalling for time.

"That was the request, sir."

"It will take me a short while to get it all together. Please let the committee know I'll have the files to them as quickly as I can."

"I'll pass that information on, sir."

The intercom went silent and Wainright sat back in his chair, a worried frown on his face. He thought long and hard on the situation and then, having made his decision, he picked up his 'phone and called Richards.

"Richards here."

"Richards, we have a slight problem." Wainright explained to Richards what the committee wanted.

"What are you going to do?"

"Give them the files, of course," Wainright stated.

"But..."

"Richards, the files I will be giving them are the files we've been using all along. All the other files have been successfully copied to disc and then deleted from my computer. I trust you have completed the same task?"

"Yes, I have. The computer is clean."

"Good. I intend to take my time over delivering these files, by the time they have them, there won't be much of the day left for them to look into them too deeply. They will have to wait until tomorrow to go through them in depth. By the time they do that, we will both be long gone."

Richards gave a smirk. "I like your thinking."

"Just sit tight, wait the rest of the day out and I will see you this evening as arranged."

"Will do."

"If they should ask you for your copies of the files, delay as much as possible."

"Understood."

"Until tonight." Wainright cut the call and sat back in his chair once more, this time there was a satisfied smirk on his face. "Won't be long now and all you so called peace keepers will be exposed for the frauds that you really are," he muttered to the four walls.

* * *

Duo had managed to dig away a bit more of the mortar, however he was still a long way from being able to remove the woodwork and bars from the tiny window. Even if he was successful, he had yet to figure out how he was going to get all three of them safely out and away. If it had just been himself, he would have been long gone, but he had his son and the nanny to think about and there was no way Duo would endanger either of them if he could help it.

Nurse Brown gave a groan and Duo immediately stopped his assault on the masonry to see what was wrong.

"Here, let me do that," he said quietly to the nurse who was trying to change Keitaro's diaper with only one hand.

"Thank you, Duo," Margaret replied. "I'm sorry I'm not much help."

Duo gave the woman a soft smile. "Not your fault. Under the circumstances I think you're coping extremely well." He quickly changed his son and then set about getting a bottle for the infant.

Nurse Brown sat in the chair and watched. Her heart was heavy, body tired, mind continuously running in circles and her wrist was beginning to hurt a lot more than she was letting on. She continued to think about their situation and the more she did, the more convinced she became that the decision she had made was the right one. "Duo?"

"Yes?" Duo looked up from where he was feeding Keitaro the cool formula; Keitaro had objected at first, but then his hunger overcame the desire for warm food and he sucked greedily at the bottle. It tore at Duo's heart that he couldn't give his son what the child needed and added another mark to the mounting score he had to settle with these idiots that dared to touch what was his.

"Duo, as soon as you manage to get that hole or window open enough for you to get through, I want you to go. Take Keitaro with you and get out of here."

Duo's eyes widened and then narrowed. "No. I will not leave you behind."

The nurse sighed. "Look, I'm a lot bigger than you so it will take longer to get that hole big enough for me to get through and I will only slow you down with this broken wrist. You will stand a much better chance at escaping if you haven't got to worry about an old biddy like me, I can't move as fast as you." It made perfect sense to the nurse that the young man should take his son and make a break for it when the opportunity arose.

"No. Either we _all_ go, or none of us goes. I won't leave you behind and have these assholes hurt you again." He didn't say 'kill', there was no need to. They both knew what the terrorists would do, they'd already shown that they meant business by breaking the nanny's wrist. Duo knew they wouldn't hesitate to kill nurse Brown, they had made that painfully clear and Duo had enough blood on his hands from the war. No way was he going to add another innocent to that tally.

"But, Duo, please try to see sense here. You can get away a lot faster without me, get help and come back with re-enforcements."

Duo knew the nanny was putting on a brave face, but there was no way he would leave her behind and she was just going to have to accept that. "I will not leave you behind and that's the end of the discussion," he stated in a tone of finality. "Besides, I'm pretty sure that Heero won't be too far off in locating us. I did leave behind a couple of clues for him when I ..." Duo hesitated for a moment, then continued, "when I had to do that job yesterday. I can only hope he has been involved in the case and if he has, you can bet he's tearing apart this entire planet to find us."

Nurse Brown smiled. The love the two men had for each other was stronger than any love she'd seen in a while and she didn't doubt for a second that Heero would locate them. But would he be in time? She sighed in defeat. "Okay."

"Good." Duo gave her what he hoped was a reassuring grin. "Wrist hurting?"

"A little," the nurse lied.

"Let me take a look at it and then I'll give you some more panadol." Duo set Keitaro down on the bed, the baby more than happy to sit and watch what was going on around him. Taking the nurse's wrist, he noted the attempt to disguise the flinch of pain as he carefully unwrapped the makeshift bandage.

Gritting her teeth, Margaret allowed the young man to check out her injury. It throbbed and ached continuously and despite the panadol, the pain really didn't ease much.

Duo frowned as he took in the state of the nurse's wrist. It was swollen a lot more than he would have liked to see. The surrounding flesh was vivid shades of red, purple and blue, indicating how bad the bruising was. It still sat at a slightly abnormal angle and Duo knew it needed surgery to correct. All he could hope for was that it didn't get the chance to heal too much in that position - which meant getting out of here as soon as possible. Short of trying to straighten the wrist himself, with nothing but brute force, and that wasn't something he was willing to put the nurse through, the best he could do for now was to bind the wrist as tightly as possible, keep up with the panadol and hope for a miracle.

"It's not looking good, is it?" the nurse asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"No, it isn't," Duo replied honestly.

"It's okay, Duo. Just strap it as tight as you can."

"Okay. I'll be as gentle as I can." Duo proceeded to bind the wrist again, wrapping the cloth around as firmly as he dared. The nurse gave a soft moan of pain and flinched a couple of times, but otherwise remained still.

"Thank you," Margaret said as Duo placed the bound wrist back into the sling he'd rigged up.

Duo fetched another couple of the panadol pills and handed them over, the nurse duly swallowing them and then settling onto the bed next to the baby. She did her best to forget the pain by concentrating on Keitaro and keeping the little one amused.

Duo returned to the window and mortar with renewed vigor.

* * *

It was late afternoon by the time the ESUN delegates received the files in the colony rebuilding portfolio - too late for them to really consider what information they held. All the senators had their minds on other things - such as going home to their respective families and enjoying dinner.

Une could see it was hopeless trying to convince them to remain; they wouldn't make much headway at all if none of the delegates' minds were on the job. Grudgingly she agreed for the meeting to be adjourned and resume at eight the following morning. Once all the delegates had left the conference room and only Relena and herself remained, Une picked up the portfolio and glanced at it. Having taken a quick flick through, she could see there was quite a bit of work involved in going through it all. She sighed and looked at Relena.

"Mind if I take this home and study it tonight ready for tomorrow's meeting?" she asked the other woman.

"Not at all," Relena replied and then went silent, deep in thought.

Une raised an eyebrow. She could see there was something on the woman's mind. "Relena? Is there something bothering you? Anything you'd like to talk about? I can promise you that anything you say to me will be kept in the strictest of confidence."

Relena sighed and her shoulders slumped a little. She raised her blue eyes to meet with the commander's. "There's something I think you should know, commander. I don't know if this is relevant at all, or if you're already aware of it, if you are, please stop me."

"Relena, just tell me what's on your mind," Une said in a soft tone.

"Okay. A couple of weeks ago I had a call from Agent Night - Duo. He was asking about the colony rebuilding scheme and asked me if I could obtain a copy of the files for him. He didn't say what he was looking for, sort of vaguely hinted that it was for a case or something he was working on. I managed to get a copy and handed it over to him. I don't know if he found what he was looking for, I didn't say anything more about it and he hasn't either. I don't know if it might be relevant to this or not, but I thought you should know."

Une's mind was ticking over with the information. "Thank you, Relena. No, I wasn't aware of Agent Night's request, or exactly what he wanted the files for. I will look into this a little more though."

"I hope I'm not getting him into any trouble."

"No, Relena. In fact, this information could help a lot."

"Good. I"ll bid you good night then."

"Good night, Relena." Une watched as the young woman left, then she shook herself, checked she had all the files and left to return to Preventer HQ. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Agent Summer checked over all the reports again, making certain he had all the facts there in front of him. He shook his head in disbelief at the results. Taking the reports through to his office he dumped them on the desk and went to fetch himself a coffee.

Reading over the reports and findings again, he was satisfied they had covered everything they possibly could. Reaching for the 'phone, he placed a call to the commander.

"Commander Une."

"Commander, it's Agent Summer here. I have the results from the forensic testing we've done from the case involving the vehicle and child's stroller."

"And?"

"The only prints we can find are those belonging to the people immediately involved; that is the child, nanny, council workers and such. There are no prints unaccounted for. Also there wasn't anything usable for DNA testing."

"I see."

"Commander?"

"Yes?"

"I also have the DNA results on the strands of hair found in the hand of the deceased L1 ambassador."

Une swallowed. "Go on."

"Commander, the DNA testing shows that the hair found matches the DNA profile of one of our Preventer agents. In fact it is that of one Agent Night."

~ * ~

tbc...


	39. Chapter 39

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 39

Une went silent with the news that Agent Summer had given her. She already knew from Heero and Wufei's earlier report that they were pretty sure that Agent Night was the one responsible for the death of the ambassador, but to have it confirmed...

Not doubting the evidence at all, it brought mixed reactions in Une. A part of her was relieved that they now knew who the killer was without a doubt, but another small part of her had hoped they would be wrong. With Agent Night still missing, they now had something of a clue to work with and try to locate the missing man. At the very least they knew he was still on earth.

"Commander?"

Une jerked, realizing the agent was still on the line. "Could you please bring the entire report to my office, Agent Summer? I'll take a look at it now."

"On my way, commander."

Cutting the call, Une leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. Yes, it was going to be a very long night indeed.

* * *

A knock sounded at the door and Wainright nodded to Zaheer to answer it. The burly man did as requested, leaving his work at the laptop and returning moments later with Richards in tow. Wainright looked up at his fellow senator. "Glad you could make it. Did you manage to wipe your computer clean?"

"Yes. All files are deleted," replied Richards and took a seat. "Thank you," he said to Zaheer as the man handed him a glass of red wine.

"There has been a slight change in plans," Wainright informed his fellow senator.

"Oh?"

"Zaheer has managed to hack into the laptop that was being used by that infiltrator several days ago, and what he found is most interesting."

"I see." Richards took a sip of the wine, the alcohol burning a trail down his throat.

"The findings have been sent through to the boss and he's advised us there will be a small delay in our leaving the planet."

"What did Zaheer find?" Richards questioned, his curiosity piqued.

Wainright nodded to Zaheer and the bodyguard took up the conversation from where he was seated, laptop in front of him.

"I hacked into the laptop and traced the hard drive files to find out exactly what this person was up to. We know he was attempting to hack into the files on your computers; specifically the files relating to the colony rebuilding funding." Zaheer paused, typed a few commands and then continued. "I'm currently tracing the data on the hard drive to try and find out who this guy was working for, where they are and what exactly he was chasing."

"Sounds complicated," Richards muttered.

"It isn't easy," Zaheer acknowledged. "So far I have managed to trace who this guy was working with and from that information, plus the fact he was trying to gain access to the funding data, I'm certain they were attempting to gather information and then expose the group before we're ready to act."

Richards let go a soft whistle.

"Now all I need to do is find them."

Wainright took up the conversation. "The boss wants all the information as soon as we have it, once we know where they're located we will make a detour to pick them up."

"Pick them up?" Richards questioned.

"Yes. We will be taking them with us and handing them over to the boss." Wainright neglected to add they would only be taking those with them that surrendered.

Richards paled a little, his mind in overdrive. He wasn't too sure about this.

"Don't worry, the boss has already notified others from the faction and they will be collecting the members of this little rebellious group, all we have to do is wait."

"Okay." He quickly finished his wine.

"We will be moving shortly to a safe location where we will remain until Zaheer gets a fix on this group's location. Once they have been persuaded to leave, we will meet up at an old, abandoned military shuttle site. Until that happens, I suggest you relax." Wainright leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, indicating that the conversation was over for now.

Zaheer continued with his tracing, Richards watched the flames dancing in the grate whilst his mind continued to ponder the words that had been spoken.

* * *

"Dinner," the voice growled and opened the door to the basement.

Duo quickly hid the evidence of his attentions to the window, managing to make it to the chair just as the door opened to admit Murphy. "About time," he sneered.

"Shut your mouth," Murphy snapped and carried the tray towards the sitting man, a gun held firmly in one hand as the tray balanced precariously in the other. "Take it," he ordered.

Duo reached up and took the tray. "I hope there's something warm on here for my son," he said sourly.

"Think yourselves lucky your getting food," came the snide reply.

Managing to rein in his temper and the urge to kill the man with his bare hands, Duo opted to glare at Murphy instead and ask another question. "The nanny is in a lot of pain with her wrist, since you lot thought it necessary to break that wrist I think it fair you should provide some sort of pain relief for her," Duo paused and then decided to go for broke in the requests department. "Whilst we're on the topic of relief, any chance of being able to shower? I don't know about your sense of smell, but mine is telling me that all three of us could do with a wash down. I guess asking for a radio would be out of the question? Just a little transistor to listen to some music and pass the time a bit quicker, in case you hadn't noticed, there's only so many things in here that one can play 'I Spy' with before it becomes rather repetitive." Duo knew he was pushing his luck, but it didn't hurt to ask, they couldn't be any worse off than they already were.

Murphy glanced at the nanny then back to Duo. "I'll speak to the boss," he snipped and then exited the room.

Sighing, Duo set the tray down and began to investigate the contents. There was a small bowl of baby food for Keitaro. Luke warm at best but better than completely cold. The second plate carried an assortment of sandwiches for himself and Nurse Brown. He passed the plate to the nurse who took a sandwich, then placing the plate back down, Duo picked up the bowl of baby food and began to feed his son.

Keitaro had begun to whimper when he smelt the food. He was hungry and wanted feeding now! He didn't understand why his usual routine had been interrupted and thrown into chaos. He was used to being fed at regular intervals, bathed, played with and sleeping at certain times. Now all that had changed and despite his 'mother's' and nanny's best attempts to try and maintain that routine, Keitaro knew there was something 'off'.

The spoon reached his little mouth and the infant opened up to receive the food. His face grimaced with the cool meal and he showed his displeasure further by spitting out the mouthful.

"Come on, Keitaro. I know it's not exactly warm, but it is food and I need you to eat," Duo cajoled. It tore him apart to have to feed his son like this and he vowed yet again to make the ones responsible rue the day they ever met him.

Another mouthful was rejected before the baby firmly refused to open his mouth for any more of the cool dinner.

"Let me try," the nanny said.

Duo sighed. "Sure, but I don't think you're going to have much luck. Personally, I don't blame him, I wouldn't want to eat that stuff cold either." Duo peered into the bowl as he passed it over to the nanny. "Just what is it anyway?"

Margaret took a look. "I think it's beef and vegetables."

"Looks more like brown slop. Never mind eating it cold, I don't think I'd like to eat it at all; hot or cold." Duo shuddered as a wave of nausea hit him. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

"Please use the chamber pot if you are," the nurse stated. "I'm not about to clean up after a grown man."

Duo's eyes widened and he gave the nurse a look of disbelief. Fortunately, the nausea passed and Duo picked up a sandwich.

Keitaro gave in after a little more protesting and ate his dinner, much to both Duo's and the nanny's relief.

A little while later, Murphy returned to collect the empty dishes. He brought with him a thermos filled with hot water and a small container of milk. Silently, he set them down, always keeping his gun trained on one of the three. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a foil strip and tossed it to the bed. "Pain relief," he muttered and then picked up the tray of dirty dishes. Turning, he began to leave the room, pausing at the doorway to speak once more. "Boss says you can take a shower. The nanny first, then you two."

"The radio?" Duo questioned.

"Boss says he'll think about it. I'll be back in ten minutes to take you to shower," Murphy concluded, looking directly at the nanny before leaving and locking the door again.

Once Murphy had gone, Duo picked up the foil packet and read the back of it. "Panadeine Forte," he read aloud. "At least they're stronger than the panadol I managed to nick for you," he murmured and handed two of the pills to the nanny.

"Thank you," Margaret replied as she took the pills and swallowed them. Margaret was familiar with the drug, it was a pretty strong pain killer, not as effective as morphine, but worked along similar lines. She hoped it would kick in soon.

Knowing that Murphy would be back soon, Duo took the thermos and made the nurse a hot cup of tea. Using more of the water, he fixed a bottle for Keitaro as well and then used the remaining water to make himself a drink. He wondered if their captors would refill the thermos and if not, would he be able to sneak it into the shower and refill with the hot water there? At least it would be better than the cool water they currently had at their disposal.

The door opened again and Murphy was back. "Shower," he snapped at the nanny. "Don't try anything either, if you do then one of these two will suffer for it."

"And how, pray tell, am I supposed to 'do anything' when I am incapacitated?" asked the nurse with a sarcastic edge to her voice as she eased herself off the bed.

"Just move it," Murphy replied and waved the gun about.

Nurse Brown exited the basement, Duo watching her go and vowing that the nanny had better return safely or he would not be happy at all.

A short while later, Murphy returned with Nurse Brown, the woman seeming to be a little better, the shower having done wonders for her, even if she did have to put on the same clothes.

"Your turn," Murphy ordered. "Don't you even think about trying anything either. You do and the nanny won't have to worry about a broken wrist."

Duo glowered at the man but picked up his son along with a fresh diaper and headed for the stairs.

The shower was welcome, even if he did have to juggle a slippery baby as well. Duo managed to wash his son, then sat the infant in the corner of the cubical whilst he scrubbed himself clean. With both of them feeling much better, not to mention fresher, Duo managed to dry them off and redress both of them. Returning to the basement, Duo spotted a fresh thermos of hot water and a small transistor radio. Inwardly, he grinned.

* * *

Une scrubbed wearily at her eyes. She'd gone through the ESUN report, files and many pages of facts and figures outlining all the deployment of funds for the colony rebuilding scheme. Her head was aching with the large volume of figures that constantly whirled around inside. No matter which way she looked at it, all figures appeared to add up.

She reached for the mug and took a sip. "Yuck!" she snapped and made a face at the cold coffee she'd swallowed. Getting up from her desk, she exited the office and went to the small staff room to make a fresh cup. Returning to her desk, she shoved the files aside and picked up the one Agent Summer had brought in relating to the death of the L1 ambassador. Opening it up, she began to scan the pages, taking in as much information as she could before the lines began to blur.

* * *

"How's it going?" Wufei asked as he appeared in the study with a fresh mug of coffee and set it down beside Heero. He took a seat to the side of the desk, which held Yuy's computer and sipped at his tea.

Taking the mug and blowing on the hot contents, Heero turned to face his friend and fellow agent. "I'm making progress," he announced.

"Good," Wufei replied and rubbed his tired eyes.

"Where are Quatre and Trowa?" Heero asked, suddenly aware that the other two men were not around.

"They have retired for the evening," Wufei informed him. "They said to let you know they are using the same room as the last time they stayed and hoped that would be okay with you."

Glancing at the clock, Heero realized with a start just how late it was. "That is fine. I'm sorry, I didn't realize the time, you should get some sleep too, Chang."

"I will retire when you do," Wufei replied, well aware that Heero wouldn't rest at all if given half a chance.

With a sigh, Heero knew he had to take a break, even he couldn't function fully without some rest. Although he wasn't sleeping properly at all with Duo and Keitaro missing, a couple of hours rest snatched here and there would be enough to keep his body and mind working okay. Once he had his husband and son safely back then he could sleep.

The computer gave a soft beep and Heero's head swiveled back, eyes scanning the screen quickly.

"What is it?" Wufei asked.

"We're in," Heero replied and began to type commands into the computer.

"In?"

"Hai. I've managed to get into the ESUN database."

All thoughts of sleep quickly exited both agents' minds. Wufei pulled his chair closer. "Now what?"

"Now I intend to follow the tracks left behind by that guy that was hacking into the files."

"But I thought you were trying to find out where that missing funding was located," Wufei said, clearly a little confused by the change in tactics.

"As Duo would say, I have a gut feeling about this, Chang. I'm positive that this guy, who was murdered, Duo, Keitaro and the nanny's disappearance along with the dead ambassador and the demands for funding are all linked together. If I can trace what this guy was up to, then the chances are we will have the pieces to the rest of the puzzle."

"What can I do to help?"

"Fetch more coffee?"

Wufei snorted.

* * *

Once Duo was sure that Murphy had left the basement and gone back up the stairs, he made a beeline for the radio. Picking up the small unit, he turned it over in his hands and studied it intently.

"It's a radio, Duo," the nurse said, her tone amused as she watched the young man. The Panadeine Forte had started to work and she was feeling pleasantly numb. The tablets were certainly a lot stronger than the panadol she had been taking.

"I know that," Duo replied, his attention still on the small contraption. He turned it on and fiddled with the dial, finding a station and leaving it there for a moment.

"Is there a more specific reason why you wanted a radio other than to listen to music or the news?" the nurse questioned.

"Actually, there is," came the absent reply. Duo set the radio down and began to hunt about the basement.

"Are you looking for something specific? Anything I can help with?"

"I need something I can use like a screwdriver."

"Ah." Why Duo would want a screwdriver, the nurse had no clue. "Are you planning on enlightening me further?"

Continuing in his hunt for something usable, Duo replied. "I'm hoping I can get inside that radio."

"What for?"

Duo paused in his hunt for a moment. "Inside that radio are wires and circuits. If I can get inside, I'm pretty sure I can rewire it. If it has the _right_ sort of wires and circuits I plan on altering it and sending out a signal."

"You can do that?" Margaret's eyes widened.

"In theory it should work, but in practice? That I can only try."

"Diaper pins."

"Pardon?" Duo looked up at the nurse.

"Diaper pins," the nurse repeated. "Would they be of any use? There are a couple in Keitaro's bag."

Grabbing the baby bag, Duo began to search through it and soon located three diaper safety pins. He held them up and studied them closely. "You know, they just might work."

"I hope so. Pass me the bottle, please. Keitaro's getting a little hungry and it's time he went to sleep."

Setting the pins down, Duo picked up the baby bottle and handed it over. "Do you want me to change him first?"

"He's fine, still dry at the moment."

"Okay."

Margaret settled the child against her side so he was slightly upright, then she began to feed him the bottle.

Seeing his son was taken care of and the nanny appeared to have everything under control, Duo picked up the pins and radio, carrying them to the small table in the room and set about trying to pull the contraption apart.

* * *

Nolen flicked the coin over and caught it, fiddled with it for a moment, then flicked it over again. Duric lit a cigarette, drawing the smoke in and then exhaling. The clock ticked on the wall as each man stared off into space. Finally, Duric broke the silence.

"How is Farrow doing with his hacking?"

Nolen looked up and it took him a moment for his brain to catch up. Once he acknowledged Duric's words, he replied. "Not good. He's nowhere near as smart as Cropp was, but the ESUN have since put in further security. He would eventually crack it, but for now it has him beaten and it will take far too long for him to do so; we don't have that sort of time."

"Are you going to contact them again?"

"I gave them forty-eight hours. I will contact them after twenty-four and see what progress has been made."

"And what if they don't comply?" Duric flicked the ash into the ashtray.

"The we go ahead with the second part of the plan and take out another representative."

"Who would be next?"

Pausing for a moment, Nolen pondered the coin in his hand, finally flipping it, catching and then staring at the result. He raised his eyes to meet Duric's. "The L3 ambassador."

Duric grunted. "And if they still don't listen?"

"Then we will go even higher."

Duric crushed the cigarette in the ashtray. "Higher?"

"Relena Peacecraft."

~ * ~

tbc...


	40. Chapter 40

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 40

With patience and a steady hand, Duo finally managed to get the back off the small transistor radio. Setting the plastic aside, he scanned through the maze of wires and circuits, his mind working overtime as it traced the various components, figuring out what each small part did and how best he could alter it to send instead of receive.

On the bed, Nurse Brown watched through heavy eyes. Keitaro had finished his bottle, brought up the wind and was now snuggled against the nanny's side fast asleep. The pain pills had kicked in big time and not only was her wrist feeling less sore, but Margaret was also getting very tired from them.

"What exactly do you hope to do?" Margaret asked as she watched Duo fiddling with the small machine.

"I'm going to try and rewire this so that instead of receiving, it will transmit."

"I see."

"Sort of like reversing everything in it - or at least that's how it works in theory. I need to try and trace each wire, see which circuit it's attached to on the circuit board and then set it up to work in reverse."

"Sounds complicated, and not very promising."

"It is complicated, but I'd rather be doing this than sitting around and waiting for someone to try and find us." Duo knew that the L1 ambassador's death would have been discovered by now and he hoped that somehow Heero had gotten the clues he'd left behind.

Heero...

Duo's heart ached for his husband. Heero would be frantic, of that Duo had no doubt. Even with the clues he'd left, that's presuming Heero had gotten them, his husband would be tearing apart earth and the colonies to try and locate them. If he could succeed in getting this radio to transmit, then he was hoping to send out a signal, an encrypted signal that Heero would understand.

He just needed to try and remember the transmitting level that Preventer used.

Diligently, Duo worked on into the night.

* * *

A knock at Une's door woke the commander. She raised herself from her desk where she'd fallen asleep and scrubbed at her face. Her eyes felt heavy and thick, her brain was muzzy and it felt like something furry was growing on her tongue. The knock sounded again. "Enter," she managed to say as she did her best to smooth the wrinkles from her clothing.

"Morning, ma'am," said Une's secretary and then stopped in her tracks as she took in her commander's appearance. "Excuse me for being so forward, ma'am, but did you stay here all night?"

"Yes, I did," sighed Une.

"Ah. Would you like some coffee?"

"I think a change of clothes might be more to the point," replied Une as she sniffed the air delicately. "I'll go get freshened up, and yes, a coffee would be most welcome."

The secretary did as asked, leaving to fetch the commander's coffee whilst Une slipped into the small, adjoining room to her office and changed into a fresh set of clothes. All agents kept a change of clothes at headquarters, usually a second uniform as one never knew when they would need it. Change done, Une headed for the bathrooms for a quick wash and spruce up. Her coffee was waiting for her when she returned, along with a blueberry muffin. Silently, Une thanked her secretary.

Coffee in hand, Une made her notes based on the information she'd managed to glean from the reports she'd been reading through in preparation for the continued meeting with the ESUN heads later that morning.

* * *

Keitaro's soft whimpers as he stirred woke both Duo and the nanny. Duo moved to the thermos to make up a bottle for the child, thankful that the water was still quite warm inside. Margaret managed to get a diaper ready and keep the infant amused whilst waiting for Duo. Bottle made, Duo moved to the bed and began the task of changing his son.

Peeling back the tabs on the disposable diaper, Duo got a bit of a whiff of his son's offering and felt his stomach twist. "Ah, shit," he said as he tried to swallow the extra saliva that was flooding his mouth and keep his contents in his stomach.

Hearing the expletive, Margaret looked up sharply and was about to chastise the young man when she suddenly stopped and took a good look at him. Duo didn't look all that well. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Feeling a bit nauseous," Duo replied honestly.

"I can change him if you wish?"

"It's okay, I'll be all right in a... ah crap," Duo moved swiftly to the side and grabbed the chamber pot that was still in their room. His stomach rebelled and he spent a minute or so emptying the contents into the chamber pot. Finally finished, he grabbed a baby wipe and wiped his mouth and face. He picked up a glass and poured some cold water into it to rinse out his mouth, spitting the contents into the pot and then putting the offending item into the furthest corner he could find and covering it with a plastic bag.

Returning to his son, he noted Nurse Brown had finished changing Keitaro and was now feeding the child, a worried look on her face.

"I'm okay," Duo reassured the nurse. "Don't quite know what sparked that off, I'm not usually affected by Keitaro's diapers."

The nurse smiled. "Don't worry, it does happen from time to time." She let the subject drop, but her mind continued to think on it. Duo did look a little pale, but otherwise he seemed okay. She decided to keep a close eye on the young man anyway.

With the nurse and infant occupied, Duo went back to the small table and picked up the radio. So far he'd managed to figure out just about all of the circuits and wires, and was fairly confident in his skills that he would be able to alter it sufficiently to send out some sort of signal.

* * *

Yawning widely, Quatre walked into the study and paused. Heero was still sitting at the computer, oblivious to anything around him. To the side, Wufei was sprawled in the other office chair, his neck at an awkward angle, mouth open and snoring softly. _/Ouch! Chang's going to have one hell of_ _a_ _crick_ _in his neck when he wakes up,/_ Quatre thought.

Hearing the soft shuffling of feet, Heero looked up from the screen and spotted Quatre.

Eyes moving from the Chinese man to Heero, Quatre scratched his belly and asked, "Did you get any sleep at all last night, Heero?"

"No," came the sheepish reply as Heero bent to his task once more.

Seeing the Japanese man so engrossed in the computer, Quatre walked over for a better look. "Did you manage to find something?"

"Sort of," Heero replied. "I've cracked the ESUN database."

"Ah." Quatre was fully awake now.

"I'm tracing through the database to find out what that guy was up to. Whatever it was he was searching for was certainly important enough for someone to have murdered him."

At that point, Wufei gave a loud snore, snuffled and coughed, waking himself up in the process. Raising his head, he winced and rubbed at his sore neck. "Shit, my neck's as stiff as a board," he grumbled.

"Morning, Wufei," Quatre said in his cheerful tone.

"Winner," Chang replied and then turned his attention back to Heero. "How is it progressing, Yuy?"

"Slowly," came the stoic reply.

"Anything yet?"

"Sort of. So far all I've managed to track him to the Colony rebuilding scheme which confirms my suspicion that he was possibly working with the same group that has sent their demands to the ESUN."

"I see." Wufei looked a little more alert and shifted in his seat, stretching his tired and cramped limbs.

"The computer is still following his tracks and I don't have the concrete proof at this stage to confirm my theory." Heero turned around to face both men. He looked haggard, his face pinched and drawn, shadowing under his eyes and a light stubble over his chin all attested to the lack of sleep and worry over his missing family.

"I think you need a break, Heero," Quatre stated kindly. "Leave the computer to do its thing, Trowa can keep an eye on it for you whilst you go get a shower and take a nap." Quatre was careful to avoid saying 'sleep', knowing full well that Heero would refuse point blank. Quatre didn't blame him, if the roles were different and it was Trowa that was missing, Quatre knew he would be moving heaven, earth and the colonies to find him.

Heero gave himself a quick sniff and decided a shower was certainly in order. "I'll take a shower and return shortly."

"Trowa's cooking breakfast, have your shower and meet us in the kitchen. You need to eat and then get a bit of a rest in. You won't be any good to anyone if you keep driving yourself like this, Heero."

Knowing that what the blonde said was true, Heero relented. "Okay. I'll brief Trowa on what to keep watch for." Standing, Heero took one last check on the computer then left to take a shower.

"I'm worried about him, Wufei," Quatre said once Heero had left.

"I am too," replied Chang.

"We need to find Duo, Keitaro and Nurse Brown and soon, otherwise I'm afraid Heero's sanity may suffer."

With a sigh, Wufei walked over to the computer and sat down in Heero's vacated chair. "I'll keep monitoring for now. Barton can take over after breakfast and I'll check in with headquarters."

Giving the Chinese man a warm smile, Quatre left to find his husband and bring him up to speed.

* * *

The heads were all gathered once more in the large conference room at ESUN headquarters. Une watched each one of them as they filtered in from the anti chamber and took their places, most holding cups of coffee and chatting amongst themselves. She rubbed her temples and tried to get her tired brain to focus.

Once all the members were seated, Une stood up and began her address. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have received the portfolio regarding the colony rebuilding scheme and I have taken the liberty of copying the relevant information for you all." Une paused to open up one of the files she had brought with her. Sliding several pieces of paper out, she proceeded to pass them around the room.

Once everyone had a copy, Une continued. "I have spent the previous evening going through the file, matching up the various colonies, equipment purchased, invoices, deliveries and so on. All the information is there on those papers for you to read. I'd appreciate it if you would all take a few minutes to go through it."

Speech over for the moment, Une sat and let the rest of the group read through the paperwork. All her research had shown her that all the columns matched - the incoming, outgoing, purchases and the like, all added up. But Une had a niggling feeling in the back of her mind; and it was to do with the information Relena had shared last night in relation to Duo.

Unfortunately, with Duo still missing, she had no way of verifying what exactly the agent was on to, but there were a few pieces starting to fall into place. With the ESUN heads all currently occupied with reading through the information, she decided to slip out and make a phone call.

* * *

Heero forced himself to eat, the food tasting like sawdust but it was necessary if his body was to continue to function. He also knew he needed to take a short nap, but with the computer so close to cracking what the deceased infiltrator had been chasing, he didn't want to miss anything of importance.

Wufei was monitoring the computer when Heero returned to the study. He nodded to his fellow agent and interpreted the glare he received in the right manner.

"You need to rest, Yuy."

"I know," Heero replied. "I plan on taking a nap here on the couch."

Wufei frowned but knew better than to say anything further. He watched as Yuy stretched out on the leather couch in the study, pushing a cushion under his head. At least it was better than nothing.

Knowing what was going through his friend's mind, Heero spoke. "I won't sleep at all if I'm in my room."

Chang conceded that, Yuy's room would remind him constantly of his missing husband and wouldn't be inviting for the man to sleep. Better he rest here. Wufei nodded. "I will wake you should anything come up."

"Arigato."

The computer continued its tracing, showing clearly that the infiltrator had been searching for specific files. Several of the ESUN heads' hard drives had been scanned and then left; obviously whatever it was he was after hadn't been in those databases.

Glancing over at the couch, Wufei let a rare smile grace his lips. Yuy was sound asleep. The smile soon faded though as Wufei observed the dark circles under his friend's eyes, the worry lined etched into that brow that didn't disappear whilst sleeping. Chang was worried himself over the disappearance of Maxwell and the family; but Heero...

He looked completely lost and shattered.

* * *

Une made her way into the anti chamber and picked up the nearest 'phone. She dialed the number to Heero and Duo's residence, waiting patiently whilst the call connected.

"Maxwell-Yuy residence."

"Wufei? Is that you?"

"Yes. Is that you, Commander Une?"

Heero began to stir on the couch, the sound of the phone having partially woken him, Chang's voice bringing him to full alertness.

"Chang, I need to speak with Heero, it's important. Is he there?"

"Yuy here, commander." Heero had heard the words 'Commander Une' and was instantly on his feet and heading for the phone. "Is there news of Duo?"

"I'm sorry, Heero. No news as yet, I'm afraid, but I do need to ask you something."

"Go ahead, commander." Heero's shoulders had slumped with the admission of no news on his missing husband and family.

"Relena said something about Duo needing a copy of the rebuilding portfolio, she managed to get him a disc copy and passed it on. Do you know anything at all about what he wanted it for?"

Heero swallowed. "I think I may, commander." Heero explained about Duo's hunch that something wasn't right with the funding to the L2 colony and thus the checking into the fund allocation, purchases and so on. "From all his research though, everything added up."

Une sighed. "I've just spent the past evening going over the same portfolio. All the figures add up, I can't find anything amiss at all."

"Une, there's a little more to this."

"There is? Care to elaborate?"

Running his hand through his wild bangs, Heero took a deep breath and began. "From what I've managed to learn from Duo's files, despite all the information adding up, he still wasn't convinced that all was well with the funding. He made some inquiries regarding the major fund supporters for the rebuilding scheme; both Quatre and Relena are large contributors to the fund. We have run preliminary checks, matching the donations against the expenditure." Heero took another deep breath. "_They_ don't add up."

Une was silent for a moment. "They don't?"

"No, commander, they don't. In fact, there are several thousand credits missing. The information we have regarding the total figure for donations does not equal the figure spent. The inventories all add up, as do the products purchased and delivered."

"I see. Any idea on where the missing credits are? They could be sitting in an account awaiting issue for more purchases."

"They could," Heero agreed, "but as yet we haven't found any evidence to support that theory."

"Okay. You are continuing to investigate?"

"Hai, we are. We've also managed to hack into the ESUN database and I'm currently following the tracks of our murder victim."

Une thought for a moment, then spoke. "I have to get back to the meeting. Gentlemen, I expect you to keep me updated on what you find."

"Yes, commander."

Wufei, who had been sitting quietly and taking in everything, suddenly spoke up. "Commander? Who are the senators on the rebuilding committee?"

"I'm not completely sure, Chang. I can ask Relena for you, she did mention someone's name before, but I can't recall what that name was."

"Thank you. I think that information could help us a little," Wufei replied.

"Okay. I'll find out from Relena and let you know as soon as I can. Now, I have to return to the meeting and see what these idiots wish to do. I'll be in touch." Une cut the call and placed the receiver back in the cradle.

Heero hung up the phone and stared at Chang. "You onto something, Chang?"

Wufei shrugged. "Not sure. I think if we know who is in charge of the rebuilding portfolio then it will give us a better place to start further investigations."

Heero cottoned on pretty quick. "Hn. I agree. I hope Une can get those names to us quickly, meanwhile, we continue with our deceased friend and the database."

* * *

"All set?" Nolen asked Farrow as he walked into the small room they had set up with the computer equipment.

"Yeah. Ready when you are," replied Farrow.

"You're positive this can't be traced?"

"It won't be. Trust me, I have it going through many different links, exchanges and loops it will take them months to find out where it originated from.

"Good. Let's make the call then." Nolen sat himself down and pushed the button on the small communication device.

Farrow took up residence by the computer and began to type in commands. Within seconds the device connected.

* * *

Une re-entered the conference room and sighed softly. The room was abuzz with soft chatter, the many occupants talking amongst themselves. Ignoring the company for the moment, Une made her way to Relena.

"Relena?"

"Yes, Une?"

"Can you tell me who is in charge of and on the committee for the rebuilding scheme?"

Relena's brows drew together for a moment. "I think Senator Wainright is in charge of it. I can double check for you and have a list of the committee for you shortly."

"Thanks, I'd appreciate that," Une replied.

"I'll need to call my secretary and get her to make the inquiries for me, it shouldn't take long."

"That would be wonderful. Whilst you do that and she's getting the information, I think we should get back to the task at hand." Une made a point of looking at the surrounding company.

"Okay. I'll call her now." Relena excused herself or a moment and went through to the anti chamber to contact her secretary, leaving Une to bring order back to the room.

The noise quieted as Une cleared her throat and called for everyone's attention. Once the room was silent, she began. "I take it you have all read the report?"

Several heads nodded and a murmur of affirmation rumbled through the room.

"Has anyone got anything at all to say about the portfolio? Maybe one of you has picked up something I have missed?"

"From what I can tell, all seems to be in order," Senator Jefferies stated.

"I agree. The portfolio clearly shows that L2 has received the same amount of funding as the rest of the colonies," Senator Kinsen said.

Une sighed. "That is exactly what I found. Now, the question is, what do you intend to do in regards to the demands from these... terrorists?" Une couldn't think of any other word that described the group they were dealing with.

"We won't bow to their demands. It's plain as day, here in black and white that L2 is receiving exactly the same as the other colonies. Why should we provide more funding to L2? If we do that then the other colonies will miss out on vital resources and before you know it, we will have another war on our hands," Jefferies said in a calm, but firm tone.

"What is Preventer doing about it?" asked Kinsen.

"Preventer currently has agents working on trying to trace the call, trying to locate these people and take them out before anything else happens. I'm afraid I cannot divulge much more than that as it would compromise my agents and their work."

"Then I suggest that Preventer moves a bit faster," Jefferies smirked.

Doing her best to control the growl, Une took a deep breath and was about to speak again when one of the agents appointed to security knocked and entered.

"Yes," Une snapped.

"Sorry to interrupt, ma'am, but there's a call come through that I think you need to take. The guy said he wished to speak with the heads of ESUN."

Une frowned. "Okay, have it patched through to this conference room."

"Yes, ma'am." The agent disappeared.

Looking at Relena who raised an eyebrow in question, Une shrugged her shoulders and walked over to the small vid phone, the rest of the assembled senators all turned to see what the call was about.

The call was patched through, the screen cleared - or at least Une thought it did - and a distorted voice came through the speaker, along with a blurred image of a man on the screen.

"You wished to speak with the ESUN heads?" Une questioned. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"Ahh, Commander Une. I just thought I'd give you all a courtesy call to see how things are progressing regarding my demands for the L2 colony..."

~ * ~

tbc...


	41. Chapter 41

**Thank you to all who have reviewed! Now, the plot starts to thicken...**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 41

It took Une a moment to connect the dots and realize she was speaking with one of the terrorists; before she had a chance to speak though, Jefferies got in first.

"Now see here, I don't know what your game is, but I speak for the entire ESUN in regards to these ridiculous demands of yours. The L2 colony cluster is receiving the same amount of funding as all the other colonies. We have the information here in black and white; purchases, deliveries and so forth. All the colonies have received the same amount."

"I beg to differ," came the cold voice. Clearly, the man was not amused.

"Then I suggest you take a look at it for yourself. If we are to grant more funding to L2 then the other colonies will miss out and before you know it, there will be another war," Jefferies snapped.

"If L2 doesn't get the funding, then another war will be the least of your worries," growled the distorted voice.

"Don't you threaten…"

"Shut up!" Une snarled.

Jefferies went red and promptly closed his mouth.

Une turned her attention to the vid screen. "What the senator says is true. We have the detailed inventories for all assistance given to the colonies and L2 is receiving the same as all the other colonies."

"Tell me something, commander. Have you taken a trip out to the colonies recently?"

"Well, no, not lately," Une replied.

"Then maybe you should and see for yourself the difference in the amount of reconstruction, support and assistance between them."

"I don't see..."

The voice on the vid phone cut her off. "You have twenty-three hours left." The call was terminated.

* * *

"Damn it all to hell," snarled Duo as he tossed the safety pin to the table and glared at the radio.

"What's wrong?" asked the nurse from where she was sitting on the bed attempting to amuse Keitaro.

Duo sighed and ran his fingers through his bangs. "This would be a whole lot easier if I had some solder and a soldering iron."

"Ah. Anything I can do to help?"

"Not really." Duo blew out a puff of air. "I've figured out the circuitry and which wires I need to swap around to transmit, problem is, once I remove them from their current place in the circuit board, I need something to secure them to the new position."

Margaret remained silent, her mind ticking over as she tried to think of anything Duo might be able to use.

"Shit, someone's coming," Duo suddenly announced and quickly pushed the back of the radio in place, switching the small thing on and letting the soft sounds of music fill the air. He slipped the safety pin into his pocket and tried to look as innocent as possible.

Duric opened the door and entered, Murphy right behind him carrying a tray with their breakfast on it. Duric kept his gun in clear sight, leaving no doubt he would use it if necessary. Setting the tray down, Murphy picked up the used dishes from the previous evening's meal and prepared to leave.

"Could we have some more hot water, please?" asked Nurse Brown. "The thermos is almost empty and I need to make up more formula for the baby."

"I'll see what I can do," Murphy gruffed.

"Any chance of a candle?" Duo asked innocently.

"A candle? What the fuck do you want a candle for?" Duric snapped.

"It does get a little dark down here at night."

"Awww, is the big, bad Preventer agent scared of the dark?" Murphy tormented.

Duo bit his lip and clenched his fists, it took all his self control not to get up and knock Murphy's head off his shoulders. "No, it's for the child. He gets a little scared sometimes," Duo growled out.

"I'll talk to the boss," Duric snarled then turned to Murphy, "Get the stuff and get out."

Murphy checked he had all the dishes and then with one last sneer at Duo, he left the basement, Duric behind him.

Once the two men had left and the door lock clicked, Duo breathed a sigh of relief and went to see what was on the breakfast tray. There was a small bowl of baby cereal for Keitaro, several slices of toast, some butter and a little jam. Picking up the bowl of cereal, Duo took his son from the nurse and sat him on his lap ready to feed.

Margaret managed to wedge a piece of toast between the plate and her hand with the broken wrist, keeping it still so she could spread the butter and jam over it. As she worked her mind was wondering what on earth Duo could possibly want with a candle. Finally, her curiosity got the better of her.

"Duo? Why did you ask for a candle? You know as well as I do that Keitaro isn't afraid of the dark."

Duo grinned. "I know that, but they don't. No, I had a thought. I can use the candle wax as a sort of solder to hold the wires in place. The wax should act as a conductor and allow the circuit to connect."

The nurse's eyes lit up and a smile graced her lips. "Duo, that's brilliant," she said. "Are you sure it will work?"

"Only one way to find out," Duo smiled back.

"I hope they do let us have a candle then."

"So do I," muttered Duo.

* * *

The conference room sat in stunned silence for a couple of minutes after the call was terminated, then everyone began to talk at once. Ignoring the chatter for the moment, Une grabbed her communication unit and pressed a couple of buttons.

"Commander?"

"Did you manage to get a trace on that call, Agent Rain?"

"Ah, not quite, ma'am."

"What do you mean, not quite?" Une demanded.

"The call was terminated before we could get a proper fix on the signal. It's been sent through a series of relays, bounces back and forth off satellites and such. Whoever this person is, they know what they're doing in regards to covering their tracks," Agent Rain replied.

Une sighed. "How much of a lock did you manage to get?"

"Err..."

"Agent Rain?" Une's voice held a sharp edge to it.

"We managed to track it as far as the States, ma'am."

"The States?" Une's voice was now bordering on the sarcastic.

"Yes, ma'am."

"So, you're telling me that these terrorists are somewhere in the States?"

"Ah, correct."

"Agent, have you any idea how big an area the States covers?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Then I suggest you and your men had better get cracking on tracking these guys down; and while you're at it, I also recommend you get that equipment upgraded. I need results, Agent, not excuses," Une growled.

"But, ma'am, that is going to be practically impossible, the locat-"

"Agent Rain?!" Une barked.

The agent swallowed. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Get to it - NOW!"

"Ah, roger that. Rain out."

With a long suffering sigh, Une disconnected the com and slipped it back into her pocket. Resisting the urge to pull her hair and scream, she took a deep breath and prepared to confront the outraged delegates who were still arguing amongst each other. Before she could speak, Relena appeared at her elbow.

"Une? I don't know if this is the right time or not, but I have the name of the senator in charge of the Colony Rebuilding Scheme and the associated committee."

"Thank you, Relena. If you could give me that information I will pass it on to Yuy and Chang, then see what we can sort out with this rabble." Une inclined her head towards the rest of the delegates who were still arguing amongst themselves.

Relena smiled and handed over a piece of paper. Taking the paper, Une glanced at it and then left the room to go into the anti chamber and place her call.

* * *

"Maxwell-Yuy residence," Quatre answered the phone.

"Hello, Quatre, can I speak to either Wufei or Heero, please?"

"Lady Une," Quatre smiled. "Of course, I'll go get one of them now. Oh, any further news?"

"Yes and no. I'll let one of the others fill you in," Une replied.

"No problem. I won't be a moment." Quatre left the phone and went to fetch Heero. Entering the study, he noted Wufei at the computer and Heero napping on the couch.

Spotting the blonde from the corner of his eye, Wufei turned his attention from the screen to the other man and raised an eyebrow.

"Une is on the 'phone," Quatre said.

"Ah. Thanks." Wufei stood and left the room, following Quatre to the vid phone. "Commander?"

"Chang. I have some information for you. Relena has given me the list of the committee members and the senator in charge of the Rebuilding Scheme."

Wufei's eyes lit up.

"Do you have a pen and paper handy?"

"One moment." Chang turned to scan around for a pen and paper when Quatre materialized with the items in his hand. Wufei took them with a questioning look in his eye.

Quatre shrugged. "A little hard not to hear the conversation. Sorry, I didn't mean to pry or listen in."

"It's okay, Winner. Thank you." Wufei took the pen and paper then turned back to the screen. "Ready, commander."

Looking at the piece of paper, Une began to read off the list of names, Wufei wrote them down.

"Thank you, commander. I'll get right onto this."

"There's something else, Chang. We had a call a few minutes ago from the terrorists."

"But the time isn't up yet."

"I know and so do they. It was a courtesy call I suppose you could say. They wanted to know what results we had."

"And?"

"What could I tell them? All we currently have is that L2 is receiving the same as all the other colonies."

"What did they say?"

"They weren't impressed and insisted that their original demands still be met."

"I see."

"Chang, I don't think I need to say this, but I will anyway. I need you and Yuy to do your best to find out what you can. If what Maxwell was guessing is correct, then this presents a whole new ball game," Une's voice sounded grim.

"I understand perfectly, commander. We will do everything in our power to track this down. I will contact you soon."

"Thank you, Chang."

"Chang out." Wufei cut the call and leaned back in his chair, a puff of air escaping his lips. He glanced at the paper with the names written on it before picking it up.

"It's not sounding too good," Quatre said as he reappeared with a cup of green tea and handed it to Wufei.

"No, it isn't," Wufei agreed and took the offered tea. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Anything Trowa and I can do to help?"

"I'm not sure." Wufei rubbed his hand across his face. "I need to wake Yuy and pass this information on. I think we should all discuss this and work out a strategy."

"I'll fetch Trowa."

"I'll meet you in the study."

* * *

Heero was having a pleasant dream for a change, one that involved Duo, Keitaro and a place called Disneyland that Heero had heard Duo speak of when a voice calling his name dragged him from the warmth and back into the nightmare he was currently living. His mind snapped awake, eyes opening and focusing rapidly. "Chang?"

Only once he knew Heero was awake and knew who he was did Chang approach the Japanese man. "I have some information from Une."

"Duo?"

Wufei shook his head. "No. I'm sorry. This information is the names of the committee for the Rebuilding Scheme."

"Aa." Heero sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"She also said they'd had a call from the terrorists."

"But the twenty-four hours isn't up yet."

"They called it a courtesy call; they wanted to know what progress had been made."

"What did Une tell them?"

"Just what she knows, that all the funding they have on paper equals what funding the colonies have received. They were not amused and still insist on L2 having extra." Wufei sighed and dry washed his face. "She wishes us to continue in our investigations, to see if what Maxwell was onto has anything to back it up."

"Where's the list of the names?"

"Here." Wufei handed over the piece of paper.

Scanning over the neat handwriting, Heero read the names listed. "I'll fetch my laptop. You can continue to work with the main computer in following the tracks of the murdered infiltrator, I'll start a new hack on the files of these committee members."

Nodding, Wufei returned to the main computer leaving Heero to fetch his laptop.

Trowa and Quatre both joined them in the study and were brought up to speed with the current events. Wufei continued with the main computer, scanning through the hacked database and following the tracks of the infiltrator. Trowa assisted wherever he could.

Quatre disappeared to make some calls to Sandrock Construction and other sub companies of WEI that were involved in the rebuilding scheme, requesting every item of paperwork connected to the scheme be sent to him to look over. Whilst he didn't expect to find any discrepancies, he wanted to be sure to cover everything he could possibly think of.

Heero fetched his laptop and set it up. Taking the list of names that had been provided by Relena to Une, he began to hack into the ESUN database, following the same procedure he'd used on the main computer. It didn't take long to get in now that he'd hacked it once already.

Communication in the room became practically nonexistent, just grunts, the odd curse and occasional sigh the only verbal emissions as the three men worked away.

* * *

The day passed slowly for Duo, Keitaro and the nurse. Without the candle or anything else he could use, Duo was prevented from making further progress with the transistor radio. He'd had another attempt at the mortar around the frame, managing to remove quite a bit of the crumbling stuff.

Unfortunately, he'd almost removed all of the rotten and decaying material, which left only the solid concrete, metal and wood to get through. He'd tried to force the window frame a few times but so far, hadn't had any luck in shifting any part of it so much as an inch.

Knowing he wasn't weak by any means, Duo had wished fervently he'd had some of Heero's unnatural strength right now.

Margaret had spent her time keeping Keitaro amused. The child was at the crawling stage and really wanted to explore and test out his new found freedom. He didn't appreciate being restricted and having his every attempt to sneak off thwarted by the nanny. Nurse Brown did her best to keep the child confined to crawling around the area she deemed 'safe' and out of all other parts of the basement, but he really was his fathers' son. Curiosity combined with a healthy intelligence saw the infant working things out and doing his damn best to evade his nanny.

Sighing again, Margaret stepped across quickly to stop the child from getting too far and into the pile of dirty rags, paint tins and who knew what else that sat stacked in a corner of the basement. Diverting the child's attention successfully, she sat back on the edge of the bed and sighed.

Her wrist didn't hurt quite so much with the stronger drugs, but she was worried about it. She hadn't voiced her concerns to Duo though, the young man had enough on his plate without her adding to the list. She'd taken a good, close look at her wrist earlier when Duo had re-strapped it for her - and she wasn't amused.

She could tell that the bones were starting the healing process, unfortunately, they were healing wrong. Oh, she knew she would need surgery to correct the break and set it properly and that didn't worry her, no, not at all. It was the numbness she was starting to get in her hand that was worrying her.

She had only noticed it in the past twelve hours. She knew she was no doctor, but she'd spent enough time nursing patients over the years to have some idea of what was happening; and all that knowledge was telling her that somewhere in her wrist a nerve or two was trapped between the broken bones. Given how those bones were healing wrong, there was every chance those nerves were being crushed. If that was the case and she didn't get medical attention soon then she had no doubts that the hand would definitely lose some, if not all feeling. Nerve tissue didn't regenerate properly.

Yes, there had been giant steps taken in medicine, but unfortunately, nerve regeneration hadn't been one of the success stories - only limited success had been achieved in that area.

Hearing footsteps outside the door, Duo left his fiddling with the window frame, grabbed Keitaro from where he was trying to get under the bed and sat with the infant in his lap as the door to their 'prison' opened and Duric appeared.

Glancing into the room, Duric took note of where their hostages sat and then pointed his gun in Duo's direction. "You, come with me," he commanded.

"Where are we going?" Duo snarled as he stood and placed Keitaro on the bed next to the nanny.

"The boss has further business with you. Do as you're told and the kid and nanny will stay safe."

With no other choice, Duo bent down and kissed his son. "I'll be back," he promised both.

"Be careful," Margaret warned.

Duo nodded, then turned to Duric and followed their captor from the room.

* * *

Rubbing at his tired eyes, Heero looked up as a touch to his elbow drew him from the screen. He smiled at Quatre and took the offered coffee from him.

"Any luck?" Quatre asked as he took a seat next to the Japanese man.

"Nothing so far," replied Heero. "I've gone through nearly all of the members' files, but nothing suspicious. Their records and accounts match the inventories."

"There has to be something, somewhere," Quatre frowned. "I've checked all records with WEI and there's nothing amiss there."

"I agree with you, Quatre. There has to be something, Duo doesn't get these hunches without good reason. All we have to do is find it."

"Yuy?"

Heero glanced across to where Wufei and Trowa were hunched over the main computer keyboard. "Hai?"

"I think we may have found where our perpetrator was heading and what he was looking for..."

~ * ~

tbc...


	42. Chapter 42

"Family Ties."

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 42

Duo followed his captor up the stairs and through the house. As he walked he tried to glance around himself and take in the general layout of the place and any other points of interest that might give him some clue as to where they currently were. He didn't get much of a chance to see anything that might help him as he was pushed through a small door into the same room he'd had an audience with the 'boss' in before.

"What do you want now?" Duo snarled.

"Now, now, that's no way to speak to your host," Nolen replied with a smirk.

"Host?" snorted Duo. "I think you have some serious issues with the correct definition of the word. You might find a dictionary to be of use."

Nolen shrugged. "I don't really care," he said, his tone one of indifference. Turning sharply in his chair, Nolen fixed Duo with a cold stare. "What I do care about is the length of time it's taking for the ESUN idiots to comply to my demands."

"Surely you didn't expect them to seriously consider your threats?" Duo sneered. "I told you before, they won't bow down to terrorist tactics. You want more funding then you need to go through the proper channels." Duo felt the trickle of sweat run down his back. He had a good idea of what this man wanted from him, and he really didn't want to have to go through with another assassination.

"I'm tired of hearing their excuses," Nolen snapped. "They have until tomorrow morning to agree, if they don't, then I will have to remind them exactly how serious I am."

Duo paled and felt the bile rising in his stomach.

Nolen turned to Duric and nodded. Duric approached Duo, a few sheets of paper in his hand.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Duo watched and kept his mouth shut.

"Those are the blueprints to the residence of the L3 ambassador..."

"No."

"Let me remind you that you don't have a choice in this. You will do as you are told; if you ever want to see that child or nanny again."

Swallowing the nausea, Duo gave the man a glare that would have rivaled one of Heero's and was pleased to note the man hesitate for a moment.

The cold stare chilled Nolen to the bone. He could see the hatred, the promise of a fate worse than death in those icy, violet orbs and he made a mental note to watch his back. "I suggest you study those blueprints, commit them to memory as the chances are, you will be paying the L3 ambassador a little visit tomorrow."

Lowering his eyes in defeat, Duo took the offered blueprints. Glancing briefly at them, Duo raised his head a fraction and locked gazes with Nolen. When he spoke, his voice was calm, cool and sinister. "I said it before and I'll say it again; I _will_ kill you. Just remember those words when Shinigami comes for you."

A shiver traversed Nolen's spine, but he made no outward sign of his discomfort. "Take him back."

Duric placed a hand on Duo's shoulder to spin the man around, only to have that shoulder slip out from underneath his grasp.

"Don't touch me," Duo snapped and spun on his heel, aiming for the door. He needed to get out of this room and fast, before he threw up all over the man that was responsible for his current state of confinement. Somehow, Duo didn't think it would go down too well and would probably end up making things worse.

* * *

Hearing Chang's quiet words, both Heero and Quatre were over to the desk in seconds.

"Where was he headed?" Heero asked as his eyes scrolled down the screen, scanning the information.

It seems he was aiming for the files relating to a Senator Wainright," Chang stated. "He's been in and out of most of the other files, only briefly flicking through, but when he's gotten to here, it seems he's gone in a lot deeper."

"I crosschecked the list of files he's hacked against the list Une gave in regards to the rebuilding committee. The only files to have been hacked match with each member of that committee," said Trowa.

"Are you sure?" Quatre asked.

"Positive. Only those members of the rebuilding committee have had their files touched, no one else," Trowa replied.

"Based on Maxwell's hunch, I think I'm inclined to agree that something fishy is going on, and this only confirms that suspicion," Wufei said calmly. "I'm betting this guy had a similar hunch." Chang paused for a moment to type in a few more commands. "Ah, let's see what we have here."

All four scanned the data as it scrolled across the screen.

"It's a list of all the purchases for the scheme," Quatre stated.

"If memory serves correct, this is the same file that Relena gave Duo a copy of. You remember, all the incoming and outgoing," Trowa mused.

"What's that?" Heero asked and pointed to another sub folder. Wufei duly clicked on the folder and another list of data appeared.

"It's a list of all the donations and incoming funds for the scheme," said Quatre. "Wufei, can you scroll down?" Wufei obliged. "Thanks."

The data scrolled down the screen, all eyes following rapidly. At the end of the spreadsheet sat a neat total for each column. Quatre scratched his head. "That doesn't seem right," he muttered to himself.

"Where else did the infiltrator go?" asked Heero, half his mind on Quatre's soft words and the other half wondering exactly where the hacker had been headed.

Chang minimized the current window and returned to the main one, following the trail. "Huh?"

"What? What is it?" Heero questioned and craned his neck to see over Wufei's shoulder.

"It stops."

"What do you mean, it stops?"

"Exactly what I said, Yuy. The trail suddenly stops. There's nothing more there."

Heero grunted. "Let me take a look." Chang moved aside and allowed Heero to take over. The Japanese man typed rapidly sending commands to the computer.

Whilst Heero and Wufei were trying to find where the hacker had disappeared to, Quatre was doing some deep thinking. He turned to Trowa. "Do you still have the disc with the information on it for all the donations WEI made to the fund?"

"Yes. It's around here somewhere," Trowa replied.

"Can you find it, please? I'm going to grab my laptop."

Trowa looked a touch puzzled but complied, locating the disc whilst his husband fetched the laptop. "Here," Trowa said as he handed over the disc to Quatre.

The blonde fired up the laptop and inserted the disc, typing in commands and clicking on folders, locating what he sought.

Meanwhile, Heero hadn't had any further luck. Wherever the hacker had been going, they were unable to follow. It was like a brick wall had sprung up.

"I knew it didn't look right!" Quatre exclaimed, frightening the shit out of both Chang and Yuy.

"What?!" they both chorused in annoyance, turning their eyes to Quatre.

"Wufei, bring up the window again, the one with the spreadsheet and all the funds donated, please."

Chang did as requested, Quatre leaning over his shoulder, practically breathing down his neck as he studied the figures.

"That's it!" he cried.

"That's what?" Heero growled, his impatience beginning to get the better of him. "What are you rabbiting on about, Quatre?"

"Take a look here," Quatre said and pointed to the sub column of figures for the donations from WEI.

"Those are the donations your company made," Wufei snapped, his patience having run out.

"Yes, that's correct - to a point. Take a look here." Quatre brought his laptop over. "See here. These are all the donations that WEI has made to different companies and charities so far this year. I have to keep records of them all for the taxation department. Now, if you look at the donations file for the rebuilding scheme, see here, that's the total sum of donation for the first three months, that's for the next three and so on. The overall total is there at the bottom of the column."

"I can see that. Where is this taking us, Winner?" Wufei was just about ready to strangle the blonde.

"Take a look at the figures in the other file, Wainright's one."

"Well, fuck me," Heero exclaimed.

"Fuck me, fuck me," Barney chirped from where he sat perched on the bookcase.

Quatre stared open mouthed, Trowa snickered, Wufei was turning an interesting shade of red and Heero shot the bird a glare.

"Weiro pie," Heero said pointedly.

"Pretty boy, give us a kiss," Barney replied innocently.

Ignoring the bird and focusing back on the screen, Heero again compared the figures. "It doesn't add up." He did a quick, mental calculation. "There's at least fifty thousand credits difference."

Trowa whistled. "Shit, that's a lot of credits."

"I'll bet if you check the other donations against the company records there will be discrepancies there too," Quatre mused. "I'm sure I can obtain a complete record from Relena regarding Sanq's donations."

"I suggest you contact Relena now and see if you can get that record as quickly as possible," replied Heero. He turned back to the main screen and began to type. "I've got a hunch," he said quietly.

Wufei raised an eyebrow. "Hunch? Care to share?"

"This brick wall, our perpetrator didn't stop here, Chang. My gut is telling me he went a bit further, but somehow, that 'further' isn't here now."

"I see. How do you propose to find that 'further'?"

Heero gave a grin - it was positively evil. "Just a little program Duo and I cooked up during the war," he replied mysteriously. "With OZ transmitting data and recording it to hard drive, they often deleted files and folders, thinking they had removed all evidence. Duo and I managed to create a program that enabled us to locate those deleted and missing files."

"I think I follow."

"The bug I'm downloading into the file system will scan around what I term the shadow files. Whenever a file is created the system automatically creates a backup file, which goes onto a secondary system. I term that the shadow system. Even when a person deletes a file from the main system it still remains on the shadow system. This bug will scout the entire shadow system and any files recently deleted it will pick up on and list them all for me."

"You sneaky bugger," Trowa commented.

"Duo's the one who should take the credit for it, he did most of the work on it," Heero said softly, his voice wistful as he thought of his missing husband. The pain in his heart hadn't gone and wouldn't until his husband was back and safely in his arms.

The computer screen changed, a window opening where data flew across too fast for anyone to be able to read and follow.

"Now what?" asked Wufei.

"Now we wait whilst the bug does its job," replied Heero and he stretched his arms above his head.

* * *

Quatre had slipped from the room, leaving the other three to continue their search while he made his call to Relena. Knowing the woman would be at the meeting with the ESUN heads, he dialed the number Une had passed on earlier. It only took a couple of rings before the call was answered.

"ESUN conference room. How can I help you?"

"Ah, it's Quatre Winner here. I need to speak with Relena Peacecraft, please."

"I'm sorry, sir, she's in a conference right now."

"I know she is, please let her know I'm on the phone and the matter is urgent."

"I can't go disturbing..."

"Then get me Commander Une," Quatre snapped, his patience running thin.

"Sir, she's also in the conference," the woman replied a little snootily.

"Look, Commander Une gave me this number to call should I need to get in touch with her urgently. Now, I suggest you fetch either Commander Une or Relena Peacecraft, because if you don't the current problem they are having will blow up on them." Quatre's voice was hard as he demanded to speak with either woman.

"One moment, sir," came the curt reply.

Quatre sighed. People could be so difficult at times. Moments later, Une's voice came down the line.

"Quatre? You have something for me?"

"Not exactly, Commander Une. I really need to speak to Relena. We have unearthed something that could be a break in the case, but we need further evidence first and that's where Relena comes in."

"Ah, I see. You wouldn't care to let me know what is going on?"

"At this stage, all I'm prepared to say is there's some truth to Duo's hunch, we're trying to chase down some missing funding."

"Okay. Sit tight, Quatre, I'll fetch Relena."

"Thank you."

"Quatre, Une tells me you need my assistance?" Relena's voice came down the line a few moments later.

"Yes, yes we do, Relena. You remember Sanq donating a large amount of funds to the rebuilding scheme?"

"Yes, Sanq supports many charities and such."

"Relena, could I trouble you to send through a copy of Sanq's records for donations made to charities and the like, including the rebuilding scheme? It's of vital importance to something we're working on and we believe it's all tied in to the current situation."

"Of course, Quatre. I'll need to contact the Sanq treasurer, but I'm sure I can have a copy sent through to you in the next couple of hours."

"Thank you, that would be most helpful."

"I suppose asking what it is you're onto is futile?" There was a hint of a smile in the voice.

"Unfortunately, I cannot divulge anything at this stage. Rest assured though, once we have concrete proof, Une will be the first to know and I'm sure she will inform you straight away."

"I understand. Good luck, Quatre and I'll contact the treasurer now. Can you give me an email address where it can be sent to?"

Quatre passed over the requested information and the call ended. With a thoughtful look on his face, he returned to the study and the other three men.

* * *

Nurse Brown looked up as the door opened and Duo was shoved inside. The door closed behind the man and Duo shuffled into their 'room', a scowl on his handsome features.

"What happened?" the nurse asked in concern. She noted the papers in Duo's hand and frowned.

With a sigh, Duo sat down on the grubby mattress next to the nanny and his sleeping son. He rubbed a hand over the stubble growing on his chin. "They have made their demands to the ESUN."

"And?" Margaret asked, raising an eyebrow and knowing she wasn't going to be amused with the answer.

"As I told them, the ESUN isn't going to bow down to their terrorist tactics. They would achieve far better results by talking, not murdering. The ESUN have until tomorrow morning to comply." Duo shifted, his voice a little unsteady.

"And if they don't?"

Duo flicked his wrist and tossed the papers to the bed. "The L3 ambassador is next," he whispered. "Excuse me." Duo suddenly got up and charged across the room for the chamber pot, emptying his stomach contents into it.

"Oh god, no," Margaret cried softly and then turned her attention to the young man. "Are you okay?"

"I'll live," replied Duo. "I think I may have picked up a bug or something."

"I'd say it's the thought of what they want you to do," the nurse replied and fetched Duo a glass of water. She studied him carefully from the corner of her eye, her brain telling her there was more to this than met the eye.

"Thanks." Duo took the water and rinsed his mouth. With another sigh, he walked back to the bed and picked up the discarded blue prints. "I guess I'd better take a look at these."

* * *

Trowa had disappeared into the kitchen to make them all some lunch whilst Quatre was busy with his call. The blonde walked back into the office to find Heero and Wufei still waiting patiently for the program to finish running. Trowa returned to call them all into the kitchen where a large plate overflowing with sandwiches sat on the table.

Wufei took a sandwich, as did Quatre. Heero simply stared at the plate, making no attempt to take one for himself.

"Heero, eat," Trowa commanded softly.

Blue eyes gazed into green and Trowa felt his heart tear at the lost look he saw there. "Heero, you need to eat something. You won't be any good to anyone, especially Duo when we find him. You need to keep your strength up."

"Barton is right, Yuy. If you don't eat your body will fail you when you need it the most," Chang stated.

Reluctantly, Heero reached for a sandwich and began to eat, chewing and swallowing mechanically. He didn't taste the food, simply ate it to provide his body with fuel. Trowa and Wufei were right, he did need to keep his strength up; didn't mean he had to like it though.

The meal was a silent one, each man lost in his own thoughts, those thoughts all swirling around in circles but not finding any solutions. Once the sandwiches were all gone and the dishes cleaned up, they went back to the study to see if the program was finished yet.

Quatre had his promised email from the Sanq treasurer and immediately began to check the information. He compared the figures with those from the colony rebuilding fund and to his expectation, found the figures didn't match. His eyes lit up as he discovered yet another fifty thousand credits missing.

"Heero, Wufei? I think you should both take a look at this."

Three men crowded around Quatre who began to point out the discrepancies between the figures and all agreed, a lot of money was missing.

"I think it would be a safe bet to say that if we were to check all the other donations listed here against the records of the companies that have made the donations, we will find even more money missing," stated Quatre.

"It's obvious credits have been redirected; but where?" Trowa said.

"That's the million dollar question," Quatre muttered.

The computer gave a soft beep and Heero was instantly back at the keyboard. His eyes scanned the information there. Behind him, Wufei whistled.

"That's a lot of files," Chang said as he studied the list of deleted files the program had found.

With a grunt, Heero began the task of sifting through the files, removing those that weren't of any interest. Gradually the list shortened, Heero checking briefly into those that remained before either discarding them or putting them to one side.

Noting the time, Quatre disappeared to feed Miracle, the dog was moping around looking for her master and Quatre couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Whilst feeding her, he let his thoughts wander to the missing funds. Where were they? And what had they been used for - that's assuming they had been used for something other than the rebuilding. The niggling feeling continued as Quatre thought back to the colonies and the current work going on there. Now that he looked at it in more depth, it was clear that L2 was lagging behind. But why?

If the rebuilding scheme paperwork was correct, L2 should be further ahead with the construction than it currently was. A cold chill ran up Quatre's spine. Just as he managed to order his thoughts into something that made sense, he heard Trowa call out from the study and immediately he went back to see what had been found.

Having only a handful of folders left to go through, Heero began to check each one individually and in greater depth. The first couple weren't of any help, but when he delved deeper into the third, he hit paydirt.

"That's it," he murmured.

"What?" Wufei and Trowa questioned and gathered around. Trowa called out for Quatre and the blonde quickly joined them.

Heero clicked on a couple of icons and typed a few commands. The screen flickered and then displayed the information.

"Shit!" exclaimed Wufei.

"I think we've found where the missing credits are," Heero stated grimly.

~ * ~

tbc...


	43. Chapter 43

**Many thanks for the kind reviews. More angst ahead as things start to go from bad to worse; although there is a spark of hope.**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 43

Duo took a good look at the blueprints, hoping with all his heart he wouldn't have to use the knowledge and assassinate yet another innocent person. Unfortunately, he couldn't see any way out of their predicament. If he didn't comply then his son and Nurse Brown would be hurt. If he did... Then another innocent soul would belong to Shinigami.

Murphy returned later as dusk was falling with a tray of food for them. Duo took the tray with a scowl, Murphy retreating at the look he got, but not before Duo asked yet again about the candle. It was their only hope that he could see of making any form of contact for getting out of their situation.

He'd had another go at the mortar surrounding the window, but the teaspoon he was using just wasn't strong enough and he'd bent the handle several times in his attempts to break away more of the concrete stuff. His strength too wasn't up to pulling at the bars - although they did move a little. Given time, Duo knew he would manage to eventually either dig enough mortar away or succeed in pulling the bars out. Only problem was, he didn't know how much time they had. All he could do was continue in his assaults and pray for the candle.

Luck was with him this time and when Murphy returned to pick up the tray and used dishes, he handed over a small candle.

"Thank you," Duo said, taking the candle and book that held a couple of matches.

Murphy declined to reply, simply taking the tray and locking the door behind him.

Once the footsteps had receded, Duo's face lit up into a feral grin and he made a beeline for the table and transistor radio.

Having made up a bottle for Keitaro and the infant now sucking happily on it, Margaret made her way over to the table to see if she could help in any way. Keitaro lay on the bed with Duo's jumper on one side, Nurse Brown's on the other to stop him from rolling off.

"Can I help?" Margaret asked as she rubbed absently at the numbness in her hand and wrist.

"Not much you can do at this stage," Duo replied, "Just hand me what I ask for if you don't mind?"

"No problem."

Duo pulled the back of the radio off and quickly located the wires he needed to swap over. Using the diaper pin, he began to ease the wires out from their soldered base and twist them around to where he needed them to go. Sweat began to bead on his brow as he carefully worked with the tiny wires.

"Can you light the candle?" he asked.

Margaret nodded and set the candle up on a saucer. She managed to get a match torn from the book and holding the strike piece in her damaged hand, she managed to strike the match and light the candle.

By the time the candle had burned enough to start melting the wax, Duo had the wires free and hovering over their new place of connection. Holding the first wire as still as possible, he picked up the candle and tilted it, experimenting first with the drop rate of the melted wax into the saucer. Satisfied, he brought the candle to the radio and exposed wire. Touching the wire to the circuit board, he held it as still as he could and carefully tilted the candle again.

A couple of drops of wax came forth, hitting the wire and circuit board dead on. Passing the candle back to Margaret, Duo held the wire still and blew gently on the cooling wax. After a couple of minutes, he released the wire and watched carefully for any sign of it pulling away.

It stayed.

Buoyed by the result, Duo reached for the remaining wires and repeated the process until all wires were secure once more.

"Now what?" asked Nurse Brown as she took the candle back and blew it out.

"Now we wait a few minutes to make sure the wax has set hard and then we turn it on and hope it works," replied Duo.

"I see." Nurse Brown prayed silently that the rewiring would be a success and that Duo would be able to transmit on it and alert Preventer to their whereabouts.

After several minutes, Duo deemed the wax set and turned the unit on. He fiddled with the dial until he was sure he had the correct wavelength for Preventer and then paused.

Nurse Brown cocked her head and raised an eyebrow.

"Now to see if this will work," Duo said and fiddled with the radio again. He picked up the diaper pin and tapped it gently against the small speaker.

"What are you doing?" the nurse asked, clearly bewildered by Duo's actions.

"I've hopefully turned this into a transmitter instead of a receiver," Duo began. "In theory, with the wires I've rerouted all should be working in reverse."

"I think I follow," replied the nurse.

"If the theory is correct, then the speaker, instead of receiving sound waves, should transmit them. I'm tapping in a code we used to use during the war. If Heero gets it, he will know it's me and translate the code easy enough." It was a long shot, even Duo knew that and the chances of anyone picking up on the signal were extremely remote. The possibility of Heero getting the message were even more minute.

But Duo _had_ to try.

The nurse accepted the explanation, keeping her thoughts to herself. They had enough to worry about without her voicing the knowledge that the chances of the signal being detected were something like a million to one.

Taking a couple more of the painkillers, Margaret left the young man to the radio and curled up on the mattress with the child to try and get some sleep.

* * *

Four pairs of eyes stared at the screen and the information that was showing up.

"This is where our perp was headed," Heero mentioned casually as he clicked on a couple of folders and typed in some commands.

"Heero, there's duplicate files there," Quatre commented.

"I know. I'm betting there's a few answers in these files." Heero continued to type in commands and the screen brought up the two files associated with Wainright. Heero opened the 'shadow' file and with Wufei's assistance, scanned through it, comparing the data found with the data in the other file. Most things added up, but not all.

"Why have two files?" Trowa mused.

"Good question," Heero replied, "One I intend to try and answer."

After a few minutes of checking and comparing the files it became clear that there were several discrepancies between the two.

"Our perp got as far as here," Heero announced and pointed out the relevant sub folder in the 'shadow' file.

"The figures don't add up," Quatre mused. "If you look closely, this folder shows donations, outgoing and purchases - all of which add up in the final total boxes. But this one is different. The donations don't match and some of the purchases look a little fishy too. I'm thinking if we look at the donations made from WEI and Sanq, the figures will match with those in the shadow folder." Quatre shifted to fetch his laptop and compare the figures.

After a couple of minutes double checking, all four men conceded that the donated monies figures in the shadow file matched, yet those in the main folder didn't.

"Which is the file that Une and the delegates currently have?" Wufei asked. He was beginning to get a little confused with the two files.

"This one," Heero replied and conveniently renamed the files to 'Wainright' and 'Wainright shadow'. That made things a little easier to follow considering the files closely resembled each other.

"I'd say our perp was onto this and someone found him out, thus he was eliminated before he could make waves." Wufei scratched his chin.

"From what I can deduce from the figures, it only seems to be L2 that the funds have been taken from," Trowa puzzled. "Why take only from L2's funding and not the other colonies?"

"Because L2 is the poorest colony, full of misfits, deviants and homeless. They wouldn't be suspicious of the length of time it is taking to rebuild and put into place better infrastructure," growled Heero. He was only too well aware of the state of Duo's home colony.

"Obviously someone was suspicious though, and it would seem they cared enough to find out why L2 was lagging behind," Wufei snarled.

"Only they got sprung before they had concrete proof and were silenced," Trowa added.

"I think we need to have a chat with a certain Senator Wainright and let Une know of this," Quatre stated.

"Given all this, I'm betting the guy who was hacking the system and killed for his trouble was part of the terrorist group making these demands," Heero put in.

"If that's true, and they're the ones claiming responsibility for the L1 ambassador's assassination, then they must have Maxwell. Forensics confirmed that the hair sample found in the L1 ambassador's hand belongs to Maxwell," Wufei said as he thought, slowly putting the pieces together.

"If that's true, then Duo's message was true, that Keitaro and Nurse Brown are definitely with him. There's no way Duo would assassinate anyone unless he was forced to... Oh god," Heero's voice petered out and he held his head in his hands. "They must be using Keitaro and Nurse Brown as hostages to force Duo to comply," he whispered.

The other three men all paled as that thought hit home. They each knew that there was no way Duo would ever let anything happen to his son, or the nanny. They all hated to think what the result would be if so much as a hair on Keitaro's head was touched. But with the threat of harm to his son hanging over his head, Duo would do whatever was asked of him to keep his son safe.

"I have to find them," Heero snarled. "If they've so much as touched my son, or my husband I'll kill them all with my bare hands."

Heero's cobalt eyes were almost black with the rage they held and each of the other men all knew that once Heero managed to locate his missing family, there wouldn't be much of the terrorists left; that's providing Duo didn't get to them first.

"Fuck!" Trowa suddenly snapped. "How much time do we have left before the terrorists contact Une again?"

Wufei glanced at his watch. "Shit. They should be contacting her any minute. Yuy, we need to call this in, let Une know what we've found and try to stall the terrorists."

"Right with you, Chang," Heero replied and the pair left the room to contact their Commander, leaving Trowa and Quatre to continue scanning the files.

* * *

"It's time," Nolen said.

Farrow nodded to his boss. "Everything is ready. It will only take a second or two to set the connection."

"Do it."

Farrow typed a few commands into his laptop and then moved to the side to allow Nolen to sit in front of the small camera. Once his boss was ready, Farrow typed another command and then nodded to Nolen. "Connecting now," he said quietly.

The screen fuzzed and then cleared; seconds later the face of Commander Une from Preventer appeared.

"Ah, commander. Your time is up."

* * *

Une was fed up to the back teeth with the ESUN delegates. They had continued to argue, looking through the paperwork and despite Une's best attempts to make them see that although the paperwork told one story, she was certain there was another to be told.

The delegates had questioned her and she'd done her best to answer those questions, Relena backing her up wherever possible; but without the demanded proof, Une had nothing with which to validate her words.

The delegates knew it and decided regardless of Une and Relena's pleas to call the bluff of the terrorists.

Une was giving it one more go, desperate to make them see sense when the call came through.

"Ah, commander. Your time is up."

Une stared into the blurred image of the terrorist, never had she felt so helpless. "We need more time, there's been a couple of developments," Une began only to be interrupted by the terrorist.

"No, no more time. You've had more than enough to get the committee together and approve more funding for L2. I want to know what they intend to do about it."

Feeling buoyed by his fellow delegates' stance and support for not giving in to these demands, Jefferies took over the conversation, leaving Une with no option but to move aside.

"I said it before and I'll say it again," Jefferies began. "We have all the paperwork for the rebuilding scheme and L2 is receiving just as much as all the other colonies. The ESUN refuses to play favorites and most certainly will not bow down to your demands. If we give L2 priority funding then the other colonies will demand the same and before we know it, we will have another war on our hands."

"I don't give a rat's ass about the other colonies or your paperwork. L2 is behind in the rebuilding; as always, it gets left behind, forgotten," Nolen snarled.

"If you ask me L2 should consider itself lucky it's getting any funding at all," Jefferies snipped. "It isn't as if the colony puts anything back into the economic system. Let's face it, L2 is nothing but a bunch of crime lords, whores and gutter trash."

The room went silent.

Relena's mouth hung open at the words, Une was trying to breathe again, the sheer hostility and sharpness of Jefferies' words had thrown her for a loop. This was _not_ looking good.

Surprisingly, Nolen managed to keep his cool, even though he was seething inside. His voice, when he spoke, came out calm and even. "Crime lords, whores and gutter trash?"

"Yes," sniffed Jefferies.

Nolen gave an evil laugh, one that sent shivers up Une's spine. "Then I take it you will not meet my demands and release more funding to L2?"

"Got it in one, asshole," Jefferies sneered.

"Then you leave me with no choice. Watch your back, senator. Good day." Nolen terminated the call, the screen going blank.

"Well, that showed him, didn't it?" stated Jefferies, although there was a slight hint of perspiration on his upper lip and trickling down his spine.

Une narrowed her eyes and curled her lip back in a snarl. "You piece of shit," she snapped. "God knows what they will do now." Une was just about to work herself up into full blown rant mode when an aide knocked and entered the room.

Seeing the standoff and feeling the tension in the air, the aide swallowed nervously before speaking. "Commander Une?"

"What is it?" snapped Une, her glare still fixed on the now pale Jefferies.

"Umm... I'm sorry to interrupt, but there's an important call for you. An Agent Fire and Day."

Une's face changed quickly and she spun around to face the aide. "Take me to the phone," she demanded, then turned back to Jefferies and the rest of the delegates. "Don't _any_ of you leave. I will be right back." Her tone was sharp and demanded obedience. Turning to the aide again, Une followed him quickly from the room and to the call.

* * *

"I hope we're not too late," Chang muttered as he punched in the code for the call.

Yuy opted to remain silent, his mind was already whirling with too many thoughts

"Chang, Yuy? What do you have for me?"

"Commander. Yuy has managed to hack deep into the database and we have discovered some interesting facts." Chang went on to explain about the shadow system and the files Heero had uncovered in their search. He gave the facts simply and efficiently, giving Une enough to work with and promising the finer details later.

"I see." Une could feel her anger mounting, the scene with Jefferies and the terrorist had been completely unnecessary given what she now knew. If only she'd managed to stall, kept Jefferies out of the conversation, pleaded for more time, then maybe they could have resolved this.

"Have the terrorists been in touch yet?" Yuy asked.

"Unfortunately, yes." Une filled the pair in on what had transpired, watching as both agents' faces darkened.

"What an asshole," Wufei muttered. "He's just gone and thrown the entire case into jeopardy."

"I wish I'd had this information a few minutes earlier," Une sighed.

"We're sorry, commander," Yuy apologized.

"It's okay, Agent Day. I do understand the technicalities involved and believe me when I say I'm grateful to you all for what you _have_ found. I will need you all in my office as soon as possible; we need to discuss the findings and work out what we're going to do from here."

"Okay, commander. We will bring everything we have with us and be in your office shortly," Chang replied.

"Good. Now I need to go back and try to sort this mess out," Une sighed.

Heero suddenly snapped upright. "What did the terrorist say again, just before he cut the connection?"

"He said we leave him with no choice and for Jefferies to watch his back," Une repeated.

"Commander, I suggest having a Preventer agent assigned to each of the delegates twenty four seven. These terrorists aren't messing around and I have a hunch he is going to strike again, either Jefferies or one of the other delegates."

"That's a good suggestion, Yuy. I was already thinking along those lines, although after the stunt Jefferies pulled I'm inclined to let him fend for himself," Une replied. "I'll get on to it right away."

"Remember, commander. If my suspicion is correct and this group has Duo, then it will be Duo who will be the one taking out whoever they decide to use as an example," Heero warned.

Une nodded. She knew without Yuy having to remind her just how good Agent Night was when it came to stealth and infiltration.

"We will see you shortly at HQ. Chang and Yuy out," Chang said.

"Roger that. Une out."

* * *

Nolen leaned back in his chair, his hands behind his head, seething. How _dare_ that delegate speak to him like that! How _dare_ he speak of L2 like that, as if it didn't have a right to exist. "If those assholes had done their job properly in the first place then L2 would be just as prosperous and decent as all the other colonies," he growled.

Duric, Farrow and Murphy all remained silent. They knew their boss was pissed and none of them particularly felt like having that anger directed at them.

After a few moments of thinking, Nolen's mouth curled in a sadistic smile. "I'll fix those 'up themselves' delegates," he muttered.

"What do you plan on doing, boss?" Duric asked.

"That prick of a senator, Jefferies. He will be next."

"What about the L3 ambassador?" Duric questioned.

Nolen turned to face Duric, the cold smile still on his face. "We will take them both out." Nolen paused to think for a moment then turned to Farrow. "Get to work. I need to know all there is on this Jefferies, especially where he lives, his movements and so on."

"Right on it, boss." Farrow picked up his laptop and took it to the other desk in the small room where he plugged it in and began his task.

"Duric, get everything ready for tonight. Once we have the information on this Jefferies fellow you will need to map out your travel arrangements. You will be making two hits, not one, so time will be of the essence."

"Okay, boss." Duric left the room.

"Murphy. You can go get the clothing ready for our assassin. Also, feed them early, I need him to be at his best for this operation."

"Will do, boss." Murphy left to begin cooking the food and fetch the clothing for their hostage.

Nolen leaned back in his chair once more and tapped his chin whilst the evil smile remained. "Watch your back, senator; or maybe you should be watching your front too," he said with a sadistic laugh.

~ * ~

tbc...


	44. Chapter 44

**Thank you for the kind reviews. This fic has almost caught up to where I'm currently at with the writing of it. Once it does, the updates will be a bit slower.**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 44

Wainright turned the stem of the glass slowly between his fingers, the red liquid inside shimmered as it moved. Taking a sip, he proceeded to roll the glass again, watching as the wine moved. "Such a nice vintage, don't you agree?"

Richards declined to answer, his glass still sitting forgotten in his hand.

"Is there something wrong with your wine?"

Richards jerked slightly as Wainright drew him from his thoughts. He blinked. "Pardon?"

"I said, is there something wrong with your wine?"

"No." Richards picked up the glass and took a sip, the alcohol burning a trail to his empty stomach.

The phone rang, Wainright set his glass down and got up to answer it. Richards watched nervously, only partially listening to the conversation. He was jittery, on edge and would remain so until they were far away from here. Idly he wondered if anyone had picked up on the missing credits yet. The sound of the receiver being placed back in the cradle, pulled Richards from his wanderings and he looked up as Wainright returned to his seat and picked up his wine glass.

Taking a few sips, Wainright looked at his friend and cleared his throat. "The boss said to be ready to be picked up in an hour."

"I see." Richards' brows knitted together. "Where are we going?"

"That, my friend, I cannot tell you as I don't know. The boss said he was sending a car and it would be here in an hour. We will be informed of more once we're picked up."

"Okay." Richards wasn't too happy with the lack of information, but right now there wasn't a whole lot he could do about it.

* * *

Having finished her phone call, Une called HQ and arranged to have several agents come to the ESUN building as bodyguards for the delegates. With that organized, she returned to the main conference room where the delegates were of a mixed feeling regarding the contact with the terrorists and Jefferies' handling of the situation. Some were in support of the man, whilst others were clearly disgusted with his attitude. Silence fell over them all though once Une stepped back into the room.

Casting her eyes over the group, Une resisted the urge to sneer at them all; instead, she walked calmly back to her place at the head of the oval table, placing her hands upon the surface and lowering her head for a moment. Taking a deep breath, she straightened up and let her cold gaze sweep over the assembled group.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she began, "I've had some new information come to light and it pertains to these terrorists." Une proceeded to give the group a brief outline on what the new information was. She was careful not to divulge too much for right now they didn't need to know all the facts, plus she still needed more information herself; and that she would only get when she met with Yuy and Chang.

Her information was met with a stony silence, each delegate absorbing what they'd just been told and weighing it up against what had just occurred.

"As you can see, people," Une paused and fixed her steel gaze on Jefferies, "had we taken just a little more time, been polite, tried to explain the situation instead of going off on a half assed rant, we may not have found ourselves in the current situation. And that brings me to my next point..."

Une explained to all present about the need for a bodyguard, even more so now that Jefferies had done his worst and only inflamed the situation. Most people looked relieved at the thought of being protected, but a minor few didn't look too happy, Jefferies included.

Noting the look on the senator's face, Une spoke directly to him. "Trust me, I'd rather not be wasting my agents' time on babysitting duty either, they have far more important and pressing situations to deal with. But considering you _had_ to poke your nose in and make the situation worse, I have no choice. Personally, if I had my way, _you_ wouldn't be getting a bodyguard at all," she snapped.

Jefferies looked suitably rebuffed and scowled at the commander, who ignored him and went back to addressing the rest of the delegates, explaining they would need to remain inside the ESUN building until their allocated bodyguard arrived. With nothing more to discuss, Une took her leave, pausing beside Relena and asking the woman to accompany her.

Relena already had her own bodyguard detail and thus didn't need any further protection for now. She followed Une out and at the other woman's suggestion, headed for her office. Once they were safely inside, Relena took a seat behind her desk, Une remained standing, crossing to the large window to look out on the world below.

"There's more to this than you told the delegates, isn't there?" Relena asked, knowing full well the answer would be 'yes'.

"That there is, Relena." Une turned around to face the younger woman. "What I said in the room was true, however, Chang and Yuy have discovered two sets of files relating to the rebuilding scheme. One is the same as what we were given, the other... It contains much the same information, but the figures are different. From what I know, there are several thousands of credits gone missing – and only from the L2 funding."

Relena gave a soft gasp.

"At this stage, that's all I can divulge. I will know more once I meet with Yuy and Chang. Meanwhile, this Senator Wainright, he is the one in charge of the scheme?"

"Yes, yes, he is," Relena replied.

"Good. Can you tell me where his office is? I think we need to take him down to HQ to answer a few questions."

"Certainly, Une. Just give me a moment and I'll have all the details for you." Relena turned at her desk and called her secretary, telling the woman what she needed and waiting patiently for the information. The secretary called back within a couple of minutes and gave Relena all the details.

"His office is on the fourth floor, number six. Also, another senator is working on the scheme with him, Richards, he's the second in command so to speak," Relena stated and handed over the piece of paper she'd written the details on.

Taking the paper, Une thanked Relena and after promising to keep her informed of what was going on, Une took her leave and with two agents accompanying her, went to find Wainright and Richards and have them brought to HQ to answer some questions.

* * *

"Boss?"

Nolen looked up to see Farrow standing in the doorway. "Yes?"

Farrow entered the room. "I have as much information as I could get on this Jefferies fellow."

"Good. Take it to Duric and the pair of you can work out the best way to make the hits for tonight."

"Okay." Farrow left, laptop in hand and went to find Duric.

Nolen smirked to himself. That bastard of a senator would certainly rue the day he ever spoke to Nolen.

Farrow found Duric studying maps and entered the room quietly.

Duric glanced in his direction then sat up. "What have you got?"

"As much information as I could find on this Jefferies fellow," Farrow replied and sat the laptop down, turning it on and waiting for the thing to boot up. Once it had, Farrow took Duric through all he'd managed to find out and handed over the papers which he'd printed out the layout of Jefferies' residence on. "He drives himself home each day, car and route details are there in the paperwork. Given where the L3 ambassador is residing and where Jefferies lives, there's about thirty miles between the two. Jefferies does, however, pass a little closer to the residence on his way home. It might be an idea to take him out whilst he's en route to his house."

Duric pondered that thought. "It could work," he mused as he studied the map Farrow had given him with the route clearly marked in red. "If we took him out somewhere around here," he pointed to a spot on the map. "We could then continue on to the L3 ambassador's residence, be in and out and back here all within roughly five hours."

"Sounds good to me," Farrow replied.

"Can you get me a clear map of the area here?"

"No problem." Farrow typed a few commands into the laptop and moments later the screen changed to show a detailed satellite image map of the area Duric had asked for. They both studied the layout, particularly the countryside and anything that may aid them in their quest.

"I think here would be a good spot," Duric announced.

"How you gonna do it?"

"I'll get the kid to set an explosive charge on the edge of the road, right before the bridge. We can hide in these thick trees and detonate it when he approaches. It should be enough to cause him to either drive off the bridge or collect the supports; either way he will be disabled enough for the kid to finish the job."

"Okay. I'll print that off for you if you like?"

"Thanks."

Farrow left to hook up to the printer leaving Duric alone to finish planning out his route.

* * *

Duo had continued to 'transmit' for several hours until his eyelids became heavy and he needed to get some sleep. Nurse Brown and Keitaro were curled up on the mattress, both deeply asleep and Duo smiled at his son. Wearily, he dragged himself to the chair and did his best to get comfortable. Settling in, his eyes began to drift shut when he suddenly had the overwhelming urge for an orange. He shook himself mentally, now was not the time to be wanting something he couldn't have. He'd love a big, juicy steak too, but he didn't see that forthcoming any time soon either.

He did promise himself though that once this was all over he would have both the steak _and_ the orange.

The morning sun shone through the basement window and fell across Duo's face, awakening the agent. Nurse Brown was also stirring but Keitaro remained asleep. Stretching and yawning, Duo stood up and scratched at his belly.

"Morning, Duo," the nurse said softly as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Oh, I'd kill to have another shower."

"Morning. So would I," Duo replied as he sniffed his armpits. "Whew, that's a little ripe. Oh shit!" Duo's stomach suddenly rebelled and he made a dive for the chamber pot, grabbing it in time to empty out the small amount of bile that resided there. After dry heaving for a moment, Duo felt the nausea leave and straightened up. He placed the chamber pot back in the far corner, reminding himself he'd need to let their kidnappers know it would need emptying and walked back over towards his chair. He could feel the nurse's eyes on him and waited patiently for the words he knew would come.

"Duo? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Must have been the armpits," he joked.

"I don't think so." The nurse's eyes narrowed. "You've been sick a few times these past couple of days."

"Only twice," Duo protested.

"You may have only thrown up twice, but I can tell you've been nauseous and barely managing to hold onto your stomach contents."

"I'm fine," Duo said again.

"I beg to differ, but for now I'll give you the benefit of the doubt."

Duo sighed and walked over to the small table and the transistor radio. He switched it on again and began to 'transmit'.

Nurse Brown watched discreetly. Her mind was telling her that Duo was not at all fine, in fact, she strongly suspected the man could be pregnant - again. With her brow furrowing at the thought, she tried to think of a way she could question Duo without him becoming suspicious and hopefully confirm her thoughts.

* * *

Murphy finished setting up the tray with the food and added the thermos to it. With all now ready, he went to fetch Duric. The boss had said the three in the basement could take another shower that morning and Murphy was glad about that. In all honesty, he felt the three should at least be allowed to shower daily and not every three days as it had been so far. He guessed that with the assassinations that were to take place that evening, the boss didn't want the victims to 'smell' their assassin before he had the chance to take them out.

He found Duric still working on his planned route for the 'hit'. "You gonna give me a hand?" he asked.

"All ready?" Duric responded.

"Yeah. I'll take the tray, you bring the clothes and play the part of shower escort," Murphy replied.

With a grunt, Duric stood and picked up his gun from the table top. He followed Murphy back into the kitchen and grabbed the bag of clothes there. Murphy had gone shopping the previous day and picked up some clothes for the nanny and child. He'd had to guess at the sizes. Maxwell would be supplied with an all black ensemble, similar to what he'd worn previously. Black jeans, black T-shirt and sweater plus a black ski type mask. Murphy had also picked up a pair of sneakers for the man.

With clothes and tray in hand, the pair left the kitchen for the basement.

* * *

Une and her agents rode the elevator to the fourth floor, exiting quickly and reading the information on the wall opposite the elevator door.

"This way," Une said as she noted the arrow pointing to the left for the offices numbered one to fifteen.

Walking down the corridor, Une counted off the office numbers until they reached number six. Pausing outside the door, Une made sure her clothing was straight and then knocked as she turned the handle and went in. A secretary sat behind a desk and looked up as they entered.

"Can I help you?" she asked, clearly startled to see the uniformed officers there with Une.

"I wish to speak with Senator Wainright," Une commanded.

"I'm afraid the senator isn't in."

"I see." Une's brow furrowed. "Where is he and when will he be back?"

"I'm afraid he's on holiday and won't be available for another four weeks. I only found out myself when I came into work this morning. There was a memo for me from him," the secretary replied.

"Okay." Une thought for a moment. "In that case, I will need access to his office. I am confiscating his computer and other files."

"But! You can't do that!" the secretary spluttered.

"Yes, I can. They are required for evidence in a case Preventer is currently investigating." Une nodded to her agents. "Go in and collect together all computer hardware, software and anything else you find pertaining to the case."

"Yes, ma'am," the agents replied and entered the senator's office.

"I would appreciate your cooperation," Une said as she turned back to the secretary.

The secretary nodded her head and slumped in her seat, knowing there wasn't anything she could do.

"Good."

Once the agents had collected together all files, discs, computer hardware and the like, Une had them take it down to one of the Preventer vehicles in readiness to be transported back to HQ for investigation. With the orders for one agent to remain with the vehicle and the other to return to assist Une, they both left with all the confiscated material.

Une headed for Senator Richards' office

* * *

Grabbing all the discs and any other information they had on hand, Yuy and Chang gathered everything together and began to load it into Chang's car.

"We're coming too," Quatre announced and picking up his laptop, he nodded to Trowa to pick up all their discs and follow.

Within minutes the four men were in the car and pulling away from the mansion.

It took them forty minutes to get through the traffic to Preventer HQ.

"You'd think Une would have these company vehicles rigged with lights and sirens," Quatre muttered. "Would certainly make sense for when you're trying to get to an emergency."

"This isn't a police car," Wufei grumbled.

"I never thought I'd say this, but thank god for the lack of anything remotely resembling a button," Heero mumbled loud enough that only Chang could hear him.

"Just don't let him know about the portable light that we do have," Chang whispered.

Heero rolled his eyes. There was no way on earth or the colonies he would ever let the blonde know that the vehicle did have one of those blue, flashing lights that could be pulled out from the compartment below the glove box and attached to the roof should the occasion call for it. "Heaven forbid he should ever discover it."

"I agree with you there," Chang replied and indicated, pulling into the exit lane and leaving the highway.

Bringing the car to a stop in the underground car park, the four exited, locked the car and made a beeline for the elevator. Clearing security on the ground floor, they proceeded to Une's office where Une's secretary greeted them.

"I'm afraid Commander Une isn't back yet, gentlemen."

"No problem. She called and asked us to meet her here. May we wait inside her office?" Chang requested.

"Yes, I know she did. She called me to let me know you would be coming and to allow you to wait in her office. Please, go on through," the secretary replied.

"Thank you." Chang proceeded to the doors and opened them, allowing everyone through and then closing the doors behind them. They took up residence in the various chairs in the office, Yuy plugging his laptop in and getting everything they had discovered so far up and running. Quatre did the same only with the donations from WEI and what he'd discovered in relation to the missing funds.

Once everything was set they had nothing left to do but wait for their commander.

* * *

"Someone's coming," Duo muttered as his sharp hearing picked up on the approaching footsteps. Quickly he shut down the radio and placed it in Keitaro's baby bag. Sitting on the edge of the bed where Nurse Brown was reclining with Keitaro, he did his best to look like he was simply playing with his son.

The door opened, Murphy entering with the tray, Duric behind him and holding the door. Once both men were inside, Murphy took the tray to the table and set it down. "Breakfast," he announced in a bored tone and backed away.

Duric stepped forward and tossed the paper carrier bag towards Duo who caught it. "There's clothes inside. Once you've eaten breakfast you will take a shower, same as last time and put these clean clothes on," he informed them.

Listening to what the man said, Duo opened the bag and began to pull out the various items of apparel. He could guess which ones were for him and a chill ran down his spine as he tossed them to one side.

Nurse Brown peered inside the bag and pulled back a little as Duo removed a dress and some items for Keitaro. Her nose wrinkled a little as she looked in distaste at the dress that was obviously for her. Turning to face Murphy, she spoke, the sarcasm evident in her voice. "And where did you get these from? Been raiding the local charity bin?"

Murphy glared, Duo snickered.

"I'll have you know that this style went out when I was a little girl," she sniffed. "We used to call them 'granny' dresses."

"Well, in fashion or not, it ain't gonna matter 'cause no one's gonna be seeing you anyway. Think yourself lucky you're getting a change of clothes at all," Murphy fired back.

"Yes, I suppose we should be thankful that we're being given the very basic of human treatment," Margaret snipped. "Cold food, luke warm tea, a chamber pot for a toilet and a shower every three days. Gee, I feel so damn _lucky_."

Duo was having difficulty holding onto his laughter. He guessed these two had never come up against the likes of Nurse Brown ever before.

"Shut up and eat your food," Murphy snapped, his patience running thin. He knew the nanny had gotten the better of him, he just didn't know how.

Duo moved from the bed to the table and lifted the lids off the plates of food. There was some baby cereal for Keitaro, a couple of slices of toast and a plate of scrambled eggs. Duo's stomach decided it wanted to leave its place of residence - via Duo's throat.

The sight of the yellow eggs with a watery liquid surrounding them had Duo running for the chamber pot once more.

With a worried look on her face, Nurse Brown kept an eye on the young man who was dry heaving.

"What's up with him?" Murphy asked as he watched the drama unfold.

"He's not feeling too well," Margaret hedged.

"I hope it's nothing serious, or contagious," Murphy muttered.

"Sick or not, he's still coming with me tonight and he will do the job," Duric stated firmly. Noticing Duo had finished, Duric strode over and took the chamber pot from the man. He pushed the cold muzzle of the gun against Duo's temple. "I suggest you get better real fast. We have a job to do tonight, and you know what will happen if you don't cooperate."

Duo shuddered, the foul taste still in his mouth. "I'll be okay," he replied in a whisper.

"Good." Duric removed the gun and walked back towards the basement steps. "I suggest you eat now, you will need your strength for later."

Duo scowled but obediently went back to the table. Gingerly he selected a piece of toast and put a thin scraping of butter on it; it was about all he could stomach right now.

Nurse Brown watched, a worried expression on her face as she began to feed Keitaro. She was even more convinced now.

Content that the hostages were doing as they were told, Duric handed the chamber pot to Murphy. "Here, go empty it and clean it," he said.

"Why do I have to empty and clean it?" Murphy whined.

"Because I said so."

~ * ~

tbc...


	45. Chapter 45

**Many thanks for the kind reviews!**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 45

"Here's your coffee." Agent Forrest put the steaming mug down on the desk by his partner's elbow and pulled his own seat across. He noted the distracted air and frowned. "What's up?" he asked as he sipped at his own, hot beverage.

"Dunno," came the absent reply.

"I think you need to expand your vocabulary," Forrest replied.

"Sorry." Agent Oak removed the headset and ran a hand over his face. Picking up the mug of coffee, he took a few sips before speaking. "I was getting this really weird transmission coming through."

"Oh? Weird? How?"

"It was certainly on the Preventer wavelength, but it was faint and I've never heard anything like it before," Oak said as he thought more on the transmission.

"Let me have a listen."

"Can't, it's not there anymore."

"Eh?"

"I only just managed to pick it up and it didn't last for very long."

"What did it sound like?"

"Like a tapping, a sort of coded tapping if you get what I mean." Agent Oak tried to demonstrate by using his fingers and drumming them on the desk top.

"You're right, it is weird," Forrest said. "What about the manuals?"

"Good idea." Oak got up and fetched the Preventer communication code manuals and passed one over to Forrest. With coffees in one hand, the pair began to search through the manuals to see if they could find the code anywhere in them.

* * *

Une found the office of Richards and knocked on the door before entering.

"Can I help you?"

Une sized up the secretary sitting behind the desk. "I wish to speak with Senator Richards."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible."

"Don't tell me; the senator is on holidays?" Une questioned with a touch of sarcasm. This was starting to become tedious.

"How did you know that?" the secretary asked, the sarcasm going right over her head and Une had to look twice to make sure she wasn't blonde.

"It seems to be the norm right now for all persons of interest to Preventer," Une muttered and then sighed as she informed the secretary that her agents would be removing all electronic items from the senator's office in relation to a current case. The usual protest was forthcoming, but Une cut it off and sent the returning agent into the office to collect all the senator's files and computer.

With everything now placed securely in a Preventer vehicle, Une gave her agents their instructions and then left to return to headquarters to meet with Yuy and Chang.

* * *

After having taken their showers and changed into clean clothes, Duo, Margaret and Keitaro were once again left in peace in the basement. Duo decided to do a little more digging at the mortar around the window and leave the radio for a little while; he wasn't sure how much power was left in the batteries and he thought he'd have another go at transmitting a little later, hopefully when there would be someone monitoring the wavelengths at Preventer HQ.

Nurse Brown tried to keep Keitaro amused, but it was getting more and more difficult as the youngster wanted to explore more and was getting bored with the small area he was confined to. He let his displeasure be known by crying in frustration from time to time when the nanny thwarted his attempts to bypass her.

When Murphy brought their lunch, Duo dared to ask if they could possibly have some toys for the child, something with which to keep him occupied. Murphy had scowled and not bothered to reply, simply dumping their lunch tray and leaving them alone again.

"I wonder what crawled up his ass and died," Duo growled as the door shut behind their captor.

"Language, Duo," the nurse chastised gently.

"Sorry."

"Obviously they aren't having much success with whatever it is they're trying to accomplish," the nurse continued as she propped Keitaro up on the bed with the use of their dirty clothing. "Can you sit with him for a moment?"

"Sure," Duo replied and sat on the mattress next to his son, gently running his fingers through the fine hair on the baby's head that was starting to grow and thicken.

Lifting the lids off the plates on the tray, Margaret noted that lunch consisted of a thermos of soup, several slices of bread and a large salad. Obviously their kidnappers were not taking chances with Duo's stomach.

Carefully, she poured the soup out into two bowls, a small one for Keitaro and the other for herself. She left Duo's in the thermos for now as he would be feeding the child and she didn't want it to go cold.

Duo took the bowl and spoon, testing the soup first to make sure it wasn't too hot and then began to feed his son. Keitaro smiled as his food was brought towards him and opened his mouth wide - he was hungry.

Sitting at the table with her own bowl, Margaret decided to try and do a little fishing for information, carefully forming her words as she 'quizzed' Duo. "How is your stomach feeling now, Duo?"

Duo looked up, a surprised look on his face at the question. "It feels fine, why?"

"No nausea?"

"No. In fact, I'm feeling rather peckish. That toast was okay for breakfast, but I'm pretty much starving now."

"Duo?"

"Yes?" Duo was wondering what the nurse was up to.

"If you don't mind me asking, when did you last menstruate?"

Duo turned a fetching shade of red and turned his blushing cheeks away from the nurse.

"I'm sorry, I know it's a personal question, but..."

"It's okay," Duo frowned and searched his memory. "Hard to say," he replied at last. "I was keeping a note in my diary; Sally asked me to so we could try to work out my cycle." He paused for a moment and then turned with a shocked look on his face. "You don't think I could start to bleed whilst we're being held here, do you?"

"It's a possibility," Margaret agreed, although that wasn't quite what she was fishing for.

"Geeze. Now that would really suck. How the fuc- hell would I explain that one?"

"Let's just hope it doesn't happen, but if you could try to remember roughly the dates of your last two - errr... bouts of bleeding, then it could give us a bit of a heads up," said the nurse. _//And give me a bit more of a clue as to what is really going_ _on with you,//_ she added silently.

"Let me see." Duo continued to feed his son as his mind tracked back, trying to remember when he'd last bled.

* * *

"Commander Une, the agents are all waiting for you in your office," the secretary said as Une entered the smaller, outer office from her own.

"Thank you. I'll just be a moment." Une turned back to the two agents that had accompanied her. "Get all the equipment we seized from the senators' offices and take it through to the data section. Do not, I repeat, do not allow anyone to touch any of it. I will have an agent assigned to perform the data search and recovery on it all shortly. Am I clear?"

"Crystal, commander."

"Then why are you still standing here?"

The agents hastily saluted and disappeared to carry out their assigned task.

Turning to her secretary, Une spoke again. "Hold all my calls. I am not to be disturbed under any circumstance; unless it's an emergency."

"Yes, commander."

Taking a deep breath, Une entered her office. Four heads swiveled in her direction and she gave them all a curt nod before striding around her desk and taking a seat. She allowed her eyes to travel from one to the other, noting the haggard look of Yuy, the tired eyes of Chang and the worried expression on both Barton and Winner.

"Gentlemen, what have you got for me?"

* * *

"Yes, Zaheer?" Wainright asked as his loyal servant-come-bodyguard knocked and entered the room.

"Excuse me, sir, but there is a gentleman by the name of Sampson here to see you."

"Fine. Send him in."

"As you wish." Zaheer turned and left, returning a moment later with an older man. Leaving the three alone, Zaheer closed the doors behind him.

"Sampson, good to see you again," Wainright greeted as he stood, walked over to the other man and held out his hand.

Sampson shook the offered hand and then inclined his head towards Richards. "Who is that?"

"Ah, this is Richards. He's been helping me with the funding," Wainright replied. "Richards, this is Sampson."

Richards stood, placed his wine glass on the side table and shook hands with the man. "Pleased to meet you," he said softly.

Sampson simply nodded and releasing the hand, turned his attention back to Wainright. "Zaheer passed on the information he found and traced on that laptop."

"I see." Wainright's eyes glinted.

"The boss found it quite interesting," Sampson continued and helped himself to a glass of the wine. "As he said when we last made contact, there will be a slight detour on our drive."

Wainright nodded but didn't press for further information, he knew Sampson would only tell him what he needed to know when he was good and ready.

"Are you all ready?" Sampson asked.

"Yes. Minimum luggage as requested and all set to leave whenever it's convenient," Wainright replied.

"No loose ends?"

"No. Everything is taken care of."

"Good." Sampson turned back to his wine. "This isn't a bad drop," he announced and refilled his glass.

Richards fidgeted, he wasn't feeling too safe right now and wouldn't until they were far away from here.

"Relax," Wainright muttered. "All will be fine."

Richards might not have liked it, but he had to accept that.

* * *

"I can't find anything at all in here to relate in any way to that signal," Forrest said as he closed the manual and sighed.

"Me either," Oak replied, also shutting his manual and tossing it to the desk. He slipped the head set back on and fiddled with the dials. "Well, it's not there now so it was probably some freaky thing going on with the lines."

Forrest looked at the clock. "It's knockoff time in ten."

"Yeah. I'll make a note of this in the log just in case," Oak stated and pulled the transmission log across the desk so he could enter the data. Whilst he was occupied with the log, the relieving agents entered the communications room.

After a brief exchange and run down on the current communications occurring, Forrest and Oak took their leave, Agents Sky and Sun taking over the shift.

* * *

Nurse Brown managed to determine that it had been about three months since Duo had last experienced any form of bleeding. Given his irregular cycle, normally that wouldn't be out of the ordinary, but Margaret felt her suspicions grow. Other than coming right out and asking Duo when he'd last had sex and if he'd been the uke, she really didn't have any other way of learning if her suspicions were founded. And she wasn't about to step over that line! No, she'd either have to find some other way of finding out or simply continue to observe and keep her suspicions to herself for now.

Duo had gone back to fiddling with the radio, his lunch eaten and staying down, much to his relief. He really didn't need to be getting sick right now, or have the nurse on his case. Switching the unit on he began his coded message tapping again, knowing it was probably futile, but not willing to sit and do nothing.

"Someone's coming," Margaret stated, watching as Duo quickly turned the radio off and slipped it under the mattress.

The basement door opened and Duric stood at the top of the steps. "You, come with me and don't try anything," he said, waving the gun at Duo.

Duo's eyes turned to the nurse and his son. He had a pretty good idea of what he was going to be doing and whilst he didn't like it, he didn't have any choice in the matter either. Picking Keitaro up, he gave his son a cuddle and pressed several kisses to the child's face. "Be good for your nanny, Keitaro. I'll be back soon." With a sad look in his eyes, Duo passed his son to the nanny.

"Be careful, Duo," the nanny said softly, the concern evident in her eyes.

"I will. You stay safe too," he returned in little more than a whisper.

Margaret nodded and smiled. "We'll be waiting for you."

"Come on, I haven't got all day," Duric growled.

"Yeah, yeah, don't get your knickers in a twist, I'm coming," Duo snapped and with one last look at the pair, he turned and allowed Duric to escort him from the room.

They walked up a set of stairs and along a hallway that Duo was starting to become familiar with. Although he'd only been outside the basement five or so times, his quick mind was rapidly piecing together the layout of the building they were in. All too soon that arrived at the same room Duo had been in before.

"Sit," Duric commanded and waved the gun in the direction of a chair beside a desk.

Duo sat and waited for the man to tell him exactly what was going on this time.

Duric sat opposite Duo on the other side of the desk, his gun trained firmly on the long haired man. "Just remember we still have the kid and the nanny. Any screw ups on your side and the only way they will be leaving here is in a body bag."

Fists clenched tightly at his side, Duo fought to control his temper and the little voice that screamed at him to rip this asshole apart. As much as he would dearly love to rearrange the bastard's face, limbs and every other part of his anatomy, he couldn't, not whilst Nurse Brown and Keitaro were still being held. Once they were out and safe though - all bets were off.

And Duo had no doubts he would get them out of there - somehow.

"You studied the blueprints to the L3 ambassador's place?"

"Yes," Duo snarled.

"Good." Duric shifted and grabbed a few more pieces of paper, passing them over the desk to Duo. "I suggest you take a look at these, we have a slight change in plan."

Frowning, Duo pulled the papers towards himself and noted the map, scenery and details of a vehicle.

Whilst Duo studied the paperwork, Duric gave a brief run down on the added 'extra'.

"Let me see if I heard you correctly. You want me to take out _another_ person?" Duo asked, the distaste evident in his tone.

"That is what I said," Duric snapped.

"No. All this killing is pointless, it won't do anything to sway the ESUN."

"I don't give a flying fuck what you think, you will do as you're told. If you don't then the nanny and the kid will suffer and it will be on your head," Duric reminded him, his voice cold.

Duo decided to change tactics and see if he could bargain. "Look, if I agree to take out this senator and the L3 ambassador, would you let the child and the nanny go free? I'll stay and do what you want, just let them go, they haven't done anything."

"Out of the question," Duric replied. "If we set them free then they will immediately talk to the cops; besides, having them here is insurance that you will comply with all our requests."

"Requests?" snorted Duo. "More like fucking _demands_!"

Duric shrugged his shoulders. "I really don't give a shit what you think. We are leaving now and you have an explosive to set and a couple of assholes to take out. Get up and move."

With no other choice but to obey, Duo swallowed his anger and stood, walking from the room and out to the car that was ready and waiting for them.

* * *

Une scanned over the information on the screen as Heero and Wufei explained what they had found. Quatre added his findings to the mix and Une suddenly found herself with information overload. Rubbing her temples to try and ease the headache that was beginning to make its presence known, she closed her eyes for a moment as the conversation continued on around her.

"It's obvious the money is missing."

"It has to have gone somewhere – but where?"

"I'm sure this guy that was hacking found something more than this, but I can't seem to get any further."

"We need to track what we can, see if we can locate exactly what has happened..."

"ENOUGH!"

All four men fell silent as the commander's voice exploded. Four sets of eyes turned to face the woman who was seriously contemplating the thought she was having a nervous breakdown.

"Commander?" Wufei ventured, only to be cut off by a glare. He promptly took the hint and shut up.

"Thank you," Une sighed. "Now, without you all talking at once, let me see if we have all the facts here." Une paused to take a quick glance at the two laptops and picked up her pen, jotting down things as she spoke. "Quatre, you have evidence there that the donations from WEI and the Sanq foundation are greater than the amounts recorded in the portfolio?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Yuy, you've followed the hacker into the ESUN database and after locating where he was headed, you came up against a brick wall?"

"Hai."

"Whilst following the hacker's tracks, you went further into the files of a Senator Wainright and discovered there were two files in relation to the rebuilding portfolio? Both of which have rather large discrepancies between them in relation to the funding, expenditure and such?"

"Hai."

Une contemplated the information for a moment before Yuy interrupted her line of thought.

"There's something else, commander."

"Okay, Yuy, spill." Une wasn't sure if she could take much more, her head was spinning as it was. Before Yuy could speak, the secretary knocked on the door and stuck her head around the jamb.

"My apologies for interrupting, but I thought you could use this," she said and held out a mug of coffee.

"Fiona, you are an angel," Une sighed gratefully. "Thank you." The coffee was deposited on Une's desk, the secretary leaving immediately. Une picked up the mug and took a greedy sip, then another. She closed her eyes and smiled as the caffeine found its way to her system.

The four men continued to sit in silence and simply watch, none game to push the commander and possibly witness the psycho side.

"Ah, that's much better," Une said and took a deep breath. Her head cleared and with the caffeine buzz, she felt more energized. "Now, Yuy, what was it you were going to say?"

"Commander, this terrorist group that is making the demands, we're positive that the perpetrator who hacked the database was a member of their group and that he pretty much discovered what we have, although I think he may have gotten further, was discovered and thus eliminated. I'm also positive that this group has kidnapped Duo, Nurse Brown and my son. The L1 ambassador's death, which we know from forensic evidence was an assassination done by Agent Night, and their demands for further funding for L2, all point to Duo, Keitaro and Nurse Brown being held by this group." Yuy finished and sat silent, waiting for the commander's reaction.

Thinking over Yuy's words, Une had to agree; it all made sense. Her mind ticking over, she spoke calmly and with authority.

"I agree with you, Agent Day, and I also have some information of my own to add to all this." The Senator in charge of the rebuilding portfolio and his second in charge, have both taken vacation leave from the ESUN."

"How convenient," muttered Wufei.

"That is exactly what I thought, Agent Fire. I have taken the liberty of seizing all computer equipment, data discs, files and the like from both senators' offices and right now they are being taken to Preventer lab three."

Heero's eyes glinted and his fingers twitched in anticipation.

"Gentlemen, the way I see this is we have two investigations here – both linked. We need to try and track down this terrorist group, if and when we do I'm sure we will find your missing family, Yuy."

Heero nodded.

"We also need to go through the material confiscated from the senators, I'm certain we will find more information there in regards to the missing funding. Something tells me we won't be seeing our two vacationing senators for a long time. Barton, Winner?"

"Yes, ma'am?" both replied in unison.

"May I ask how long you are both planning on staying earth side?"

"We're not leaving until Duo, Keitaro and Nurse Brown are safely home," Trowa answered for both of them.

"Right. In that case, I am officially granting you both temporary Preventer Agent status."

"We accept," Quatre stated.

"Good. I have something of a trace on the call that came through from the terrorist. I'd like both you and Barton to head to communications and see how far they have managed to progress with their investigations. I'm putting you two officially in charge of the search and locate of this group and hopefully our missing agent and his family."

"Thank you."

"Yuy?"

"Hai?"

"You and Chang are to report to lab three and see what you can find off those computers and all other material we brought back. There has to be something in those circuits and chips that can tell us what is going on."

Heero's face lit up into a feral grin and he cracked his knuckles. "It will be our pleasure," he replied.

"Right." Une looked at the four faces. "Then what are you all doing sitting here? You have your assignments, get to it."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Right away, ma'am."

The four agents scrambled to gather up their equipment and leave, each heading for their allocated task and hopefully some answers.

~ * ~

tbc...


	46. Chapter 46

**Many thanks to all who are reading.**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 46

Murphy drove the vehicle whilst Duric explained more to Duo exactly what they expected of him in regards to the explosives. It had been decided that Duo would set up two charges; one just before the bridge and one on it. The intent was for Duo to detonate the first explosive as Jefferies' car passed over it, and thus make the man lose control of the vehicle and either run into the bridge supports, or something else like a tree - effectively killing himself. The charge would be small enough not to do any serious damage to the vehicle, or damage that could be easily traced and thus make it look like an accident.

If that didn't work for any reason, the second charge would be detonated whilst Jefferies was on the bridge. No prizes for guessing what would happen there.

With the threat of serious harm to his child or the nanny still a constant reminder to him, Duo fought with his own inner demons, knowing he really didn't have any choice, but hating himself for allowing himself to be in this situation to start with.

"Almost there," Murphy announced.

"Good. Pull over to the side just before the bridge," Duric told him.

Doing as requested, Murphy brought the car to a stop just off the road a little. With the gun still pointing at his prisoner, Duric indicated for Duo to get out.

Standing at the side of the road, Duric continued to cover Duo with the gun whilst Murphy fetched a bag from the trunk and then handed it to Duric.

"All the stuff you need is in there," Duric said curtly, shoving the bag at Duo.

Taking the bag and ignoring the shove, Duo opened it and gazed inside. It contained detonators and plastic explosive. Not the sort of stuff Duo was used to dealing with, but then again, when he used explosives the items were supplied by Preventer and they only used the top quality stuff. This, he could see, was cheap, able to be purchased in any store that dealt with firearms and explosives; and therefore pretty much untraceable.

With a heavy heart, Duo closed the bag and looked at his captors. "Where do you want me to set it up?"

"This way." Duric walked beside the man, gun trained continuously on him and ready to fire.

Looking around, Duo's demolitions training came back to him, despite his wishing it would take a hike. He guessed claiming memory loss would be out of the question.

"There's the bridge. Now, do what you do best and set the charge for the road explosion."

Clearly his captor was not going to tell him exactly where they wanted the charge laid so it would be up to him. The only thing he could currently think of was how to set this up to cause the least possible suffering for the intended victim. Checking the immediate area out, he glanced to the road, the bridge and surrounding countryside. Mental calculations of speed, velocity, strike and probable trajectory all ran through his head, determining the best place to put the explosives. Having made his decision, Duo strode over to where he thought the best place would be and dropped the bag to the ground. He opened it and began to rummage through the contents.

Duric watched, having told Murphy to keep a lookout and alert them to any other oncoming vehicles.

"What type of car does he drive?" Duo asked as he manipulated the plastic explosive.

"Why?" Duric's brow furrowed.

"The weight of the vehicle, type and so on can all affect how much explosive I need to use," Duo replied in a tone that suggested he was talking to a complete idiot.

Duric missed the tone but replied with the vehicle details.

Nodding, Duo went back to setting up the charge.

* * *

Heero and Wufei walked in silence to the lab, each man was lost in his own thoughts. Heero was eager to take a look into the senators' databases; knowing their perpetrator had managed to hack into the computer of Wainright meant there was a damn good chance that Heero would be able to locate exactly how deep the man had gotten before he was discovered and what information he'd managed to locate. Wufei was thinking along similar lines. If they were successful in tracing the perp, then he was pretty certain they would also find the missing credits - or at least some indication of where they had gone and what for.

Neither man could have dreamed just exactly where those credits were and what they were being used for; but when they did, it would throw Preventer into a complete frenzy; and put an entirely new perspective on matters.

* * *

Walking side by side, Trowa and Quatre discussed their missing friend and his family, hoping that Preventer communications would have had some success in tracing the call made by the terrorist by now. Entering the Preventer communications section, they were greeted by an Agent Sun.

Quatre quickly explained who they were and what their purpose was, Sun nodding in acceptance. Commander Une had already been on the 'blower' to inform them that the two, temporary agents would be paying a visit and assisting in tracing the call.

"If you would care to follow me, gentlemen," Agent Sun said and led the pair into a small office off to the side of the main communications room.

Following, Trowa and Quatre both glanced around the main room, noting the sophisticated equipment currently in use. Several monitors lined one side of the room, with various wavelengths displayed on the screens, lines that were in constant motion. A large, transmitter / receiver took pride of place on another side to the room, the large desk it sat upon containing more equipment and in the middle of it all, headphones on, sat another agent.

"That's Agent Sky, he's currently listening in on all transmissions in and out of Preventer," Sun informed them.

"You mean all communication that takes place between agents out in the field can be heard here?" Quatre asked.

"Yes." Sun paused for a moment and looked about the room. "All agents when out in the field are supplied with some form of communications device, all of those devices and the wavelength they transmit on are logged into the Preventer communication database. These computers run 24/7, recording _all_ transmissions. We monitor those transmissions and should the need arise for any assistance we are able to respond immediately. Likewise, if an inquiry is needed for whatever reason, we have all communications on record and they can be used for evidence and the like in such an inquiry."

"Ah, I see," replied Quatre.

"It's a very impressive set up," Trowa commented.

"Yeah, that it is," replied Sun.

"Does that mean you have the terrorist communication recorded too?" Quatre questioned.

"Yes, but not through the system you see here. As the call made by the terrorist came through a 'phone line, the procedure is a touch different."

Finding themselves now in the smaller room just off the main one, the pair took a moment to look around. There were a few computers there, monitors and other equipment that neither man could readily identify, but it looked impressive.

"Knowing that the call was due to come through, Preventer set a trace on the 'phone line that the call would come through to. That was the easy part. With there only being the one phone in the conference room, our techs were able to set the trace easily enough," Sun informed them as he began to switch things on.

"Just how far have you managed to get with the trace?" Trowa inquired as he took a seat and watched the agent flitting from one console to another.

"Unfortunately, not as far as I would have liked," replied Sun.

"I see."

"To be totally honest, we've managed to track it as far as the United States."

"The States is a pretty big area," Quatre reminded the agent.

"I know. The signal was sent through many channels, looping and crossing, bouncing from satellite to satellite. Whoever set up the line to communicate was well aware that we would most likely try to trace it and have led us on a rather long goose chase. We have managed to get through most of the obstacles and currently we have narrowed the search down to the western side of the States."

"Any chance you could be a little more specific here?" Trowa asked. He was starting to get a little frustrated and wanted a more exact idea of the location, preferably the location itself but even Trowa wasn't silly enough to know that would be impossible at this stage. He'd settle for something within the radius of a couple of states if he could get it.

"Right now we have California, Washington, Nevada and Arizona as the most likely states the call would have come from. With further tracing through the loops and such, we should have that down to two of those states very shortly."

Trowa's eyes widened with the information and his brain began to kick into gear. Quatre was also puzzling the information over in his own mind.

"We are still tracing as we speak and I'm about to check the computer to see what stage it's currently at."

"Fine," Quatre said absently then focused on his husband for a moment. His brain began to ask itself questions and reply with answers. Gazing into Trowa's green eyes, he came to a decision, then turned to address the agent. "Would you mind if we fetched a coffee?"

Sun looked up, surprised at the request. "I'll go get you one if you like?" he replied.

"That would be wonderful, thank you." Quatre told the agent how they both took their coffee and the man left to fulfill the request. As soon as he left, Quatre rounded on Trowa.

"Are you thinking what I am?" he asked.

"Maybe," Trowa replied. "I have a hunch that these terrorists are in either California or Nevada."

"Same here. Given that the L1 ambassador's residence is in Carson City, Nevada, and it was Duo that assassinated him, it would make sense that these terrorists are holed up not too far from their target."

"That call that Wufei, Sally and Heero were investigating came from a call box in Fresno, California," Trowa reiterated.

"Hmmm. I wonder if there is any way that this tracing equipment can be programmed to forget about Washington and Arizona and concentrate on California and Nevada?"

"Guess we can ask."

Quatre went quiet for a moment, then with a glint in his eye, spoke again. "I'm going to try and reach out with my empathy, maybe I can 'feel' Duo and with luck, get some sort of idea where he is."

Trowa nodded, although he didn't hold much hope. Quatre couldn't read minds, just sense feelings. However, the closer they were to whomever Quatre was touching with his empathy, the stronger the returning feeling. At least the strength of the feeling might give them a bit more of an idea of which state he was in.

Quatre took a seat and closed his eyes. Relaxing and deepening his breathing, he began to slide into a semi trance and let his empathy come to the fore. Tentatively, he allowed it to seep out, filter across the subconscious and drift into space.

* * *

"All finished?" Duric asked as Duo straightened up.

Duo grunted by way of reply. He'd just finished setting the second explosive, the one on the bridge in case the first one didn't work.

Glancing at his watch, Duric was pleased to note that they had approximately twenty minutes before the car and its driver were due. "Over here." Duric waved his gun in the direction of the car and Murphy.

With no option but to obey, Duo sighed to himself, shouldered the pack and walked back to the car. He sat inside whilst the pair discussed something between themselves, only moving when Duric told him to. They left Murphy with the car and walked a little way back to the bridge.

"How close do you need to be to detonate the thing?" Duric asked.

"Which one?" Duo asked, playing for time.

"The first one," Duric snapped.

"Anywhere between fifty and a hundred feet."

"And the bridge?"

"Three to five hundred feet."

"Good." Duric glanced around from where the explosive remained hidden in the loose asphalt of the road to the dense scrub that ran along each side. "Over there should make a good spot," he said and pushed Duo in the direction of some fairly thick bushes.

Once the pair were completely hidden, Duric pulled a communicator from his pocket. "In position," he said quietly.

Duo's hearing picked up on the sound of a car starting up and he glanced back along the road to see Murphy turning the vehicle around and driving back in the direction they'd come from. A couple of minutes later the communicator crackled to life and Murphy's voice could be heard.

"In position this end. Will contact as soon as target is sighted."

"Roger that." Duric slipped the communicator into his shirt pocket and keeping his gun aimed at Duo, let his eyes check the road from time to time.

Duo's right foot had gone to sleep, his left arm wasn't much better off and he was seriously going to need the bathroom very soon. He was contemplating how best to let his bathroom needs be known when Duric's communicator crackled again. Duric fished in his pocket and retrieved the device.

"Target has just passed me."

"Good. We are on it. Return shortly."

"Will do."

Duric again put the communicator in his shirt pocket and shifted his stance from a sitting position to a crouch. He parted the bushes slightly and looked out to the road, gun still aimed in Duo's direction.

Having convinced his left arm to work again and his right foot to wake up, Duo also shifted, eyes scanning the road for the vehicle he knew was coming.

"All set?" Duric asked, eyes not leaving the road.

Duo just grunted and pulled the small detonator from his pocket.

The sound of a car approaching reached their ears and Duo stiffened a little. He sent a silent prayer to whatever god was listening that he would be forgiven for what he was about to do.

"It's him," Duric announced. "Get ready and remember - no screw ups."

"As if I'm likely to forget," Duo sneered.

* * *

Jefferies drove along the quiet road, window rolled down and enjoying the sounds of jazz from the radio and the breeze in his hair. Despite what had occurred over the past couple of days, Jefferies was feeling quite good in himself. At least he'd had the balls to stand up to those terrorists and put them in their place when everyone else had been too yellow bellied to even dream about doing anything.

He snorted to himself when he thought about Commander Une from the Preventer Agency. That woman was far too soft in Jefferies' opinion and spouted nonsense about the funding when everyone could clearly see from the figures there in black and white that all Colonies were receiving identical allowances, supplies and assistance.

A glance in his rear vision mirror told him the bodyguard that had been assigned to him by Preventer was still to make an appearance on the road behind him. He smiled to himself at how easily he'd managed to dodge away from his 'babysitter'. He didn't need anyone to protect _him_, thank you very much.

Resting his elbow on the top of the door and slightly out of the open window, he accelerated a touch more, the wind whistling past and feeding him with a sense of exhilaration.

The bridge lay just ahead, Jefferies didn't bother to slow down; he'd driven this way for so long now he knew the road like the back of his hand. Humming along with the tune on the radio, he steered the car for the bridge.

Suddenly there was a loud bang and the vehicle bucked, twisted and ripped the steering wheel from his one handed grasp. Jefferies was quick to grab the wheel again and fought to bring the car back under control. The thought that he'd blown a tire went through his mind as he wrestled with the out of control vehicle. Then it was as if everything went into slow motion.

The car fishtailed, slewing from side to side. The concrete supports of the beginning of the bridge loomed in Jefferies' range of vision and he realized the car was heading directly for the left side. Desperately he tugged on the wheel, foot jammed on the brake as the car continued to swerve. The steering was unresponsive, the braking making matters worse; the wheel rim struck an uneven part of the asphalt and the car flipped over, skidding along on its side and slamming into the concrete support on the left side of the bridge.

* * *

As the vehicle reached the point where Duo had set the explosives, he depressed the detonator. The charge went off, blowing the tire and damaging the steering column.

Duo watched, helpless and full of self loathing as the vehicle careered out of control, flipped and slammed into the concrete end of the bridge.

"Move!" came the voice from the side and Duo shifted as Duric poked him in the ribs with the barrel of the gun.

The pair moved swiftly to the car, the silence in the air deafening after the screeching of tires, scraping of metal and loud bang to signify the abrupt halt of the vehicle's forward momentum. One wheel continued to spin lazily, steam rose from under the hood where water had leaked from the radiator to the hot engine.

"Stay here and don't move," Duric ordered Duo and keeping his gun trained on his hostage, Duric slipped to the side of the car to peer inside.

Duo shivered and felt thankful that Duric had at least spared him that much.

A quick look inside the mangled wreckage saw the deployment of the air bag and various items strewn about the interior of the car. The car had hit the concrete support on its roof and driver's side, the roof having given in quite easily whilst the door and side supports had put up a little more resistance. Unfortunately the metal and air bag hadn't done much to assist the driver, if anything, the metal had managed to destroy any chance the air bag would have had in protecting the occupant. The weak steel had crumpled like a pack of cards when faced with the might of concrete, the struts passing from the back of the hood by the windscreen base to support the roof had crumpled inwards crushing Jefferies' skull and killing him instantly.

From what Duric could tell as his eyes scanned the scene, the man was bleeding from several lacerations, many bones were broken judging by the odd angles his limbs lay in but it was the head injury that had caused death. He reached inside through the broken windscreen to check the pulse anyway; and found nothing.

Satisfied, he scrambled back around the car to where Duo waited and gave the man a nod. "Good work, he's dead. Now, move it back to the bushes, Murphy should be back any second.

As the words left his mouth so Murphy came flying around the corner and screeched to a halt. "Get in quick, we need to move out now!"

Not bothering to ask for an explanation, Duric shoved Duo inside the back of the car and dove in himself. Murphy maneuvered the car around the wreck and over the bridge, flooring it once they were clear of the accident scene and disappearing off in the direction of the L3 ambassador's residence.

Managing to sort themselves out in the back seat, Duric finally got himself upright and belt buckled up, checking his hostage was also belted in and then turned his attention to Murphy. "Why the rush?" he asked.

"Another car was coming," Murphy replied as he concentrated on driving.

Duric shrugged. "They see us?"

"Pretty sure they didn't. We were turning the bend just as they were coming around the other one."

"Good." Duric guessed that if their car had been spotted it would be very difficult if not impossible to identify it, as it was most likely the other vehicle would have only caught a glimpse of their tail end disappearing around a bend. Besides, their attention would most likely be fixated on the accident ahead of them and not any other car driving down the road. "How long to the residence?" he asked, changing the subject slightly.

"About an hour or so."

"Okay."

Silence filled the car then before Murphy switched the radio on and soft music filtered into the car.

Duo slumped in his seat, his heart aching with knowing he'd just taken yet another innocent life and very shortly would have to repeat the performance. Shinigami was becoming too much a part of his persona for his liking lately. A sudden thought hit Duo's brain and he had to stop himself from smirking.

The other charge was still under the bridge.

With the unexpected approach of another vehicle on the quiet, barely used road and their hasty scramble to get out of there, it seemed the other two had completely forgotten about the explosive set under the bridge. Duo was not about to remind them either. By the time they realized, it would be too late to go back and remove it, the area would be swarming with emergency services.

* * *

As he pulled around the bend in the road, the Preventer Agent assigned to play bodyguard to Jefferies felt his heart rate speed up. Ahead he could see the mangled wreckage of the man's car, crushed against the end of the stone bridge.

Bringing the car to a stop on the side of the road, he cut the engine, hastily leaving the car and grabbing for his cell. Scrambling around the side of the car and trying to keep his balance on the sloping ground, he pushed the buttons for emergency services.

"I need an ambulance now!"

~ * ~

tbc...


	47. Chapter 47

**Thank you to all who are reading! And now, let the angst continue...**

"Family Ties"

January. 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 47

Having made his call to emergency services and feeling a little better that assistance was on its way, the agent carefully made his way around the crumpled vehicle in the hope that the man inside was still alive. With the car crushed against the side of the bridge support and on its roof, he hadn't a hope in hell of getting anywhere close to the driver's side. The windscreen had shattered on impact so the agent made his assessment through the broken glass.

Swallowing the bile, he closed his mind to the horror of the injuries and managed to work his hand gingerly inside to press a couple of fingers against Jefferies' neck. As expected, there was no pulse. He shuddered as he withdrew his hand, mind ticking over as training kicked in.

He needed to secure the crash site, the major crash investigation squad would be involved as it was a fatal accident so it was of extreme importance that nothing be moved or touched until the appropriate services arrived. Then there was the safety of any other motorists that might happen to come along the road. Given the position of the crashed vehicle, the bridge and road had been reduced to one lane of traffic.

With there being nothing he could do for the victim, the agent scrambled back to the road where he had a clear view of each end of the bridge and thus any approaching traffic and would be able to direct such traffic accordingly. He would also be able to spot the emergency vehicles as they approached too.

With nothing to do but wait, the agent decided he'd better contact headquarters and report in what had happened. Pulling his communicator from his pocket, the agent swallowed hard. This was something he wasn't looking forward to.

* * *

It was almost dark when Murphy pulled up a short distance from the L3 ambassador's current residence. Duo cast his eyes out the window to the surrounding area as Duric spoke.

"We will take a slow drive past in a moment and then park. Here." Duric handed Duo the same small, communicator unit he'd had when he'd visited the L1 ambassador. "Do I need to remind you of the communicator's capabilities?"

Duo shook his head, he remembered well enough what the device was capable of.

"Good." Duric motioned for Murphy to drive on.

They took a slow pass by the ambassador's current residence, Duo noting the external fencing, complete with the obligatory razor wire. His memory drew forth the blueprints he'd studied and combined that knowledge with his recollections of the security system Preventer had installed. No doubt there would have been modifications made since the L1 ambassador's demise, but just what those modifications were, Duo wouldn't know until he infiltrated the premises. This time he would need to be extra careful.

Murphy found a dark spot further down the road to park and cut the car's engine. Duric pulled a knife out and passed it over to Duo; it was the same one he'd been given the last time. At least it was a little sharper than before, but not sharp enough in Duo's book.

"You have forty-five minutes," Duric said. "Get in, do the job and get out. The ambassador is using the master suite." Duric glanced at his watch. "He should be either in the study or the bathroom adjoining the bedroom. Don't forget the pictures."

Swallowing his disgust along with the bile that seemed to be ever present, Duo nodded and exited the car. Moving silently through the shadows he let his mind drift off to a safe place, violet eyes deepening as the darker presence inside seeped through his limbs, flowed into his blood and took control of his soul.

* * *

Sitting still in his chair, Quatre's eyes closed and he let his empathy flow through his body. Tentatively he began to reach out, letting the feeling wash over him as he probed gently through space, seeking Duo's spiritual signature.

Trowa watched from across the room in his own chair, his face impassive but his eyes told a different story. His body was tense, ready to spring into action should his husband need his assistance.

It took a couple of minutes for Quatre to completely lose himself to his inner feelings, but gradually he slid further into that sort of meditative state which allowed him to seek out a lot further with his empathy. Suddenly he gasped as a flood of emotions hit him and he fought to keep his head above the rising tide that threatened to drown him. Slamming up as many mental shields as he possibly could, he tried desperately to see if he could get any sort of inkling as to how close Duo was. Gentle arms around him drew him back from the turmoil and Quatre opened his eyes to find a concerned Trowa gazing intently at him.

"Are you okay?" Trowa asked as he rubbed his hands briskly up and down the trembling arms of his partner.

"F-fine. I'll be fine," Quatre managed to get out around chattering teeth. The experience of deep meditation usually left him feeling a touch disorientated when he returned to the current plane, but this...

"Did you find him?"

Quatre was about to answer when Sun arrived with their coffees.

Seeing that there was something amiss, Sun set the coffees down and turned his concerned gaze to the pair. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, thank you. He's a little concerned over a missing friend," Trowa replied, opting to dodge the issue a little. "Would you mind giving us a few moments, please?"

"Of course. I'll be in the next room if you need me," Sun replied and left.

Trowa gave a sigh of relief. At least Preventer agents knew when to question and when to leave things alone. He turned his attention back to Quatre, the blonde having calmed a little by now.

"Did you find Duo?" Trowa asked again.

"Sort of," Quatre replied and reached for his coffee. The warm liquid soothed his troubled psyche a touch and he felt ready to confront what is empathy had found.

"He's not too far away, I think our assumption to concentrate on the two states is correct."

"Right. I'll suggest that to Sun and Sky. Quatre?"

"Yes?"

"What is it you're _not_ telling me?"

Sighing softly, Quatre rubbed his hand over chest. "We need to find him fast, Trowa. I... I felt many conflicting emotions within him. Fear, pain, anger, self loathing, desperation... and..."

"And?" Trowa prompted gently when Quatre paused and stared out into space.

"Darkness, Trowa. His soul is tainted by darkness. He's not alone in his mind, Shinigami is coming through and that's not good."

Trowa remained silent as he digested Quatre's words. They all knew how Duo had used his alter ego during the war to enable him to do the things he had to do, hell, they'd all hidden behind some sort of mask; but now in peace time they had cast aside those masks. If Duo was allowing Shinigami to come through again then it could only mean one thing.

Duo was in serious trouble – trouble so bad that he needed to shut down his own mind and let that of the dark one take over; and that was not good at all.

"Trowa, we need to concentrate on tracing that call as quickly as we can. Duo is close, definitely either Nevada or California. We need to find him before his psyche completely crumbles."

"I'll go tell the other two agents to concentrate on those two states, you take a few minutes to compose yourself and then see if you can find Heero and Wufei, let them know what you felt and what we know so far about the trace."

Quatre nodded.

Taking a quick glance around and noting the other two agents were currently busy, Trowa spared a moment to kiss his husband. "I love you, Quatre."

Smiling, Quatre returned the kiss. "Love you too," he replied. "Now, you carry on and I'll go find Heero."

Trowa stepped out and informed the two agents of their hunch and immediately Sun went through to the small room and began to type into the computer, setting it to trace through the two states Trowa had suggested they try. Quatre disappeared in search of Heero.

* * *

Duo slipped silently through the shadows towards the residence of the L3 ambassador. His mind recalled the blueprints of the residence, where the study was and the master bedroom as he also concentrated on remembering exactly where the security cameras and infrared beams were located. Knowing that security was bound to have been upgraded, he knew he would need to take a little extra time and not get caught - the lives of his son and the nanny depended on him.

Finding a reasonable place to scale the wall, Duo slipped his sweater off, tied it around his waist and began his climb.

A couple of minutes later he was safely over the wall and inside the grounds. Putting the sweater back on and melting into the shrubbery, he watched carefully for the guards he knew would be patrolling. Once the guards had passed by, he continued on his quest, moving silently and swiftly across the grounds and to the residence.

Managing to avoid the cameras and infrared beams, he found himself at the side door to the place and withdrew the lock pick from his pocket. It only took a second or two for him to successfully jiggle the lock and enter the premises. Once inside, Duo strained his ears for the sound of anyone near. He knew there would be staff in the residence, but most of them would have retired to their rooms, their services being no longer needed. There would only be the butler still around and Duo had no wish to run into the servant.

Cautiously, he made his way through the utility room where he'd entered and to the kitchen door where he paused to scan the room. There was no sign of anyone around so Duo slipped inside. As quietly as he could, Duo searched the drawers and located a knife steel, taking a few moments to give the knife a sharpen. Satisfied his weapon was now as sharp as he could get it with the resources and time he had on hand and thus make the job a lot less painful for his victim, Duo moved silently through the residence in search of the ambassador.

* * *

Quatre located Heero and Wufei, the pair working their way through the databanks of Wainright's computer. As much as he disliked to interrupt them, he felt that they had a right to know what his empathy had discovered.

"You have news?" Wufei asked as he spotted the blonde coming through the doorway.

"Sort of," Quatre replied.

"Explain," Heero stated and continued to follow the tracks of Cropp through the maze of files.

Quatre was quick to brief the pair on what they knew so far of the terrorists call trace and the result from his reaching out with his empathy. Both agents agreed that the trace should be centered on the states of California and Nevada given all the evidence pointing to those areas.

Heero was understandably agitated by the emotions Quatre had felt coming from his husband and demanded further information. Unfortunately, Quatre couldn't supply anything else and he didn't want to upset Heero too much; all he could do was relay his own concerns that they find the braided one as quickly as possible.

Heero was torn in two. Part of him wanted to go to the communications section with Quatre and do whatever he could to assist in tracing that call faster, but Une had assigned him to hacking Wainright's computer. Reluctantly, Heero decided to stay where he was, but urged Quatre to do his best in finalizing the trace on that call and to let him know immediately they had anything at all.

Agreeing to keep Heero and Wufei up to date with any progress, Quatre returned to his own husband and left the other two agents to their own investigation.

Heero turned back to the databanks and continued his hacking with renewed urgency.

* * *

Slithering his way along the wall of the passage, Duo paused outside the study door and listened carefully. He'd managed to avoid the security cameras thus far, dodging those he knew about and finding a few new ones too. The sound of soft music drifted out of the study accompanied by a gentle tap, tap, tapping of keys on a computer keyboard.

Peering through the small crack between the door and the frame, Duo located the L3 ambassador. He was sitting at his large desk completely absorbed in whatever it was he was doing on the computer. His back was to the door and he was alone.

Violet eyes darkened to a deep purple as Shinigami took over completely and Duo stole into the room.

* * *

Finishing his wine, Sampson placed the empty glass on the small coffee table and turned to the two senators. "If you are ready, then I suggest we start our journey."

Wainright nodded and stood up, Richards following suit. They picked up their bags from the hallway and with Zaheer behind them, left the house and got into the small van that Sampson had driven there.

The bags were placed in the back and the four men got in. Sampson slipped the key into the ignition and started the engine, backing out of the driveway and into the dark night.

Zaheer sat up front with Sampson, Wainright and Richards in the back. Whilst Sampson drove, Zaheer navigated, using the information he'd managed to coax from the laptop belonging to the deceased man from the ESUN.

Wainright and Richards talked quietly amongst themselves and neither man noticed the other black van that joined them, following a discreet distance behind.

* * *

The ambassador never knew what hit him.

On silent feet, Duo crossed the room, knife at the ready. Reaching his target, Duo's hand shot out and applied a strong pressure to the nerve point between neck and shoulder, immediately rendering the ambassador unconscious. It was a move that Wufei had shown him during the war and never was Duo more grateful for the lesson than now. With his victim no longer on the conscious plane, Duo took a deep breath, grabbed the man's hair and pulled his head back exposing the neck.

"Please, forgive me," he whispered as the light glinted off the blade.

Seconds later the deed was done, Duo had the demanded, photographic proof and had cleaned the blade. The computer hummed quietly, Duo glanced at it, warring with his mind. He only hesitated for a moment and with a quick look around to reassure himself he was not about to be disturbed for a few seconds, he grabbed the mouse, made a couple of clicks and then let his fingers fly over the keyboard.

The sweat was running down his back, adrenaline coursing through his blood and heightening his senses as he once again became one with the shadows and left the residence. Safely reaching the outside, he waited for the patrol to pass and then stole across the grounds to the shrubbery.

The bile rose in his throat, forcing him to take a moment to empty his stomach contents into the garden bed. Feeling a little better, Duo removed the sweater again and searched for the best spot to scale the wall.

Having made it to the top and tossed the sweater over the razor wire, Duo had just about completed his careful passage over the wire when all hell broke loose.

A dog barked and snarled, guards came running and floodlights were turned on.

"Fuck!" Duo whispered to himself as he spotted a rather large Doberman headed in his direction, guards hot on the dog's heels. Scrambling, he yanked the sweater free from the wire, tearing a bit of the material in his haste. Hands and feet scrabbled for purchase on the wall, Duo desperately doing his best to climb down a bit before he let go and dropped the remaining fifteen feet to the ground.

"Stop! You, stop!" yelled a guard.

Duo paid no attention, letting go of the wall and tumbling to the ground. His landing was awkward, one leg taking the brunt of his weight and collapsing beneath him. He caught his side on a bush, feeling the skin peel away as the branches scraped against him. Hauling himself to his feet, he began to run in the direction of the car.

White hot pain lanced through his ankle and up his leg, but Duo ignored it. He also ignored the trickle of blood he could feel on the inside of his partially shredded shirt. Spotting the car ahead, Duo hoped they would have the motor running.

Duric and Murphy were scanning the street, knowing their hostage should be returning any minute when light suddenly blazed behind the wall surrounding the residence.

"Fuck! Looks like he's been sprung," Murphy commented.

"Damn useless piece of shit," Duric growled and reached for his communicator to try and contact Duo.

"Hang on," Murphy said and pointed down the street. "That's him."

"Get the motor running and let's get out of here," Duric replied as Duo approached.

Murphy started the car up and drove towards their returning assassin. Duric leaned across and opened the door to the vehicle, grabbing Duo as Duo dived inside as soon as he was level with the car. The door slammed shut and Murphy hit the gas, the car speeding off into the night.

"What happened?" Duric growled.

"Not sure," Duo replied honestly.

"You obviously did something to alert them to your presence." Duric's eyes narrowed. "If you've tipped them off…"

"I fucking well didn't do anything," Duo snapped. "I was on my way back, almost over the wall when the lights came on and a dog came out of nowhere."

"Did you complete the job?"

"Yeah. Here's your fucking pictures to prove it, bastard," Duo snarled and tossed the communicator at Duric.

Catching the small device, Duric checked and smirked to himself. "Just as well you did, you little prick, otherwise there would be three bodies for the ESUN to try and identify. Where's the knife?"

Shaking with suppressed rage, Duo handed over the knife. His mind briefly thought about gutting the man before him with it, and whilst that thought was about the only pleasant one he'd had, he knew he couldn't do it, not if he wanted to keep his son alive. No, he would need to have something better planned out before he took these idiots out.

Duric pocketed the knife and communicator, making sure to keep his gun trained on Duo. Settling back in his seat, he watched the man beside him and the passing scenery, mind wandering to what Nolen would tell the ESUN next.

With Murphy driving them back to the hideout, Duo tried to take stock of his sore and battered body. His ankle ached like a bitch – probably sprained. His rib cage stung from the scrapes he'd endured when landing partially in the bushes. The bleeding had stopped so that was a relief. Duo's mind switched to thinking about Heero and wondering if his husband had managed to discover any of the clues he'd left behind, or if his attempts at transmitting had worked.

Guess all he could hope for now was that the simple message he'd left on the ambassador's computer would be found and interpreted correctly.

* * *

The 'phone rang and Une picked it up, her attention still focused on the computer screen and information before her. "Commander Une," she barked.

Suddenly her head shot up, computer forgotten as she turned her full attention to the speaker.

"When? How? Are you certain he's dead?"

Une went silent as the voice on the other end of the line continued to speak.

"No! Don't let the police touch anything. This is a Preventer case and I'll dispatch the appropriate team. Yes, you can let the medics continue and remove the body from the car, but not until Preventer forensics has attended and recorded whatever they need from the scene."

The voice came down the line again.

"Right. Remain there, I'll have the team dispatched immediately. I'll be in touch. Une out." Une hung up the phone and gave a loud sigh. Looking at the four walls she spoke aloud. "Can this shit get any worse?"

No sooner were the words out of her mouth than the phone rang again.

"Commander Une."

"Une, it's Agent Day."

* * *

"Wufei?"

Chang looked up from where he was working on Richards' computer. "Yes?"

"I think you should take a look at this."

Chang got up from where he was seated and walked over to his fellow agent. "What is it?"

"I've tracked Cropp as far as he went and it seems the credits have been skimmed off all right." Heero typed in commands and displayed the appropriate data for Chang to peruse.

"I see. We have the proof there then that the credits were pilfered. Any idea where they were put?"

"Hai. I've traced them to a bank account on L1."

"I see."

"Chang, it gets worse."

"Ah. How bad?"

"The account has been closed, the credits have been withdrawn."

"I see. And?" Wufei knew Yuy had more to say and patiently waited.

"The account was held in the name of Barton. The credits have all gone out in the form of payments."

"Payments?" Wufei frowned.

Heero's voice lowered to a soft growl. "Payments for armaments."

"Shit!"

~ * ~

tbc...


	48. Chapter 48

**Many thanks to all who are reading and grateful thanks to those who have left a review - your feedback is very much appreciated.**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 48

"Agent Day?" Une echoed as Heero's voice came down the line.

"Hai. Wufei and I have hacked the hard drive of Wainright's computer and there are several thousand credits skimmed off from many of the donations."

"We already knew that, Yuy," Une snapped. "Do you have anything further to add?"

"We do, and it's not looking too good. I think you should come down here, commander, and see for yourself what we've found."

Une's head was starting to ache. "I'll be there shortly, Yuy. I have something else to attend to first and I'm afraid it can't wait."

"Oh? Anything we should know about?"

"Jefferies is dead."

Heero swallowed. "I see. How?"

"Car accident, or at least that's what it appears to be. Agent Star, the agent assigned as his bodyguard, has just called in with the news. I'm about to send a forensics team out there."

"Anything we can help with?" Heero couldn't help the gut feeling that Jefferies' death was no accident.

"I'll wait for forensics to report first. Once I have that information and know what's what, I'll let you know if I need you or Chang for further investigation."

"Okay."

"I'll be with you shortly. Une out."

Heero hung up the phone and relayed the information to Wufei, the Chinese agent agreeing with Heero that the senator's death seemed very fishy.

Having discussed the senator's demise, they both turned back to their respective computers and proceeded to try and dig further into what they'd found.

* * *

Une called up the forensics team and quickly briefed them, the unit scrambling and setting off for the accident scene within minutes of being summoned. With that taken care of, Une stopped for a moment to swallow a couple of headache pills and fetch a strong coffee. She had a feeling she was going to need the caffeine to get through the remaining day.

Coffee mug in hand, she informed her secretary of where she was headed, checked she had her pager on her and exited the office.

* * *

No one spoke in the car on the way back to the hideout, Murphy concentrated on driving, Duric mused about what the ESUN would do now that they had a second body to deal with. Duo was doing his best to remain calm and ignore the nausea that refused to leave him.

Duo's ankle ached like a bitch and he wondered what his chances would be of getting some form of medical supplies to treat himself with. Probably none. His mind switched back to the computer in the ambassador's office and he smiled inwardly.

He had no idea how the guards had been alerted to him; all he could assume was the butler may have discovered the body and sounded the alarm. When Duo had entered the grounds there had been no sign of any dogs, the guards possibly only using them from time to time.

Deciding it was all too much this thinking, Duo let his mind drift and dozed lightly.

* * *

The butler was ready to retire for the night, all he had left to do was check on the ambassador to see if the man required anything else before he could finish his shift. With thoughts of his bed and the mystery novel he was currently reading foremost in his mind, the butler knocked on the study door and then entered.

"Sir, is there anything..." The butler stopped dead in his tracks, words frozen in his throat as his eyes widened upon the scene before him. "Oh my God!" The words were whispered as the butler's eyes fixated on the growing, red stain that was appearing on the carpet. Reluctantly, he inched forward until he was level with the ambassador and reached a shaking hand out to touch the shoulder. The body moved and toppled forward, head landing on the desk with a loud thump. It was all the butler could do not to scream.

Spinning on his heel, the butler ran from the room and headed directly to the 'phone in the hallway. Picking up the handset, he punched in a code and waited. Within two rings the call was answered.

"Security."

"Get your ass up here now! The ambassador's been murdered," the butler yelled down the line.

"Shit! On our way. Any sign of the perpetrator?"

"No, nothing, but I don't think they can be too far off as the blood is still flowing," the butler replied as he tried to keep his dinner in his stomach, the reminder of the visual was not what he really wanted right now, it had been bad enough seeing it the first time, and reruns, even mental ones, were not welcome.

"Don't touch anything, guards should be there any second. Security out."

The butler hung up and remained staring at the 'phone. In the distance he could hear a dog barking and the sounds of men running, the floodlights suddenly lit up the estate and the butler blinked at the harshness of the light. There came an insistent knocking on the door and the butler jerked as he realized the guards were there and made haste to let them in.

* * *

Having received such a startling call, the security chief immediately dispatched guards in various directions, calling for the dog to be let loose too. With his officers running in whatever directions they were heading, he grabbed his gun, checked the clip and took off after the outside guards.

He could hear the dog barking and one of the officers yell out for someone to stop so he veered off in that direction. When he arrived at the scene it was to see four officers scouring the ground whilst the dog was barking and scrabbling madly at the wall.

"Did you get them?" he demanded.

"No, sir. As we got here the perp disappeared over the wall."

"Well, don't just stand here, get outside and check all around the wall. Take the dog with you!" the chief snapped.

"Sir! Yes, sir," the four responded and one immediately put a leash on the dog and ran after the other three for the gates to lead them outside.

"Idiots!" the chief muttered to himself before turning and making his way hastily to the residence and the rest of his team.

* * *

Une arrived at the lab, coffee mug almost empty and the headache put on hold with the pills she'd taken. Entering the section where Chang and Yuy were working, she ordered one of the techs to fetch her another coffee and made her way through to the agents.

"What have you managed to find?" she asked as the agents looked up when she entered. "I take it I'm not going to be very happy?"

"Actually, I think you will be most interested in this, commander."

Une raised an eyebrow. "Fill me in," she demanded.

Yuy shifted slightly as Wufei pulled a chair over for the commander. With Une seated, Chang standing behind and Heero in the other seat, they got down to business.

Heero patiently 'walked' the commander through the computer data, showing her exactly what they had found and how they had traced things.

"We managed to locate the missing funds, they had been deposited into a bank account on L1 in the name of Barton," Yuy informed.

"Had?" Une questioned, noting the use of past tense.

"Hai. The funds have since been withdrawn and the account closed."

"I see."

"I hacked the bank's database," Yuy confessed and took a sly peek at his commander to see if he was going to get bawled out for that. Une's face remained the same so Heero guessed he was spared the psychotic side of his boss for the moment at least.

"Have you managed to locate where the funds have gone?"

"Yes," Wufei replied, taking over the narrative. "All funds have been dispersed in the form of payments," Wufei paused for a moment as Heero brought the information up on the computer screen for Une to see. "Payments for armaments."

"Well shit!" Une's eyes widened as she read the information. When she'd finished her reading, she turned to the agents. "These armaments, they aren't your usual firepower," she stated.

"No, they're not," Heero agreed.

"That's the sort of stuff you buy when fitting out and arming mobile suits," Wufei added quietly.

* * *

The car slowed and pulled into the garage, Murphy cutting the engine once they were safely inside.

Duric poked Duo in the ribs. "Wake up," he sneered.

Duo winced as the poke landed on sore ribs, barely catching his fist as it automatically went to knock Duric's block off.

"Get out," Duric hissed and Duo complied, albeit a little stiffly.

"What's up with you?" Murphy asked as he came around to unlock the side entrance to their hideout.

"Twisted my ankle," Duo muttered as he limped through the door.

Duric handed Murphy the gun. "Take him back to the others and lock him up. I'm going to see the boss."

Murphy nodded and took the gun. "Move," he said flatly.

Duo limped through the hallway and towards the door that would take him back to the basement and his son. "I guess asking for medical supplies is out of the question," he snipped.

Murphy grunted. "I'll see what I can do," he growled. Producing a key and keeping the gun trained on Duo, Murphy unlocked the door and motioned for Duo to enter.

Wincing as he tried to take most of the weight on his good ankle, Duo made his way down the steps and into the basement, the door locking behind him.

"Duo? Is that you?" the nurse's voice came from the corner where the bed was located.

"Yeah, I'm back," Duo ground out.

The nurse appeared through the dim lighting and gasped. "Duo! You're hurt. What happened? Here, let me help you." Margaret moved across to put Duo's arm around her shoulders and take some of his weight as she assisted him across the room to the chair.

Reaching the chair, Duo sank gratefully into it. "Thanks."

"What happened?" the nurse repeated as she took in the state of the young man. His shirt was ripped, dried blood caking it in places. It was obvious too he'd done something to his ankle.

Swallowing the bile yet again, Duo replied, trying to spare the nurse the gory details. "I, I had to take out two targets," he whispered.

Margaret shook her head, sorrow clouding her face as she looked at the distressed man. "Duo, I'm so sorry."

Knowing the nurse was about to blame herself yet again for their predicament, Duo was quick to cut her off. "It's not your fault," he stated firmly.

Knowing she wouldn't be able to convince Duo otherwise, Margaret wisely changed tack. "How did you hurt yourself? And let me take a look."

"I was on my way out when the guards were alerted. I sort of fell over a wall and landed in a bush," he replied.

"Hmm," Margaret muttered as she listened and did her best to ease the shirt from Duo's torso. Duo jumped and flinched a couple of times as the fabric peeled away from where it had stuck to the wounds. Finally the shirt was off and the nurse could inspect the damage. Fortunately, it wasn't too bad, mainly superficial cuts and scrapes with some interesting bruises starting to appear.

"I should be able to clean those up a bit with water," she said and fetched the thermos. She poured some of the hot water into a mug and picked up a paper napkin. "Let me check your ankle while we wait for the water to cool a bit."

Dutifully, Duo raised his injured leg, resting it on the knee of his other leg and tried to prize the boot off. The ankle had swollen quite a bit so it was no easy feat to persuade the boot to depart. After much coaxing and teeth gritting on Duo's part, the boot was finally removed, the sock following and leaving the ankle bare to the air and inspection.

Gently running the fingers of her uninjured hand over the lower calf, ankle and tendon, Margaret's brow creased. She carefully flexed the ankle one way and then another, seeing exactly how much movement Duo had. There wasn't anything in the way of bruising, but there was a lot of swelling. With the restrictions of the boot now removed, the ankle began to swell rapidly and Duo knew he would have difficulty walking without some form of support.

Before the nurse could fully appraise the situation, the sound of a key in the lock diverted their attention and they both looked up as Murphy entered the room. He came down the steps carrying a tray, gun still held in one hand and assisting to balance the tray.

Setting the tray down on the table, Murphy looked to the pair. "Some food," he stated and then looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking again. "What's the damage?"

Nurse Brown replied in Duo's stead, her voice calm but clipped. "A severely sprained ankle, several lacerations to the chest and bruising."

"I see." Murphy reached into his pocket and brought out a couple of things, tossing them to the table. "They might help," he said and then turned on his heel and left.

Once they were alone again, both Margaret and Duo immediately checked out what Murphy had deposited for them. It was a tube of antiseptic cream, some gauze and a couple of bandages.

Duo gave a soft grin. "At least now we can bandage your wrist properly."

The nurse snorted. "My wrist is fine with what it has, these will do nicely for your ankle and ribs."

"No. You need them more than I do," Duo argued.

"Piffle," came the short reply.

Duo blinked and then snickered. "How about we have one each?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Seeing she wasn't going to win and a compromise would be the only possible outcome, Margaret agreed. "Okay."

"The gauze will be enough to cover the scratches, I'm not that bad that I need a bandage on my chest," Duo stated. "I agree that one on the ankle for support would probably be a good idea, but you also need one for that wrist of yours."

"Okay, we'll share. Now, let me clean you up."

Knowing he wasn't going to get out of this, Duo relented and sat back, letting the nurse do her worst.

* * *

Agent Star gave a relieved sigh when he spotted the Preventer forensic vehicles coming down the road. The police and ambulance were currently in attendance, the ambulance officers waited patiently by their rig; they'd already given the victim the 'once over' and knew there was nothing they could do medically for the man. He was dead and nothing short of divine intervention would be bringing him back. They were now merely a form of transport for the deceased to the Preventer morgue. The police were directing any traffic that happened along the road and shooting Agent Star nasty looks from time to time. They had not been happy campers when informed their skills would not be needed, that Preventer would be handling the case.

Not that Star took much notice of the glares, he had bigger problems to worry about, such as what his commander would say when she knew Jefferies had given him the slip and ended up dead.

The forensics team pulled up to the side and exited their vehicles. Star met the commander of the team and briefed him on what he knew before leaving the men to get on with their work. It was quite interesting to watch. Agents milled around, setting up equipment, checking the road surface, examining the wreck and also the body. Unable to leave the scene until the bulk of the examination was over with, Star resigned himself to spending several more hours there and called his wife to tell her not to expect him home for dinner. If he was lucky, he might make it for breakfast.

* * *

With his ankle firmly wrapped, and cuts seen to, Duo felt a bit more comfortable. He re-bandaged the nurse's wrist for her, frowning at the state of the skin and bones. He knew she would need corrective surgery to fix the break. With the medical side taken care of, the pair set about unpacking the tray and seeing what was for supper.

Duo changed Keitaro who had woken from his light slumber and sat the infant on his knee whilst he tried to eat something. His stomach wasn't very happy with him and his appetite had left, but he knew he had to try and eat something - if only to keep his strength up, and keep the nurse off his back. Unfortunately, nothing slipped past the nurse.

"Not hungry?" Margaret questioned.

"No, not really," Duo replied.

"How's your stomach and the nausea?"

"Nausea is still there," Duo said with a wan smile.

Collecting her thoughts, the nurse felt she needed to broach the subject that was on her mind with the long haired man and satisfy herself once and for all about Duo's condition. "Duo?"

"Yes?"

"I know you're not going to like what I'm about to talk about, but I think you need to hear this and also be honest about your thoughts and responses."

"Oh?" Duo was pretty confused.

Deciding to just go straight for the jugular, Margaret began to speak. "You remember earlier, when you were vomiting and we had our discussion about your bleeding?"

"Yes," Duo said cautiously.

"You said it had been several weeks since your last, errr... period. Correct?"

Duo was blushing bright red by this stage. "Ummm... It would be several weeks, but as you know and I said before, we still haven't worked out exactly what my cycle is."

"I'm well aware of that, but," the nurse paused, looking for the right words. "Duo, there's no easy way to say this, but the nausea you're experiencing, plus the length of time since your last bleed leads me to one conclusion."

The dots all began to join up in Duo's mind and his jaw fell open, skin paling as the picture appeared. "You think I might be pregnant again?"

Margaret nodded.

"But, I can't be!"

"Oh? You have to admit, all these symptoms seem to point to that conclusion."

Duo shook his head. "No, no way. Heero's been the uke each time, except for once."

"Duo, I hate to tell you this, but you can fall pregnant even if you're the uke only once."

"But, but we used protection. Heero used a condom so there's no way I could have conceived."

"Well, without proper equipment there's no way to tell for sure either way. If you're not, then that's good in one way, but it also means you've possibly picked up a virus and if that's the case then both myself and Keitaro are likely to catch it too. If you are..." the nurse swallowed. "Then that's a completely different kettle of fish."

"Shit."

"Duo? If you are pregnant, then we need to get out of here somehow and fast. Your body is at serious risk with another pregnancy so soon after Keitaro." Whilst she really didn't want to scare the man, Margaret felt he needed to know the ramifications of a pregnancy so soon after Keitaro. "Your body is still healing inside. A cesarean section like you had is major abdominal surgery and those scars are going to be weak for quite some time. Oh, you're fit enough for most everyday things and even a lot of what you need to do physically for your job. However, given your unusual make up, those scars could rip and tear with the pressure of another pregnancy."

The nurse's words sank into Duo's mind and he lost himself in thought for a moment. Surfacing, he noted Keitaro had fallen asleep in his arms and he carefully stood up, hobbling to the bed and lay his son down.

Nurse Brown watched him, seeming to know that words were no longer necessary, that Duo needed time to digest the information.

Having settled his son, Duo hobbled back to the table and grabbed the transistor radio on his way. He turned the unit on, looking to the nurse as he fiddled with the machine. "I need some time to think," he said quietly.

"I understand," Margaret replied and reached across to squeeze his arm. "I'm here when you want to talk, for now though, I think I'll go to bed too."

With the nurse lying next to Keitaro and drifting off, Duo allowed his mind to roam freely over the information whilst his fingers began to tap out the code once more on the small radio.

* * *

In the communications room, Trowa and Quatre were steadily sorting through the loops and twists of the terrorists' call. They were getting very close now. In the other room Agent Sky continued to monitor the communications going on through the Preventer network.

A soft, almost inaudible tapping sound came down the sound waves and Sky's brow furrowed. He twiddled the dials on the scanner, trying to get a clearer sound. He didn't recognize the sound at first, then, after a few times it began to register that it must be a code of some sort as it followed a loop.

"Sun?"

"Yeah?" the agent looked up from where he was working with Trowa and Quatre.

"I'm getting some sort of code or message coming through. I've never heard anything like it before though."

With a grunt Sun pushed his chair back and went to get up. Trowa and Quatre couldn't help overhearing the conversation and both men stood too, following Sun through to the main room.

"Here, listen," Sky said and removed his earphones, switching the machine to speaker mode.

A tapping sound came over the airwaves, a seemingly random jumble of clicks that after a moment or two of listening to actually began to form some sort of pattern.

Trowa listened carefully, then his face changed, his eyes widened and his mouth curled into a grin.

"That's a code Yuy and Maxwell used sometimes during the war."

~ * ~

tbc...


	49. Chapter 49

**Thanks for the kind reviews!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 49

"Can you get a trace and recording on that?" Quatre asked excitedly.

"Ah, sure. Hang on a sec," Agent Sky replied and shifted, pushing a few buttons. "It's recording now and the trace is set too. Trace could take a while though." Sky paused and fiddled with the dial a little, typed some commands into the computer and then checked the computer readouts. "The message is coming through over the airwaves from an unidentified source, not a communications device that the computer is familiar with, that's why it will take a while to get a complete lock and trace on it."

"I see. Just do your best please," Quatre stated and then turned to Trowa. Aqua eyes sparkled. "We need Heero down here now to decode that message. I know you could do it, Trowa, but Heero knows the code, we don't and it would take longer to figure it out than it would to fetch Heero."

Nodding, Trowa turned and spoke over his shoulder as he headed for the internal phone system. "I'll call him."

* * *

"Take a left here," Zaheer said to Sampson who promptly followed the order. "Third right."

Richards ran a hand across his face, feeling the stubble on his chin. Where exactly they were headed, he wasn't sure, but he did know he needed a shower, shave and some sleep. Silently he prayed they would reach their destination soon so he could achieve all three.

Wainright was staring out the window, not that there was much to see as the sun had set and it was quite dark despite the occasional street light. He wasn't worried, just anxious. The sooner he could put some distance between himself and the ESUN, the better. He leaned his head against the glass window and allowed himself to doze.

* * *

Duo continued to tap idly at the speaker, he really didn't hold much hope of the signal being picked up, but he had to do something with his hands; his mind however, was quite happily racing around and didn't show any signs of slowing down at any time in the foreseeable future.

Nurse Brown's words played constantly in his head, like a broken record. He tried to recall exactly when he'd last bled but couldn't pin it down to an actual date. He was keeping a record, but that was all noted down in his diary, and that diary was back home.

Home.

Duo began to wonder if he would ever see his home again.

If it had only been himself abducted, Duo knew he would have been out of here long ago. He could have easily picked the lock and disabled the terrorists, but with Keitaro and Nurse Brown there, he couldn't risk anything happening to them. No, he had to find a better way to get them all out.

Duo frowned. With the suggestion from Nurse Brown that he might be pregnant again, it was even more imperative that he find a way out for them all. That brought his mind back to the beginning of the circle again; could he be pregnant? When was the last time he bled?

As he thought more and more on the possibility of being with child once again, his concerns were deepened further. He knew what Sally had said about falling pregnant again so soon after having Keitaro and that posed a whole new set of problems.

As Nurse Brown had reiterated earlier, his body was unlikely to be able to cope with the pregnancy. Many risks were involved, and in his case, doubly so. It was bad enough for a woman to get pregnant within months of having had a C section, let alone a man!

And if he were pregnant again, would he have to suffer through the morning sickness, the cravings and many other side effects he'd suffered through before when carrying Keitaro?

All this thinking was getting him nowhere, other than to give him a headache. Noting the lateness of the hour, Duo packed up the radio and hobbled to the bed to check on his son. Both the nurse and Keitaro were sleeping peacefully. Smiling, Duo pressed a kiss to Keitaro's forehead, hobbled back to the chair and tried to get some sleep himself.

His mind did draw one conclusion though. If he made it out alive and was indeed pregnant again, a baby brother or sister would be nice for Keitaro.

Providing his body could survive the experience that was.

* * *

"Mobile suit parts," Une muttered.

"Mobile suits have been outlawed since the end of the war," Heero stated.

"This isn't looking good," Wufei announced.

"You don't have to tell me that!" Une snapped. "What we do need to find out is who this Barton person is that had the account, where these parts are, where this Barton person is and what the intent would be with those parts."

Heero thought the intent bit was pretty obvious, but held his tongue.

"Yuy, use any and all Preventer resources that you need to find out the answers to those questions. Chang, you assist Yuy in any way possible..." Une was about to say more but her pager went off. Reaching for it, she checked the number. "Shit! I have to call my secretary, it's urgent."

Chang raised an eyebrow at the expletive but didn't comment. Une made a beeline for the phone and dialed the extension to her office. The other phone in the corner of the lab rang and Heero got up to answer it.

"Yuy here."

"Heero, it's Trowa."

"You have news?" Heero knew from the tone of Trowa's voice that there was something up.

"Yes. We've just picked up on a strange transmission. It's a code of some sort, faint but audible."

"Transmission? A code?" Heero said, clearly puzzled.

"Heero, I'm damn sure it's a code you and Maxwell used during the war. I need you to come to communications and decode it, now."

Heero felt his heart skip a beat. A message from Duo? "I'm on my way." Without waiting for Trowa to reply, Heero cut the call and spun on his heel, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw the look on Une's face.

Une dialed her office extension and waited for the secretary to pick up. "Une here, you paged me?" she snapped.

The secretary spoke, Une's brow furrowed. "I see. Put me through straight away."

Une tapped on the bench top for a moment, then stopped as the call was redirected. "Commander Une here." As the male voice came down the line, Une felt her blood run cold. Her eyes closed momentarily as she took a shuddering breath. "Oh, god no." She blinked hastily and took another deep breath as the person on the other end of the line continued to speak.

"Yes, I understand. Thank you for that and I'll have my agents dispatched immediately." Slowly, Une hung up the phone and paused as if gathering her thoughts before turning to the two men in the room.

"The L3 ambassador has been assassinated," she stated quietly.

Heero felt the blood run to his feet. Wufei paled and his eyes widened.

"Are you sure?" Wufei ventured, his voice a little strained.

"Of course I'm bloody sure!" Une barked.

Wufei winced.

Closing her eyes, Une took a deep breath. "That was the chief of security at the estate where the L3 ambassador was staying. The butler found the body about a couple of hours or so ago."

"Why the hell didn't they call us sooner then?" Chang muttered angrily.

"It seems that the butler found the body when going to check if the ambassador wanted anything else before retiring for the evening. The assassination had not long happened as the... the blood was still flowing." Une paused to regain her composure. "The security staff spotted the assassin scrambling over the wall and they have been searching the grounds and surrounding area for that person."

"I take it they didn't find them?" Heero quirked an eyebrow. If it were Duo that had committed the assassination then he knew it would be difficult for anyone to track him.

"No. They got away. The local police were called and did a preliminary of the scene. Given the similarities between the L1 ambassador's assassination and this one, they believe it was the same person and knowing Preventer is on the case, they asked the security chief to call us so we can take over the investigation if it should prove to be the same perpetrator."

Heero noted that Une didn't say 'Duo'.

"Yuy, Chang, I need you both on this."

"But, Commander, I've just had a call from Trowa stating they have a message come in to the computer room that they believe is from Duo."

"They have? How do they know it's from Agent Night?"

"It's come through in code, a code Duo and I used sometimes during the war. I need to go there and decode it." Heero wasn't asking for permission, he was stating a fact. He fully intended to go and decode that message, all other things could wait.

Une wasn't silly, she could see the glint in Heero's eye and knew the man wouldn't be available for anything else until he'd decoded the damn message. "Okay, fine. Yuy, you go and decode the message, with any luck it may lead us to Agent Night and hopefully these kidnappers. As we strongly suspect that Agent Night is the perpetrator of these crimes, it would help our case tremendously if we can get some sort of fix on their location."

Heero's shoulders visibly relaxed. "Thank you," he murmured.

Turning to Chang, Une spoke again. "Agent Fire, I expect you to get together the same team you had before when investigating the L1 ambassador's murder. Yuy will join you as soon as he's decoded this message. Contact me when you're ready to depart, I'll be in the communications lab with Yuy."

"Yes, Commander." Wufei left the room.

"Come on, Agent Day, we need to decode this message and quickly."

Heero blinked and then quickly followed his commander from the room.

* * *

"You sure this is it?" Sampson asked as he pulled the van over to the side of the road and cruised slowly past the seemingly deserted farmhouse.

"Yes," Zaheer replied and checked the laptop once more.

Sampson drove a little further down the road and then pulled over.

"Where are we?" Richards asked, this place didn't look like much to him.

"Just a small stop on the way," Sampson replied as he got out of the van. "You two wait here. Zaheer, come with me."

Richards looked at Wainright who shrugged.

"I thought we were being taken to a safe place before departing?" Richards questioned.

"We are," Wainright replied. "There's also a little matter of some parasites to be taken care of. You recall our conversation a while ago?"

Richards scanned his memory and the conversation came back to him. Something about tracing the group that hacker had been working for. "Ah."

"Shouldn't be long, just a couple of loose ends to tie up," Wainright muttered.

With a sigh, Richards sat back in his seat to wait.

* * *

The black van slowed and pulled over just behind the first van, the driver cutting the engine and winding down his window. "This the place?"

Sampson and Zaheer stopped before the driver's window. "Yes. According to the information that was hacked from the laptop Zaheer obtained that belonged to the infiltrator, these are the coordinates."

"Any idea of how many?"

"Not completely sure. Best guess is four or five," Sampson replied.

"No problem."

"I'll leave you to it then. Rendezvous as arranged at twenty-three hundred?"

"You got it."

"I'll catch you later then. Remember, the boss wants them alive. Good luck and happy hunting."

A snort was all Sampson got in reply.

Zaheer and Sampson walked back to their van and got in. Starting the vehicle up, Sampson threw it into gear and drove off.

Four burly men stepped out of the black van once the other had driven off. A quick check of the area showed no other places of residence anywhere in the immediate vicinity.

"All ready?" the driver said.

"All set," came three replies.

"Peterson, you and Tewson take the back. Young, you're with me, we're going in through the front."

The three men nodded.

"Right. Lock and load, gentlemen, and move out."

* * *

Duo was woken from his light slumber by the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. Something was not right. Keeping his eyes closed for the moment, he reached out with his hearing, listening carefully for any clue as to what could have woken him.

It was deathly quiet in the basement, but then...

Duo's eyes opened and he scanned around. Nothing was out of place that he could tell, the door was still locked, Keitaro and Nurse Brown slumbering on the bed.

Then, what?

There. He heard it again. A very faint sound, just enough noise to tell him it sounded like someone creeping around outside. Duo turned his eyes to the small window and their pathetic attempts to try and remove the crumbling mortar.

He really couldn't make out much at all as it was dark and the moonlight sporadic as there was a bit of cloud cover overhead. His instincts kicked in, soldier training took over and he quietly lifted himself from the chair. His body was stiff and sore from the 'beating' it had taken earlier in the evening but he ignored the pain and shuffled as quietly as he could across the room to where Nurse Brown and Keitaro lay slumbering on the bed.

He softly shook the woman's shoulder and put his finger over her lips as she woke and went to speak.

"Shhh," he whispered.

Immediately, Margaret was on the alert. "What is it?"

"Not sure," Duo replied honestly as he strained his ears again. "I thought I heard something outside."

"It could have been an animal," Margaret offered whilst trying to keep her heart from racing.

"I don't think so. My instincts are telling me we need to be alert, that something is gonna happen; and I trust my instincts."

Margaret nodded. She wasn't about to doubt the man. Knowing what she did about Duo and his past, his instincts had kept him alive and she wasn't about to question them. If he said there was something wrong then she believed him. "What shall we do?"

Good question.

Duo thought for a moment, then spoke. "I think it would be best if you and Keitaro hide." He looked around their cramped space and raised an eyebrow. There wasn't much available to hide them in, but he hadn't survived being a street rat on L2 for no reason. "Over there," he said and pointed to the empty drums and paint tins in the corner.

"How?"

"Get into the corner and stay low. I'll arrange the drums and cans around you, then I'll toss some of the rags, blanket and such over the top. That should conceal you well enough."

"What about you?" Margaret asked as she began to move.

"There isn't enough space for the three of us to fit without it looking suspicious. I'll be just fine out here," he said with more conviction than he felt.

Margaret had to accept that, there was no point in trying to argue, there wasn't enough time. She picked Keitaro up, the babe remaining asleep despite the movement and soft talking around him and Margaret was thankful for that.

The pair crouched as far into the corner as possible and Duo moved the drums and tins around to conceal them as best he could. Draping the blanket over the top, he checked that they had enough air circulation – he didn't need them asphyxiating whilst hiding, it would defeat the purpose. Satisfied that they would both be okay, Duo tossed several rags around and over the pair, drums and cans and by the time he'd finished it looked like a pile of rubbish in the corner.

Pleased with the result, Duo looked around to see how best he could conceal himself. There weren't any real options. Guess it looked like he would have to try and hide in another corner. Looking for something he could use to protect himself, the only item he could find was the steel thermos that their hot water came in. Better than nothing, he thought to himself and grabbing it, he slid himself into a corner to wait.

No sooner had he crouched low than the sounds of gunfire exploded overhead and the night was torn apart with the sounds of fighting.

* * *

It didn't take long for Une and Heero to traverse the corridors and floors of the Preventer building and five minutes later they were approaching the communications section. The doors whooshed open and Heero stepped into a large area behind his commander.

Trowa looked up as the doors opened, Quatre following his eyes and letting a relieved sigh escape.

"Commander," Both Sky and Sun said as they spotted their commander.

"Agents," Une replied. "What's this about a message?"

Sky proceeded to fill the commander in on the coded message they had been receiving, Barton stepped beside Heero and did his best to explain to the Japanese man what they had found.

As Sky finished with his explanation he found an impatient Heero standing right in his personal space.

"Where is the code?" Heero demanded.

"Ah, we're recording it." Sky shifted slightly and typed a few commands into the computer. "If you go to that terminal... Shit!"

"What?" five voices all questioned at once.

"The code, it's stopped transmission." Sky tapped his earpiece and then reached for a couple of dials on the sophisticated equipment in front of him. "I'm not getting it any longer," he stated.

"Damn," Agent Sun sighed. "I'd just managed to get a lock on it too."

"Did you have any luck with the trace?" Quatre asked.

Sun shook his head. "Not really. Not enough to make a positive fix on the location."

"How much did you get?" Trowa questioned.

"Only enough to narrow it down to about a five hundred square kilometer radius."

"I see. Better than nothing I suppose," Quatre mumbled.

"The message?" Heero asked a little impatiently.

"Oh, right. As I was saying, if you take a seat at the terminal over there I'll send the information through to it."

"Thank you." Heero hurried over to the console and slipped the earpiece in. He typed a few commands into the computer and waited.

"Should be there now," Sky stated.

Heero tapped a few more commands and the message began to relay through the computer to his earpiece. He listened intently to the steady tapping noise, eyes half closed in concentration. Once the code had passed through his ears a few times, he'd picked up on the cycle. He recognized the code all right, but he was a little rusty in remembering the translations for the many letters. He looked around for a pen and paper.

"Heero?" Trowa queried.

"I need a pen and paper, something to write this down so I can figure it out," he replied.

Quatre was immediately there with the requested items. "You recognize the code?"

"Hai. It is one Duo and I used during the war on occasion. It's been a while but I think I can remember enough of it to translate." Heero knew he would force his brain to cooperate if necessary and dig up the forgotten code from wherever it was hiding in his memory.

He replayed the code, jotting down the sounds as they came to him. It was something similar to the Morse code of old, only they had modified it a bit to suit their own purposes as well as throw anyone off the track should they have stumbled across it.

With the message now noted down, Heero set about decoding it as best he could.

Ten minutes later he had the message written out in front of him, having filled in a couple of the blanks with obvious letters. He frowned as he read the message.

"What does it say?" Une asked as she approached the agent. Trowa and Quatre also gathered around, looking over Heero's shoulder.

"It translates out to: 'God and angels compromised. Need help to play four one armed bandits. Could be a mirage.' At least that's what I make it out to be," Heero finished and studied the words.

"Doesn't make a whole lot of sense," Trowa said. "Are you sure you have it right?"

"Yes," Heero replied wearily.

Quatre had remained silent for a while as he studied the words; being a tactician and having decoded many messages himself during the war, he had a natural aptitude for these sorts of things. Slowly, things began to clear in his head.

"God and angels compromised," Heero muttered. "I'm assuming that would be Duo, Keitaro and Nurse Brown."

"Well, Duo did call himself the God of Death – put the initials by themselves and you have G.O.D. or God for short. It would make sense to call the other two angels," Quatre stated.

"Compromised?" Trowa thought aloud.

"I'd translate that to either they're being held where there's no possible way for them to escape, or..." Quatre wasn't sure if he wanted to voice his next thought, but went ahead anyway, whispering. "Or someone, probably Duo is hurt."

Heero's blood ran cold.

"Need help to play four one armed bandits..." Trowa mused.

"Aren't they slot machines?" Une asked.

"I think so."

"He's telling us they need help to overcome their kidnappers and that there's four of them?" Quatre offered.

"But what about the slot machines?"

"Could be a mirage... Hmmm." Heero lost himself in thought.

"Mirage... Don't you usually get those in the desert, Quatre?" Trowa asked.

"Yes."

"I'd still like to know where the one armed bandits come into it," Une muttered. "Aside from saying these guys are armed, it doesn't make sense."

"Yes it does!" Quatre squealed excitedly.

All eyes turned to the blonde.

"Mirage, that's in a desert. One armed bandits are slot machines, they're usually found in gambling halls."

"And?" Heero was beginning to get impatient.

"Where do you know of that there's gambling in a desert?" Quatre questioned.

"And even has a hotel called the Mirage?" Trowa added as he began to twig, although he didn't think for one minute that Duo and the others were being held in a five star hotel.

"Las Vegas, Nevada," Heero whispered.

~ * ~

tbc...


	50. Chapter 50

**Thank you to all who are reading and hugs for the kind reviews! On a side note, this fic is only about half way through, there's a few more twists and turns yet to come - starting with this chapter. I hope you all continue to read and enjoy, and please, let me know what you think!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 50

Peterson and Tewson blended into the shadows as they made their way around the building towards the rear. There was a fair amount of shrubbery around and that aided their approach. Ducking low as they passed beneath a lit window, the pair paused and communicated through hand signals.

Peterson waited and tried to listen in whilst Tewson snuck silently closer and did his best to get a look inside. Not much could be made out at all, the building muffled the voices to a low drone. Tewson had a little more luck. Returning to his partner, he indicated that there were two people in the room. Peterson nodded and the pair continued their way around to the back door.

Out front, Young and Matthews were having similar luck. They'd passed under another lighted window and made out two people, one sitting in a chair watching television whilst the other appeared to be talking and then left the room.

Moving on silent feet, they made it to the front door where Matthews reached for the handle and turned it.

Locked.

Stepping aside, Young came forward and slipped a lock pick from his pocket, dealing swiftly with the lock and having it disabled within seconds. Matthews nodded once, then grasping the handle again, he mouthed 'one... two... three...' and thrust the door open, gun drawn.

Tewson hadn't had a problem with the back door, it had been conveniently left unlocked and he grinned to Peterson when the handle turned easily. Both men drew their guns and burst into the farmhouse.

All hell broke loose.

Young aimed for the lounge room where they'd seen the one person watching television. As he entered, the person was half way out of their seat, pulling their gun at the same time. "Drop it," Young demanded.

Seeing the muzzle of the gun trained directly on him, Duric had no choice but to comply, it was either that or die, and Duric was rather fond of living right now. Raising his empty hand up, he crouched and tossed the gun to the floor before standing up fully and surrendering.

"Smart move," Young said and picked up the gun, keeping his own trained on Duric all the time.

*

With Young having split off into the lounge room, Matthews headed for the light he could see spilling from another room, which turned out to be the kitchen. He paused at the doorway, hearing the sounds of Young in the lounge and the other two further inside the house. Taking a quick look around the door jamb, he recoiled quickly as a bullet whizzed past his nose and embedded itself in the wall opposite.

Pulling his own gun ready, Matthews did his best to gauge where the person was. He dropped lower and inched forward, managing to get a quick look around the jamb before another bullet came at him and lodged in the wood frame of the door. Matthews began to sweat; that was a little too close!

It had paid off though. He now knew the person was just across to the left in the room and to get a clear shot, he would need to be on the opposite side of the door jamb. Mind made up, he shoved his gun around the jamb and fired off several shots as he threw himself across the doorway to the other side.

Checking the clip, he peered around the jamb from the other side and spotted his quarry hiding behind the kitchen table. With a feral grin, Matthews opened fire.

Murphy recoiled in shock as a bullet grazed his left hand and another found his lower leg. He cried out in pain and fell into a heap, clutching his bleeding calf and trying to remain conscious with the pain.

"Toss your gun out," Matthews called.

Murphy kicked the gun out from where he'd dropped it when he'd been shot and whimpered with the movement.

Cautiously, Matthews entered, keeping his gun trained firmly on Murphy.

*

The crashing open of the door saw Nolen and Farrow jump, Farrow remaining frozen at the desk with the laptop whilst Nolen scrambled from his seat, reaching for his gun at the same time.

"Drop it!" yelled a voice from the doorway.

"No fucking _way_!" Nolen snarled and pulled the trigger sending several bullets winging towards the doorway.

Farrow almost wet himself and slid from his seat to hide behind the desk.

Peterson waited patiently for the man to stop shooting, pulling back a little from the door so as not to get hit himself. Tewson watched from his side of the door, crouched low, gun ready.

When Nolen paused for a second, Peterson aimed around the jamb and let fly with a volley of shots.

Nolen had managed to duck behind the desk, but not before a bulled nicked his thigh. "Fuck!" he cursed as the sting made itself known.

"Who _are_ these people?" Farrow asked from where he was cowering.

"No fucking idea!" snapped Nolen as he loaded another clip into the gun. "But you can bet I'm gonna find out," he added as he launched himself upwards and started shooting again.

Tewson also chose that moment to start shooting, bullets leaving the gun at a steady rate.

Having loaded another clip into his own gun, Peterson took aim and fired.

Nolen didn't register as the bullet pierced his shoulder, a second tore through his neck, severing the carotid artery and a second later a third entered his skull just below the eye socket and exited a little messily from behind his right ear. He was dead before he even hit the ground.

Farrow screamed as the bloody and gory body landed across him and he hastily scrambled backwards, pushing the corpse of his boss from his legs. "I surrender!" he yelled.

"Toss out your gun," came the request.

"I haven't got one," Farrow whimpered and tried to divert his eyes from the body oozing blood and other bits Farrow didn't even want to try and name onto the floor.

"Stand up and put your hands on your head."

Only too happy to do so, Farrow got to his feet and did as requested.

Peterson kept his gun trained on Farrow whilst Tewson stepped cautiously into the room and checked Nolen.

"He's dead." Tewson picked up Nolen's gun and turned to face Peterson who was patting down Farrow.

"Damn. Sampson said he wanted them alive."

"Shit happens," came the cocky reply.

Peterson grunted and dipped into his pocket to pull out a roll of duct tape, which he proceeded to wrap firmly around Farrow's wrists and secure a portion over the man's mouth. "Better check on the other two and then search this place," he said as he finished his task.

* * *

"Las Vegas, Nevada," Heero repeated as his mind worked overtime.

"Didn't you say you had a trace on the call from the terrorists and you'd narrowed it down to Nevada and California?" Quatre asked Sky.

"Yeah, we did."

"Skip tracing to California and reprogram to trace to Nevada," Quatre suggested and then turned to Une. "If what I'm thinking is correct, the trace on the coded message has been locked in to a five hundred kilometer area. I'm betting if the computer can continue on the trace of the terrorist call then we will be able to narrow down that area. If what Heero has decoded and we've interpreted is correct, the terrorists and Duo have to be somewhere close to Las Vegas."

Une turned to look at Sun and Sky.

"Already on it," Sky said hastily as he saw his commander's mouth about to open.

Seeing the agents had everything under control, Une turned back to the other three. "Yuy, get yourself to supplies and get kitted out ready. As soon as we have a lock on this trace, you're going in."

"Hai."

"Commander Une?" Trowa began only to be cut off.

"Barton, Winner. As temporary agents I'll ask you to accompany Yuy to the supplies section and also get kitted out. I'd send Chang, but he's already on another investigation."

"Thank you," Quatre said. He'd known exactly what Trowa was going to say as he was thinking the same thing. No way were they going to let Heero go alone on this, and with Chang already occupied with something else, that only left himself and Trowa who were capable of watching Yuy's back and assisting in such a dangerous mission.

"Where is Chang?" Trowa asked.

Heero looked to Une who motioned for the three to follow her out of the room. Once they were in the adjoining room and unlikely to be heard by Sky or Sun, Une filled the other two in.

"The L3 ambassador is dead?" Quatre questioned, clearly not believing Une.

"Yes. I spoke with the chief of security out at the residence and I've sent Chang and a team to compile a preliminary investigation. Once we know if it's along the same lines as the L1 ambassador's assassination, then Preventer will take over the investigation completely."

"Oh, Allah," Quatre murmured and lowered his head.

"We can worry about that later, right now we need to go get kitted out and bring my son and husband home," Heero stated as he looked from one to the other, his mouth set in a determined line.

"Of course. Lead on, Heero."

Heero left, taking Trowa and Quatre with him, Une returned to the communications room to see what progress the agents had made regarding a lock on the trace.

* * *

"Agent Fire from Preventer," Chang said and showed his badge to the security guard at the gate. He couldn't help but think that with all the security in place now, the checking and double checking was a bit of a moot point considering the man it was supposed to protect was already dead.

"Drive through, Agent Fire. Chief Willoughby is waiting for you at the front entrance."

"Thank you." Chang slipped the car back into gear, noting the other Preventer vehicle behind him was following, their IDs having also been checked. He pulled to a stop out front and exited the car, the remainder of the team following suit. An official looking man stepped out of the front door and walked towards him.

"Agent Fire?"

"Yes?"

"I'm Willoughby, security chief," the man stated as he shook Wufei's hand.

"Nice to meet you, Willoughby. Can you please show me and my team to the crime scene?"

"Certainly, sir. Please, follow me."

Wufei and his team walked through the residence, eyes scanning around and missing nothing.

Willoughby stopped at the entrance to the study. "The body is in here," he said quietly.

"Thank you. I take it nothing has been touched?"

"As far as I know everything is as the butler found it. My men haven't touched anything other than to check the ambassador for a pulse – which they obviously didn't find."

"Where is the butler now?" Wufei asked as he signaled for his team to enter the study and begin their investigation.

"He's in the kitchen with a couple of my guards. He's pretty shook up."

"I can imagine. Okay, we'll take it from here, Willoughby. If you could keep the butler and all your staff that were on duty here, I'd appreciate it. I'll send one of my team to the kitchen shortly to take statements."

"No problem. If you need anything at all, please let me know. I'll be in the kitchen with the rest of the staff."

"Thank you, Willoughby," Wufei replied and then turned to enter the study and supervise his team.

*

"Agent Fire?"

Wufei looked up from where he was examining the window frame for any sign of forced entry. "Yes?"

"I think you should take a look at this."

Chang left the window and walked to the desk where Agent Cloud had been examining the desk and its contents. "What is it?"

"Well, I was checking for anything that may have been a motive for the murder."

"Agent, we already know that the terrorists were assassinating an ambassador to get their message across."

"I know that, sir. But, I'm checking all possibilities in case this wasn't a strike by those terrorists. As yet we've not had any conformation from them accepting responsibility for the murder."

"True." Wufei had to give the agent his due, he was certainly on the ball in looking for anything at all that might provide a clue and seeing as they had yet to have the terrorist claim responsibility, then anything and everything was vital. He made a note of the agent's name – he would be commending the man's intelligence to Une and suggesting a possible promotion.

"I was checking the computer to see what the ambassador was working on when I found this." Agent Cloud toggled the mouse and brought up the computer screen for Wufei to see.

"Well, shit!"

* * *

Agent Star yawned and rubbed his eyes. He'd been at the scene for a couple of hours now and he was tired. He'd been questioned by the Preventer investigation team and felt like he'd been well and truly grilled. He'd answered all their questions as honestly as he could, despite knowing he would be getting a reprimand for letting Jefferies get away from him.

The team were still investigating, being very thorough in all they were doing, even having had portable lights set up to illuminate the area. It looked like it was broad daylight, the lights were so powerful. The road had been scrutinized completely and sharp eyes had picked up on the spot where the tire had burst. Closer examination had shown minute traces of explosive around what had seemed to be an innocent looking pot hole. That had sent all the team into a flurry of activity.

Photographs had been taken of the car, body, road surface and surrounding area. Measurements were currently being taken and calculations made as to the speed of the vehicle at the time of the tire burst. Samples were taken from the pot hole and bagged ready to be analyzed back at the labs for explosive type, detonation and such.

Whilst most of the team were engaged in the scientific side of things, two agents were scouring the surrounding area for any clues. So far they'd turned up nothing of any use. Currently they were searching around the remains of the vehicle and moving forward to comb around the bridge itself.

The medical team had moved in once Preventer had finished with their cataloging of evidence surrounding the vehicle and victim and had removed Jefferies' body - albeit with some difficulty. The body was now in the ambulance where it would be transported to the Preventer morgue for a full autopsy.

"I'll take the bridge, you go underneath and down the sides," Agent Sleet said.

"Thanks. You just don't want to get your uniform dirty," replied Agent Sand as he turned his flashlight on.

"Too right," came the chuckle.

Muttering under his breath, Sand began to work his way down the side of the bridge, carefully checking all around for any clue at all. His eyes caught something and he frowned as he moved for a closer look. A few twigs on a couple of bushes had been snapped, and they were reasonably fresh breaks. Feeling his pulse quicken a touch, Sand began to scour the dirt as he walked and was rewarded with a faint shoe impression in the earth. It was also fresh and he dropped a marker to the spot so he wouldn't lose it. Noting the direction of the print, he continued forward in the hope of discovering more clues.

On the top side of the bridge, Sleet wasn't having any luck at all. There was absolutely nothing in the way of clues to be found. A call from the other agent had him hanging over the side of the bridge.

As he proceeded further under the bridge, Sand scanned around, pausing every couple of steps to thoroughly check the immediate area with his flashlight as best he could. He'd gotten about a third of the way under when something caught his eye and he stopped. Looking up, he could see something attached to one of the bridge supports, something that shouldn't be there. He called out for Sleet.

"Find something?" Sleet asked from where he hung over the bridge side.

"I think so," came the reply. "It's a bit hard to tell. I need you down here but be careful as I've left a couple of markers in the undergrowth for clues I've discovered."

"Okay." Sleet was quick to make his way to his partner's side. "What is it?"

"Up there," Sand pointed.

"Ah." Sleet shone his flashlight in the same direction as Sand's. "Hang on a sec and I'll see if I can climb up the support to see what it is."

"I thought you didn't want to get your uniform dirty," Sand said in a sarcastic tone.

Deciding to ignore the comment, Sleet clipped his flashlight to his belt and proceeded to climb up the support. Reaching the target, he shone the powerful beam and stopped dead in his tracks, swallowing hard. "_Fuck_."

* * *

Matthews gave a cursory look over the three men they'd overpowered. Duric was glowering, Murphy wincing as Tewson finished applying first aid to his injuries and Farrow looked completely lost and scared. He grunted to himself and turned to face Peterson. "Take Young with you and check the rest of the house."

Peterson nodded and motioning for Young to join him, they began their search. They didn't worry about looking in the rooms they'd found the four men in, those rooms had already been given the once over. They checked the bathroom and then moved to the bedrooms. They found nothing other than the personal possessions of the men they'd just captured.

Young took a quick look around the laundry and was about to pronounce it clear too when he paused and looked again. In the shadows on the far wall he could make out a door. Walking over to it, Young turned the handle only to find it locked.

"You found something?" Peterson asked as he moved into the room.

"Just a locked door that leads to the basement," Young replied.

"There's probably nothing down there but junk," Peterson stated. "Leave it."

"But Matthews said to check every room," Young protested as he reached for his lock pick.

Sighing, Peterson rolled his eyes. "Fine, but when you come up against a whole heap of cobwebs and spiders, don't come screaming to me like a girl to save you."

"I'll just stay at the top of the stairs and shine the flashlight around," Young replied, giving a shudder at the thought of spiders.

"Just hurry it up, we need to get out of here," Peterson said as he glanced at his watch.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't get your knickers in a twist. Ah, got you." Young slipped the lock pick back into his pocket and turned the handle. This time the door opened.

*

Duo crouched in his corner and listened to the sounds of gunfire overhead. He had no idea what was going on, but he could hope that it was Heero and Preventer coming to rescue them from this nightmare.

The gunfire ceased and all was quiet overhead for a short while. Duo was beginning to wonder if he should leave his hiding place and make some sort of noise. Then again, if it was Heero and Preventer he knew they would find him, they were always very thorough in their searches.

The sound of someone testing the door handle caused Duo to freeze and press further back into the wall. His heart was hammering in his chest as he forced his eyes to focus in the dark.

When the door didn't open, Duo trained his hearing and picked up on the sound of something jiggling the lock. The click as the lock gave was like a thunderclap in the silent basement.

The door opened and a flashlight was shone around, Duo breathed as shallowly as he could. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing up again. This wasn't Heero, nor was it Preventer; if it had been, they would have spoken by now, called out for anyone there to come out.

The silence was oppressive, then it was shattered as a foreign voice spoke.

"See anything?"

"Nah, just some junk, cans, old furniture..."

"See, I told you there wouldn't be anything."

"Hang on a sec." Young brought the beam back across the room and shone it on the small table.

Duo groaned inwardly. There was the tray and the dishes still there from their supper.

"What is it?"

"It looks like someone is living down here; or being held," Young mused, recalling the locked door. He ventured a couple of steps into the basement and began a more thorough perusal of the room.

Duo did his best to become one with the wall.

"There's nothing down there, Young."

Young cleared his throat and shone the flashlight directly at Duo.

"I beg to differ."

~ * ~

tbc...


	51. Chapter 51

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 51

"Commander?"

"Yes, Sky?"

"I think we have a lock on that call."

Une walked over to the console that Sky was working at and looked over the man's shoulder. "Fill me in."

"We did as suggested and transferred all programs to tracing the call to Nevada. We've managed to narrow the area of origin to a fifty kilometer radius."

Une frowned. "That's still a large area to cover," she stated.

"There's more," Sky replied.

Agent Sun took over the conversation. "I also set the program tracing the terrorists' calls to search specifically Nevada and narrowed that down too. When we combine the possible areas together we can reduce it to a twenty kilometer radius."

"That's better," Une said. Whilst it still wasn't good, Une having preferred it if the agents could have gotten a radius of about one kilometer, it was much better than the original five hundred, or fifty for that matter!

"I think that can be further reduced," Sky put in.

"How?"

"Satellite maps," a voice stated from the doorway.

Une and the two agents spun around to see Heero entering the room, he'd obviously picked up on the latter part of the conversation. Trowa and Quatre were right behind him.

"What are the coordinates for the search?" Heero asked as he approached Sky.

The agent quickly gave Heero the coordinates and Heero noted them down. "I'll go pull up some satellite maps covering these coordinates," he stated and left the communications lab.

"Good work," Une commented and then left to follow Yuy and the other two.

"All part of the service," muttered Sun as he watched them leave and then turned to his partner. "When Oak and Forest come back on shift to relieve us, I'm heading for the pub for a beer. You want to join me?"

"I think I will," sighed Sky.

* * *

Heero moved quickly through the Preventer building and back to his office where he booted up the computer. Trowa and Quatre stood on either side of him, Une moved to stand directly behind.

Typing in a few commands, Heero soon had the satellite map site up and was feeding in the coordinates. The screen flickered, paused and then began to reload the page. A topographical map appeared and Heero zoomed in a little.

"How do you intend to do this, Heero?" Quatre asked as he studied the map on screen.

"Break it down into grids, note the positioning of possible residences a gang of terrorists could be using to hide out in and then move in to check those residences."

Quatre hoped the area in question wasn't too densely populated or this could take quite some time.

Fortunately, fate was on their side for once and the grids showed not a lot of residences in the area the call had originated from. Using the knowledge they had gained over their war years and combining it with their experiences in Preventer, Heero was, with Quatre's tactical assistance, able to narrow down the most likely places to a handful.

Making note of the addresses, they briefly discussed a plan of action with Une and then prepared to take their leave. Une checked they had their communicators with them and wished them good luck.

With the three now departed, Une went back to her office to contact her team currently out investigating Jefferies' accident. Collecting another coffee on the way, she knew this would be another night she wasn't going to be seeing her home.

* * *

Wufei stared at the computer screen, his heart in his mouth. "Has anyone else seen this?" he questioned the agent.

"No, sir."

"Good."

"Sir?"

"This information is highly classified. I expect complete silence from you in relation to what you've seen."

"Understood, sir."

"Leave this with me and go through to the kitchen; the staff are all there and I need statements taking from them all. You know the procedure?"

"Yes, sir." The agent stood and was about to leave when Wufei spoke again.

"You're a good agent. I'll be recommending you and your work on this case to Commander Une. Don't let me down."

"I won't, sir. Thank you, sir." Agent Cloud was doing his best to keep the grin from spreading across his face as he left to take the staff statements. Compliments from an agent of Chang's standing were rare and never given lightly. Cloud was feeling most pleased with himself right now.

Glancing around the room, Wufei noted the rest of the team were still occupied with their searching and cataloging of any and all evidence. He read the screen again and then unclipped his communicator. "I need to speak with Commander Une urgently."

* * *

Une was contemplating ordering some take out when her phone rang. She grabbed the device and answered. "Une here."

The voice down the line quickly passed on a message, one that had Une wide awake once more, hunger forgotten. "Thank you, Sky. I'll contact him now." Hanging up, she grabbed her cell and called the number.

"Chang here."

"Agent Fire, you wished to speak with me?"

"Commander, yes, I do." Wufei went on to explain about the computer screen, Cloud's investigation and what they had found.

"What does it say, Chang?"

"One moment." Wufei moved back to the computer. "It's a simple message, added onto the bottom of an email the ambassador was obviously writing at the time of his death. It reads: 'The reaper has visited. I much prefer black but will have to suffer with pink next.' Commander, I'm sure this was Maxwell's work again."

"I see. What is your interpretation of the message and why are you so sure it was Agent Night who left it and committed the assassination?"

"In the war, Maxwell called himself Shinigami, or the god of death. We sometimes call that figure the grim reaper. The reference to reaper tells me it was Maxwell's work."

"Okay. What else?"

"Maxwell always wears black when possible."

"But what about the pink?"

"That's what I'm not too sure about. Commander, can I speak with Yuy? I'm certain he would be able to shed more light on this."

"Yuy is out in the field with Barton and Winner right now." Une brought Wufei up to par with the line trace and possible location of Duo.

"That does pose a bit of a problem."

"He does have his communicator with him, although I don't know if you will be able to reach him."

"I'll give it a try, Commander. Could you give me the frequency please?"

Une relayed the requested details and closed the call after having Wufei promise to call her back and let her know what Yuy had said.

Closing his cell, Chang reached for his communicator and fiddled with the machine until he had the required frequency. "Agent Day, this is Agent Fire, do you copy?"

* * *

With Trowa behind the wheel of the Preventer vehicle they'd been allocated to use, Heero and Quatre continued to go over the maps of the area narrowed down for their search. Grid by grid they worked through, discussing each possible place on their list and discarding some after a more intense 'look' at them. The list was narrowed down to most likely, possible and maybe.

Once that was sorted out, they then worked out their plan of 'attack', which places they would scout out first and the best way to move from one place to the next in the quickest time.

Heero had no doubt that time was of the essence here. Now that he had a pretty good idea of where his missing husband and son could be, he wasn't about to waste any time in locating them and bringing them home safe.

Having figured out the best route to take to cover the buildings in question, planning turned to the best way to approach each residence. They couldn't exactly go in with guns blazing and Heero didn't think the question; 'Do you by chance happen to have my husband, child and nanny held here?' would work either.

Quatre solved the problem by suggesting that they drive by first and then get Heero to go in alone and scope the place out. He would report back with his findings and if warranted, the three of them would then attempt to get inside. How exactly they would do that, they would plan out later, once they knew what they were up against.

Continuing to drive, Trowa added his own bits to the conversation when he had something worth adding.

Heero's communicator beeped and he hastily snatched it from his belt, flipping the thing from 'silent' mode to 'active'.

"Agent Day, this is Agent Fire, do you copy?"

The audio was punctuated with a touch of static, but Heero could still hear clearly enough.

"Day here."

"Agent Day, I have some information which I need you to clarify if possible."

"Go ahead, Fire." Heero's brow furrowed.

Wufei explained about the computer in the ambassador's study and relayed the cryptic message. "I'm certain this was Agent Night's work, aside from the evidence and the manner in which the assassination took place, the words reaper and black in the message pretty much convince me of that. It's the reference to pink I can't figure out."

Heero felt his blood run cold. "Fuck!"

Trowa almost drove off the road and Quatre paled.

"Agent Day? Can you suggest anything, any translation at all?"

Swallowing thickly, Heero found his voice. "Relena."

"Relena?"

"Hai. During the war Relena always seemed to wear or surround herself with pink. Duo nicknamed her the 'Pink Princess'. Can you read me the message again, please?"

"One moment. 'The reaper has visited. I much prefer black, but will have to suffer with pink next'. That's all it says," Wufei replied.

"Chang?"

"Yes?"

"Double the guard on Relena. She is not to be alone at any time."

"But..."

"Chang, if my interpretation is correct, Relena will be next on the hit list."

"I see. I will get onto it straight away."

"What else have you found?"

Wufei gave Heero all the information he currently had, which wasn't much, adding he hoped to have more once they'd finished their preliminary investigation. He then questioned Heero on the coded, cryptic message that had come through presumably from Duo. Heero briefly explained his translation of the coded message and added the bit where they'd narrowed the trace on the calls to a twenty kilometer radius. After promising to keep each other informed the connection was cut.

Trowa drove on through the still night, the first of the possible hideouts on their list still a good hour's drive away.

* * *

"What is it?" Sand asked when he heard the expletive come from his partner's mouth.

"A bomb by the looks of it."

"Fuck!"

"I think you should get the Captain down here; let him know we need the explosives experts too."

"On my way," Sand replied and turned. Jogging back along the trail he'd made, Sand had several thoughts running through his head, and none of them were pleasant. Reaching the side of the bridge and scrambling to the road, Sand cast his eyes around for the captain. Spotting the man talking with a couple of other agents, he jogged over.

"Excuse me, sir," he began.

The captain turned, a frown on his face at having his conversation interrupted. "What is it, Agent Sand?"

Catching his breath, Sand managed to speak reasonably coherently. "We found something under the bridge. It looks like an explosive device, wired with a detonator. Sleet is remaining in position, request the explosives experts to take a look and disarm."

The captain's eyes widened with the news. "A bomb?"

"Correct, sir."

Turning sharply, the captain located where his explosives personnel were and marched over to them. "Agents, it would appear we have an armed device under the bridge. We need your expertise."

The three agents nodded and grabbed their gear. "Show us where it is," requested Agent Rain.

"This way," Sand said and led the team down the track beside the bridge to where Sleet was waiting.

"It's up there, that support to your left," Sleet said and pointed to where the explosive was sitting attached to one of the bridge supports.

The team of agents shone their powerful torch beams in the direction indicated, illuminating the area.

Agent Rain cocked his head as he stared at the device. "I'm going up there to get a better look," he told the other agents. "Keep your lights trained on it." With that, he began to scale the bridge support.

Reaching the bomb, Rain gazed intently at it, a slow smile spreading over his face. "Well, well," he muttered to himself. "I recognize this work." Slipping a small pair of cutters from his tool pouch and reiterating the need for the light to remain on the device, he cut the wires to the detonator. Slipping the cutters back into the pouch, he carefully removed the detonator, added that to the tool pouch and then set about removing the remainder of what he deemed to be C4. With the task complete, he quickly made his way back down the support to the waiting agents below.

"Report, Rain," the captain demanded.

"Device neutralized and removed, sir."

The captain frowned. "I know you explosive experts are good, but wasn't that a little too quick?"

Agent Rain smirked. "Not if you know the bomb, sir." Seeing his captain about to lose some of his patience, Rain was quick to continue. "I've seen this type of bomb before, sir. It's a simple, basic device, one we were trained on."

The captain raised an eyebrow. "Care to elaborate?"

"One of our trainers in explosives showed us how to create a simple bomb of this type. This is the first time I've actually seen it in the field though."

"Rain, who was the agent that did that part of your course?"

"Agent Night, sir."

* * *

The light shone directly in Duo's eyes causing him to blink and duck his head. _//Shit!//_ he thought.

"Well, well, well; what have we here?" Young asked as he stepped a little deeper into the basement.

Duo pressed further back into the wall, his mind racing as to how he could get out of this one.

"Drop any weapons and put your hands on your head," Young ordered.

"I don't have any weapons," Duo replied as he tucked the thermos to the side and placed his hands on his head. Best to play along for the moment until he figured out what was going on.

"Stand up and keep those hands on your head."

Slowly, Duo raised himself, his ankle reminding him of its injured state in no uncertain terms.

"Who are you and what are you doing in here?" Young questioned, not missing the wince as the man stood up.

"Max is the name and as for what I'm doing here, I think that's pretty obvious."

"Don't be a smart mouth," Young snapped. "Answer the question or you'll have more than a sore ankle to deal with," he added and waved the gun.

Duo sighed. "I'm being held hostage by some gang."

Young cocked his head to the side and snorted. "Peterson, frisk him."

Muttering under his breath, Peterson did as requested, noting another wince when he patted the man's torso. "Looks like they roughed him up a bit," Peterson murmured. "He's clean though."

"Why are they holding you hostage? And what for?" Young had several other questions he'd like answers to as well, but they would have to wait.

Duo shrugged his shoulders. "Best to ask them that."

"Take him up, I'll have a look around," Young replied, clearly losing patience.

"Hurry up, Sampson is waiting for us and we have to make the rendezvous on time," Peterson replied as he motioned for Duo to exit the basement.

"Yeah, yeah, hold your water," Young snapped. The man stepped into the basement and began to shine his torch around.

Duo made it to the top of the stairs, biting his lip against the pain in his ankle and hoping they wouldn't search too deeply and find the nanny and Keitaro. He also sent a prayer that the pair would remain silent.

"Peterson? Young?" the voice of Tewson cut through the still air. "Matthews says to get your asses back now. Oh, what's this?" Tewson walked into the kitchen as Peterson and Duo were coming out of the basement.

"Found him down there. He claims to be being held hostage," Peterson replied.

"Hmm. Matthews will be interested. Come on, we have to move out now."

"Call Young then, he's still down there."

"Young!" Tewson bellowed. "Move out, now!"

"All right, I'm coming," Young snipped and flashed his torch over the pile of cans and rags. "There's nothing else down here anyway," he muttered to himself and turned back to the stairs, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Nurse Brown had frozen in place when she'd heard the entry to the basement and Duo's discovery. Letting the conversation guide her in what to do, she could tell Duo didn't know these men. This was not good. Checking Keitaro was still asleep and praying he would remain so, the nurse breathed as quietly as she could.

Listening to the exchanges, she heard Duo and one of the men leaving the basement, she also heard the remaining one start to move about, checking the room. The light of the torch began to penetrate her hiding spot and she did her best not to shake with fear.

Then, just as it appeared her refuge was about to be compromised, she heard the other person demanding they leave and the light went away from her spot, the receding footsteps telling her they were leaving.

Hearing the door close, she hoped they hadn't locked it too. Letting a breath escape, the nurse closed her eyes and sighed in relief.

That had been too close for comfort.

* * *

"Who is that?" Matthews asked as Duo entered the room with the other three men.

"Found him in the basement. Claims to be being held hostage," Young replied and shoved Duo towards the couch where Duric and Farrow were sitting, wrists bound with duct tape and another piece over their mouths.

Duo took in the scene, the pair sitting restrained and Murphy on another chair, partially conscious and sporting bandages. Whilst he was still a hostage, it was clear the others were too, and what this new mob wanted, Duo didn't have a clue. Not that he was giving a great lot of thought to it right now, he had another thing on his mind – namely his son and the nanny.

Obviously they hadn't been discovered and as long as the duct tape remained over the mouths of the other two, and Murphy stayed in his own world of semi consciousness and pain, Duo wasn't about to spill the beans either.

He could see the look Duric was giving him and he narrowed his own eyes. Glancing at the four new players and noting they were busy talking amongst themselves, Duo took the chance to whisper to his original kidnappers.

"Friends of yours?"

Duric shook his head.

"Any idea what they want?"

Another shake.

Checking on their captors again, Duo lowered his tone and added a menace to it. "They haven't discovered the other two and they'd better not. You or any of the others so much as hint that my son and the nanny are still here and I will personally cut off your balls and feed them to you."

Farrow whimpered. Duric glared.

Violet eyes turned purple and carried within them the very real promise of a messy end. "Don't even try it," Duo hissed, noting the gleam in Duric's eye. "You're a little incapacitated right now. Meanwhile, I have both my hands free and trust me when I say I _can_ kill with my bare hands."

Duric swallowed and nodded.

Duo's eyes shifted again to watch their captors. This was clearly something totally unplanned and unexpected. Duo didn't have a clue what was going on and he really had no choice other than to go with things for the moment. Glancing around, he thought about making an escape attempt; he was pretty sure he'd make it out in one piece, but there was one factor against him.

Keitaro and Nurse Brown were still hidden in the basement.

~ * ~

tbc...


	52. Chapter 52

**Thank you for the kind comments! More plot twists are coming up so hang on as the ride is about to get very bumpy. *grin***

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 52

Having finished his talk with Yuy, Chang immediately contacted headquarters again. "Commander?"

"Agent Fire? What is it now?"

"I've spoken with Agent Day and likewise, he believes the message was left by Agent Night. He also interpreted it along the same lines as I and added that the reference to pink most probably means that Relena is next on the hit list."

Une gave a soft gasp and then rubbed her temples. "We haven't heard from the terrorists as yet to confirm this was their doing."

"I know and I'm not sure why," Wufei replied.

Une frowned. "They were pretty quick off the mark last time, I would have expected something from them by now."

"I don't have an answer for you on that, but Yuy demanded we double the guard on Relena. I think it would be best to listen to him."

"I agree. Leave it with me, Fire. I'll sort that out, meanwhile, finish up your preliminary investigation and report back to headquarters."

"Yes, commander."

"Thank you. Good work, Fire."

"Fire out."

Hooking his cell back on his belt, Chang set about securing the crime scene and hurrying his agents along.

* * *

Une sat back in her seat and let a long sigh leave her lips. Closing her tired eyes momentarily, she sat back and took a second or two to let all the information sink in. Wearily, she reached for her phone and called Relena's home.

Ten minutes later, she was hanging up again. She'd spoken to Relena, explained briefly what was happening and the suggestion that she was most likely next on the hit list. Relena had taken it all quite calmly and agreed to Une's recommendation that she have extra bodyguards.

Aside from her own security detail, the Preventer organization would supply a further two agents to assist in keeping the senator safe. Whilst Relena was confident her own guards were more than capable of looking out for her, she accepted the added security without complaint.

Feeling a little better, Une swallowed the last of her coffee and was contemplating seeking out some food when her phone went off yet again.

"What I wouldn't give to leave this damn thing off the hook," she muttered to her office walls, but duly picked up. "Commander Une here."

Une listened as she was given the current update on Jefferies' accident. "I see, captain."

Une rubbed her forehead. This was all beginning to turn into a nightmare.

"Thank you, captain. I'll alert the medical wing and await your full, forensic report."

Hanging up, Une waited only a moment before picking up again and calling the medical wing on the extension. Having relayed all she needed to, she hung up again. Pausing for a moment to collect her thoughts, she stood up, grabbed her communicator and cell and headed out to the cafeteria to grab a bite to eat before aiming for the forensics section where she would be available to speak with both investigating teams when they returned.

* * *

"We should be approaching the first possible hideout in a moment," Trowa stated calmly as he turned off and down a side road.

Both Heero and Quatre fixed their attention to the outside of the vehicle, eyes scanning the area thoroughly.

"Approaching on the left now," Quatre stated as he checked the grid map.

Heero picked up the binoculars and began a scan of the building as Trowa drove slowly past. "It could be," he said slowly. "We need a better look though."

Driving a little further down the road, Trowa pulled over and Heero got out. Checking he had his communicator on him and the Preventer special issue binoculars that allowed for night vision too, he melted into the evening.

Sitting in the car, Quatre extended his empathy again, somehow hoping he might be able to pick up on Duo's emotions and give them some clue as to how close they were to finding him. Eyes closed, his breathing slowed as he gently let the empathy flow.

Knowing what his husband was up to, Trowa remained silently watching, not interfering, but ready to assist if his husband needed it.

Moments later, Quatre opened his eyes and gasped softly.

"What is it, Quatre?"

"I can feel him, Trowa. He's around here somewhere and not too far away judging by the feelings I'm getting which are stronger than they were at headquarters."

Heero chose that moment to return. Slipping into the car he was quick to pick up on the tenseness. "No sign of him at that place," he informed as he placed the binoculars on the seat. "What's going on?"

"I thought I'd see if I could get some sort of an idea of where exactly Duo might be with my empathy," Quatre replied. "He's close, not too far away and he's..." Quatre faltered for a moment. "There's many emotions rolling within him right now; anger, fear, pain, confusion..."

"Then I suggest we get moving and check out as many of these places as fast as we can," Heero replied curtly. He was worried sick about Duo, and now knowing they were close to wherever Duo was being held only served to heighten his determination to locate his family.

Trowa put the car into gear again and drove off into the night.

* * *

"What the hell was he doing in the basement?" Matthews asked.

"He claims he was being held hostage," Young repeated.

"What for?"

"I don't know. I haven't had a chance to question him properly yet," Young huffed.

"I'd say the part about him being a hostage is true," Peterson said. "There's evidence in the basement that he was being detained there and it looks like they roughed him up a bit too judging by the ankle. I think he may have some rib damage too as he winced a bit when I patted him down."

"We don't have time for this now," Matthews muttered. "He'll have to come along too. Take them all out and secure them."

The three nodded and moved towards the group on the couch. Waving their guns around, Duric and Farrow were pulled to their feet. Duo found his wrists being duct taped as well, although they didn't slap a piece over his mouth, something he was grateful for.

Murphy was half carried, half dragged outside and into the waiting van, Duric, Farrow and Duo forced to follow. Once they were all inside, their captors duct taped their ankles, locked the van door and climbed into the front. The engine started and the van drove off into the night.

* * *

In the basement, Nurse Brown remained hidden in the corner. The murmur of voices above had faded, but she wasn't sure what was happening. It was silent and the silence was starting to get to her.

Keitaro was still sleeping and Margaret prayed he would stay that way for a little while longer until she at least figured out what to do. She started to toss options around in her head.

She could get up from her hiding spot and see if all was clear in the basement. Then she could climb the stairs and leave the basement, see what was going on upstairs. But what if those people were still there? What if their captors were still there and these others were a part of their group? Whilst she wasn't so much worried for her own safety, she did have the child to look after and she wasn't about to put young Keitaro in any danger at all.

With a sigh, she decided it was probably best to remain where she was for a couple of hours, see if she could hear anything at all from above. Only then would she venture out and check the surrounding area.

Settling back into her hiding spot, Nurse Brown closed her eyes and tried to catch a nap.

* * *

Trowa had driven on to three more of their possible targets and each time Heero had scoped them out and returned with no luck.

It was starting to get frustrating.

Unfortunately, it was the only way they currently had of trying to locate Duo.

"Maybe we will have some luck with this one," Quatre said as Trowa crawled past another building on their list of possibles.

"Hn," replied Heero and slipped out into the night again.

Once the Japanese man had departed, Quatre leaned close to his husband and stole a kiss. "I hope we have some luck soon," Quatre stated as he pulled back, his lover's hand following to rest reassuringly against his arm.

"They have to be around here somewhere," Trowa replied.

"I can't help but feel we're taking too long."

"I don't think they're going anywhere, not if what Yuy says about Relena being the next one on the hit list."

"Yeah, you do have a point. I just wish there was some way we could speed this up, some way we could get a better fix on that call."

"I know. I feel the same way." Trowa rubbed his hand along his partner's arm.

They remained in silence for a few minutes until Yuy returned.

"Any luck?" Quatre asked as Heero slid back into the car.

"No. Nothing there other than an elderly couple," Heero sighed.

"Okay. On to the next one then," Trowa said and slipped the car back into gear.

Quatre concentrated on the road map and guiding Trowa to their next destination. Trowa following the directions and keeping an eye out for anything unusual. In the back, Heero gnawed on a fingernail in an attempt to prevent himself from screaming his frustration to the night.

Another half an hour passed as Trowa drove along back streets. They passed two other vehicles as they sped on through the night. A pickup loaded with hay passed by not long after they'd left their last suspect building. Fifteen minutes later a van passed them by.

"Next place should be off a side road just up ahead, Trowa."

Trowa began to slow down. It was hard to see on these country roads, no street lighting to assist and the headlights could only do so much.

"There, that's got to be the turn off," Quatre said and pointed to a break in the trees.

Trowa turned and the tires slid a little on the unsealed road.

Heero glanced around, noting the lack of buildings. "It might be an idea to dim the lights. According to the satellite map there's only a couple of places on this dirt road."

"Good idea." Trowa turned the lights off and slowed further. For once luck was with them though and the moon shone brightly, offering enough light for Trowa to navigate by, providing he remained at a slow pace.

"Up there." Heero pointed along the road a bit to where the outline of a building could be seen.

"Keep your eyes peeled for a driveway. It's obvious this road doesn't pass close to the place itself," Quatre suggested.

A little further down the road, Trowa spotted a driveway and turned into it. "I think this is it," he said and continued along.

"Pull up a little way from the house, we don't want anyone getting suspicious," Heero requested.

Seeing a likely place ahead where the car would be hidden by trees, Trowa brought the car to a stop.

"I'll go up and have a look around. I'll report shortly." Checking the communicator was on, Heero opened the door and faded into the night.

* * *

By the time Une had reached the forensics section and specifically the section that was dealing with the investigation into Jefferies' accident, the team had returned and dispersed off into their various areas to analyze and put together the most probable scenario based on their findings.

After a little searching, Une found the captain and demanded a report.

"The investigation is still in its preliminary stages, commander," the captain informed. "At this point I don't have concrete facts to support the suggested cause, the team are still working on linking all the evidence together."

"I realize that, captain, but I'd like a rough outline for now."

"Okay, commander. At this stage we believe that Jefferies' car was deliberately targeted. We found evidence in and on the road surface that indicated a small explosive device of some form was embedded and detonated at the precise time the senator's car drove over it. The resulting detonation caused a blow out to the left front tire and as a result of that blow out, Jefferies lost control of the vehicle and slammed into the side bridge support. The force of the accident killed the senator instantly. We cannot rule out the possibility of a defect in the senator's car, though we are certain there was nothing wrong with the vehicle to cause this and the team will be going over the vehicle with a fine toothcomb as soon as it arrives here from the scene to back that up."

"I see. And you have the forensic evidence to support the other claim?"

"Yes, commander."

"There's more?" Une asked, sensing the captain wasn't finished.

"Yes, there is. Investigation of the scene would indicate that the person or persons responsible for the accident would have had to have been at the scene to detonate the explosive. It could not have been left on a timer as they had no knowledge of the exact time the vehicle would pass over it. Also, it couldn't be rigged to explode with the vehicle weight pressure - something like a land mine - as there was no knowing if other vehicles would be passing over before the senator's car. They would have had to be present and detonated the device manually."

"I take it you checked the area surrounding the scene?"

"Yes, we did. We found no evidence left behind to give us a clue as to the perpetrators identity. But..."

Une raised an eyebrow.

"When I had a team check out the area surrounding the bridge, they discovered something very interesting. Another explosive device was located underneath the bridge, attached to one of the supports. It's our guess that if they missed with the device on the road, they were planning to set off the second one under the bridge and bring both the bridge an the car to a messy end."

"That sounds interesting," Une stated.

"The device was deactivated by the explosives squad and has been brought in for analysis. Commander?"

"Yes, captain?"

"The agent that dismantled the device, he did it very rapidly, too fast in my opinion and when I questioned him about it, he said they had been trained on such a device. When I inquired as to who had done that particular section of their training, I was told it was Agent Night."

"Shit!"

* * *

Having made his way through the shadows, Heero was standing just to the side of the building. It appeared to be a farmhouse type, made of stone and looked deserted. There weren't any lights on, however, there were tire tracks in the dirt; although no vehicle was visible at this stage.

Scanning around, Heero made his way closer, remaining in the shadows and moving without a sound. He approached one of the windows and cautiously peered inside. It was dark, too dark to see clearly so Heero reached for the binoculars and turned on the night vision.

It was a little better, but not much.

Scanning around again, Heero's trained eyes took in the scene. It appeared to be a normal lounge type room, only it was sparsely furnished. Heero frowned. That didn't look completely right to him.

Crouching low, he made his way along the wall until he came to another window. Carefully, he straightened up until he could peer inside. The night vision aided his sight to a point, but not quite enough for him to positively identify what he thought he was looking at.

Deciding this place was a definite possibility, Heero snuck back to the car and waiting couple.

When Heero suddenly appeared beside the car, Quatre nearly had a heart attack.

"Fuck, Heero! A little warning next time if you please," Quatre snapped as he tried to steady his racing heart.

Ignoring the blonde, Heero slid into the back seat. Trowa was immediately on the alert, noting the change in Yuy's eyes and body language.

"You find something?" asked Trowa, already preparing himself to leave the vehicle.

"Possibly," Heero replied as he dropped the binoculars to the floor of the car and withdrew his gun to check the clip.

"Well?" demanded Quatre.

"I'm not sure if there is anyone present. Place is sparsely furnished, but someone is definitely living there. I managed to see into what appears to be a lounge room, which was vacant. A little further along I saw what I think is a kitchen. It looks like there has been some sort of scuffle in there and on the floor there is some staining."

"Blood?" questioned Trowa as he checked his own weapon.

"I couldn't be certain."

"Let's go then." Trowa opened his door and exited, the other two following suit.

Making their way through the darkness, Heero paused by the second window he'd looked through, Trowa and Quatre taking a peek and agreeing with Heero's earlier assumptions.

"We need to get inside," Heero whispered.

"Back door," suggested Trowa.

"I'll go first, Quatre, you in the middle and Trowa, you watch everyone's backs."

Both men nodded and the three slipped along the wall again, aiming for the back door. It was slightly ajar. Heero carefully nudged it open a little further, crouching low, safety off and gun ready to fire. With there being no immediate threat, Heero silently entered the room, keeping low and to the sides.

Once Heero was inside, Quatre followed when given the signal. With his gun drawn, he slipped inside and along the opposite wall to Heero. Trowa remained by the doorway, covering them from any possible outside attack.

Having scoped out the room and not hearing anything at all coming from anywhere else in the immediate vicinity, Quatre and Heero met in the middle and checked out the tossed furniture and stains on the floor. Trowa joined them a moment later, still keeping an eye on the door.

"Definitely blood," Heero announced as he sniffed the fingers he'd dipped into the pool of congealing wetness.

"Any idea how long it's been there?" asked Trowa.

"I'd guess, roughly an hour, two at the most," replied Heero.

"It appears there's been some sort of scuffle," Quatre stated as he took in the scattered mess.

"Up there," Trowa said and pointed to the wall where a bullet hole could be clearly seen.

"Hn." Heero's eyes narrowed. "Let's check out the rest of the place."

The trio moved from room to room, silently working their way through the house and noting the lack of furnishings. Checking through the bedrooms, they spotted belongings, but no owner to them.

"Very strange," Heero muttered as they worked down the hallway and to the last room. Pressed against the wall, Heero slowly peered around the jamb and froze. "Shit!" he whispered.

Trowa raised an eyebrow in question. Heero motioned for Trowa to take a look, the tall Latin peering around the jamb and jerking back suddenly.

"What is it?" Quatre whispered.

"Body," came Heero's reply.

"Dead?"

"Not sure." Heero crouched low and entered the room, gun at the ready. He approached the body and moments later holstered his gun and called the other two inside.

"Oh, yuk," Quatre groaned and turned away. It didn't matter how many dead bodies he'd seen, he just couldn't get used to the sight of a waste of life.

Meanwhile, Trowa and Heero were both checking over the corpse, noting the bullet wounds and the mess the fatal shot had made, not only of the man's head, but the surrounding chattels as well.

"Duo was here," Heero said with a catch in his voice.

"How…?"

"This is the guy that contacted the ESUN. I know as I've seen the tapes. He's the one that demanded funding for L2 and claimed responsibility for the murder of the L1 ambassador. I know it was Duo who committed the assassination which means Duo was here." Heero's heart was in his mouth. He didn't know if Duo was still here, alive or dead or was he injured somewhere. Spinning around, Heero faced the other two who were well aware of what was going through Heero's mind. "We have to search this place thoroughly."

"But, Heero. We've already gone through all of the rooms," Quatre replied. "Duo's not here."

"Maybe. Quatre, we need to double check again, scour every room and all the immediate area. I know Duo was here, is possibly still here, maybe injured and we have to find him."

Heero's eyes were taking on a wild, feral glint, something that Quatre wasn't sure he liked the look of. "Okay, calm down. We'll go over everything again." Turning to Trowa, Quatre called on his strategic side. "We will split up, take a room each and search thoroughly, look for anything, anything at all that might indicate where someone could have been held against their will."

Having decided on their plan of action, they split up.

Twenty minutes later Heero was in the kitchen, having found nothing at all in the office or bedroom he'd been allocated to search. He made his way around the room, eyes combing over everything; and then he spotted something.

A door.

Drawing his gun, Heero approached the door and rested his hand upon the handle. Grasping it firmly, he turned the knob, the door opening with a soft squeak. Taking a deep breath and staying low, he moved through the doorway to stand atop a small set of steps.

He blinked his eyes, adjusting to the darkness. Once his vision cooperated, he saw he was entering a basement. Scanning around, he noted the utensils on a table. Immediately, Heero was down the stairs and at the table. Eagerly he looked about, noting the used dishes, drink still in a mug – although it had gone cold – and then, in the corner he spotted Keitaro's baby bag.

With his heart hammering in his chest, Heero's eyes raked over the basement, searching desperately for his husband and son.

He saw nothing.

The frustration and anger came boiling out.

"DUO!" he screamed.

"Heero?" came a muffled voice from the corner of the room followed by a baby's cry.

~ * ~

tbc...


	53. Chapter 53

**Thank you all for the feedback! **

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 53

Crouched in her cramped hiding place, Nurse Brown listened intently as she distinctly heard the sound of the door knob turning. Holding her breath and trying to keep her heart from racing, her mind scrambled to try to come up with who might be coming into the basement now. Had it been Duo she was sure he would have made some sort of noise to let her know it was him. God how she wished he would call out, tell her to come out from hiding, that everything was okay.

Seemed she wasn't going to have any such luck any time soon.

Fervently she hoped it wasn't their captors, or the other voices she'd heard. Come to think of it, who were those other people?

She made out the sound of someone entering, but still no voice. She tried to crawl closer to the wall.

Keitaro started to stir.

_// Not now, //_ thought Nurse Brown as she tried to keep the infant from making any sound. "Shhh, little man. We have to be silent," she whispered to the child.

Keitaro blinked open sleepy eyes, confused as to where he was for the moment.

Then an anguished cry tore through the basement and into the night, shattering the silence.

"DUO!"

Margaret caught her breath. She _knew_ that voice.

"Heero?" she called out tentatively. At the same time, startled by the scream, Keitaro started to cry.

* * *

"Heero?"

Hearing his name and the sound of a baby crying, Heero looked around wildly. Seconds later he was joined by Trowa and Quatre.

"Nurse Brown? Duo?" Heero cried out as he shot fully into the basement to look around. A movement in the corner caught his eye and he headed for a pile of rags, drums and cans.

"Over here, Heero," called the nurse, the relief evident in her voice. Being crouched in the corner as she was and covered too, she couldn't do much to get herself out. Her good arm cradled the babe, whilst her wrist, although bound, was still useless.

"Heero? You found Duo?" Quatre questioned as he homed in on the corner Heero was heading for.

"Give me a hand," Heero barked, ignoring the question. His heart was pounding in his chest, nerves just about completely shot.

Both Trowa and Quatre were beside the Japanese man in a second, hands reaching and pulling away the drums and rags. Beneath it all they found the nanny and Keitaro, huddled tightly in the corner and shaking.

"Thank, Allah!" Quatre sighed when he saw the pair.

"Nurse Brown, Keitaro," Heero breathed and reached in to take his wailing son.

Keitaro was passed over, the baby being hugged close to Heero's chest and swamped with kisses, the child settling instantly as he recognized the scent and sound of his father.

Trowa reached in and with Quatre's assistance, managed to get Nurse Brown out from the corner.

"Thank Allah you're all right," Quatre breathed and hugged the nurse tightly.

Margaret allowed the hug, the relief at finally being found reducing her to tears.

Heero checked his son from the top of his head to the tips of his toes, eyes flooding with relief when he found the child unharmed. Only when he was certain his son was okay, did Heero turn his attention to Nurse Brown and noticed the bandage on her wrist, the pale, withdrawn look about her face.

Choking back a sob, Heero wrapped the woman in a one armed embrace, his other arm still holding his son close. "Thank the stars you're alive and okay," he mumbled.

"Am I relieved to see you," Nurse Brown managed to get out around the lump in her throat.

"Where's Duo?" Trowa asked as he continued to search around the basement.

"Isn't he with you?" Margaret responded as she broke away from Heero and dried her tears on the handkerchief Quatre offered her.

"No. There's no sign of him upstairs. We thought he was in here with you."

"No," whispered the nurse.

Still cradling his son, Heero turned to look at the nurse. "Where is he?"

"I, I don't know. There was a lot of noise, gunfire overhead. Duo told me to hide in the corner with Keitaro and stay there no matter what. I heard someone come into the basement – they," Margaret paused for a moment, then continued, her voice cracking. "They found Duo and took him out with them. I haven't seen or heard anything since."

"Heero?" Trowa said softly, drawing the agent from his thoughts. "We need to call in, let Une know we have found the nanny and baby and get a call out that Duo's still... missing."

Feeling his heart plummet to his feet, Heero nodded.

"We'll take over for a while. You sit here with Keitaro and Nurse Brown," Quatre said kindly and ushered the pair across the room to the bed. Once he was sure Heero wasn't about to go anywhere or do anything stupid, Quatre turned back to his husband. "You call it in, I'll start to secure the premises."

Nodding, Trowa reached for his communicator and called into headquarters.

* * *

In the back of the black van, Duo and the others were jostled around as the van sped over the unsealed road and into the night. Once the van hit the sealed road again, the ride became a little smoother, something Duo was grateful for as his ribs had begun to ache with the jolting movement and his ankle throbbed from constant use in keeping himself seated.

Continuing on through the night, Duo's thoughts switched to the men who were now holding them hostage. He knew Duric didn't know them, was just as much in the dark as he was. He very much doubted Murphy did considering his injuries; and Farrow? He was just a wimp in Duo's eyes. The man had done nothing but shake, tremble and dart scared looks around him.

So, just who were these men and what did they want? At least with his other captors, they'd told him what they wanted, what their plan was. Could these people be plotting something along similar lines? Or maybe they were there to extract revenge for the murders of the ambassadors. That brought another train of thought. The L3 ambassador's body. He knew it would have been discovered by now, his almost capture evidence enough that something was going on. But had Nolen contacted the ESUN and claimed responsibility?

Come to think of it, where was Nolen?

Seeing that their captors were chatting amongst themselves, Duo took the opportunity to try questioning Duric. Keeping his voice to a whisper, he faced the other man.

"Where's Nolen?"

Obviously, Duric couldn't answer with his mouth still duct taped, but at the mention of Nolen's name, Farrow began to whimper and look decidedly green. Duo switched his attention to the geek.

"You know where he is?"

Farrow looked like he was about to pass out.

Noting the paleness of the skin, the sweat Farrow had broken out into and the terror in those eyes, Duo put two and two together and came up with...

"He's dead, isn't he?"

Farrow turned his head away, desperately trying to push the picture in his head of his boss sprawling over him with blood and gore oozing out, away.

Duric nodded. When they'd brought Farrow into the room with him and he'd seen the blood on the man's shirt, he'd known instinctively that Nolen had been killed. A quiet word in Farrow's ear and the resulting reaction confirmed his boss was no longer with them.

"Damn. I was looking forward to taking him apart, limb by limb and now these jerks have rained on my parade," Duo muttered.

Duric's eyes widened in disbelief, he couldn't believe the cockiness of the man. Farrow did his best to curl into a ball. Murphy didn't seem to give a shit either way, he wasn't exactly fully conscious anyway, the pain from his injuries keeping him in a semi conscious state.

"I hope they fix him up," Duo said quietly and nodded in Murphy's direction. "Then I can take great pleasure in ripping him apart. You too," Duo finished and stared at the other man.

Duric swallowed.

With an evil grin, Duo moved a little closer to Duric. "I _don't_ forget," he said simply. "I owe you, _all_ of you for what you did to the nanny and forced me to do. I promised you I would kill you, and that hasn't changed."

The unholy light that shone in Duo's eyes chilled Duric to the core. He knew instantly that his days were numbered.

* * *

Chang returned to headquarters, tired, hungry and more than frustrated. His team had done all they could for now, forensic evidence had been gathered from the scene, the ambassador's body removed and on its way to the Preventer morgue for a full autopsy and all staff had been interviewed and had their statements logged.

Striding through the foyer and to the elevators, Wufei wondered if anyone had heard from Yuy and the others. How their search was going? He sincerely hoped they were experiencing better fortune than he'd had.

So far, all the forensic evidence they'd collected hadn't given them anything at all on the assassin's identity. No fingerprints, no DNA, nothing. Chang doubted very much they would get anything off the security tapes either.

He knew it was Duo, it had Duo's name written all over it and whilst Wufei felt deeply for the anguish his friend must have gone through when perpetrating the crime, he couldn't help but be thankful there wasn't any concrete proof his fellow agent was responsible.

Knowing how the law worked, Duo could be up on a dual murder charge – provided they had sound evidence he'd been at the scene.

It was a catch 22 situation – one Wufei would be quite happy to leave alone.

Detouring to grab a cup of green tea from the staff room, Wufei made his way to the forensics section. He'd get something to eat later.

* * *

Sally yawned, covering her mouth as she made her way along the corridor to the Preventer autopsy room. It would have been nice if this could have waited until the morning, but Preventer work was like that sometimes. It didn't obey the usual rules of society.

Pausing in the anti chamber to grab the surgical scrubs and don them, Sally spotted the body already on the slab, covered by a green sheet. She noted the orderly inside, clipboard in hand and taking down some notes. Slipping her feet out of her loafers, she pulled on the regulation, white gum boots and with the surgical mask loose around her neck, hair shoved inside a cap, she pushed open the door and entered the autopsy room.

The orderly nodded and approached, clipboard in hand. "Doctor Po," he said.

"What do we have this time that's so important it can't wait until the sun is up?" Sally asked as she held out her hand for the clipboard.

"Caucasian male. Forty-three years of age, died in a motor vehicle accident," the orderly reeled off.

Sally checked the clipboard, noting the details there and suddenly came wide awake. "Senator Jefferies?" she said in disbelief.

"I believe so," the orderly replied.

"Shit!" Sally moved over and lifted the sheet from the corpse. "Bloody hell," she gasped. Sally was fully aware of what was currently going on at Preventer, the various investigations, Duo still missing and the threats to the ESUN.

"From what I've heard on the grapevine, doc, this was a deliberate accident."

Turning back to the orderly, Sally raised an eyebrow.

"Rumor has it that someone planted a bomb and blew up his car."

Folding the sheet back, Sally turned to the orderly and spoke in a clipped tone. "Tell me, does this look like a bomb blew up in his car?"

The orderly swallowed and gave a sheepish smile. "Err... no. No, it doesn't, doctor."

"Good. I suggest you stop listening to the rumor mill and concentrate on the facts. That is after all what we're here to find out, is it not?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Right. Bring over the instrument tray and let's get this autopsy started. We're after the facts, nothing else."

"I'm on it, ma'am."

* * *

Entering the forensics section several minutes later, Wufei was surprised to see the commander there. He turned and headed for Une, he could get to his section where his team were working after.

Une spotted the Chinese agent as he walked in the door and met him half way. "Agent Fire. What news do you have for me?"

"We're still in the stages of looking at all the evidence, commander, so I can't give you concrete facts just yet."

"I realize that, Chang. Come, let's go somewhere a little more private." Une led the way out and down a hall, past a couple more forensic rooms and stopped at a deserted office. Opening the door, she ushered Wufei inside, both of them taking a seat.

"Okay, Fire. Tell me everything you found and what you suspect."

Taking a sip from his tea, Wufei began to fill the commander in on what they'd discovered at the ambassador's residence. "I take it you have heeded Yuy's advice and doubled the guard on Relena?"

"Yes, yes we have. Aside from her own security detail, we have two agents monitoring her at all times. She can't go anywhere without someone with her."

"I'll bet she's not too happy about that," Chang chuckled. Whilst he didn't dislike the woman, he wasn't falling over himself to be overly nice to her either. He was simply polite and tolerant towards her.

"I think she understands the severity of the situation," Une replied.

"How is the investigation into Jefferies' accident going?"

With a long suffering sigh, Une relayed the information they had thus far. "Of course, it's still just words at the moment. The team is compiling the forensic evidence now and Sally is doing an autopsy on the body. It wasn't an accident at all, no, it was definitely a hit on the man and from what we have from the crime scene, it all points to Agent Night's work."

"Maxwell?!"

"I'm afraid so."

"Well, shit. That's not good, commander. I know Maxwell and there's no way he would have done something like this himself. He would have been forced into it."

"I happen to agree with you, Chang. However, as you well know, the law is the law and not only do we have to look into the crime itself and find the perpetrator, but in this case, we also need to find evidence to prove that Night was forced into this, that he had no choice."

"Justice can be a little skewed these days," Wufei snapped. Whilst Wufei was a keen advocate of justice being served, he also understood that sometimes the law was wrong. If they couldn't find evidence to support their claim that Maxwell had been given no choice in the murders, and the prosecuting team had enough evidence to charge the agent with first degree murder, then it looked like Maxwell would be put away for quite a few years.

That's providing they could find the missing agent.

"Commander?"

"Yes?"

"Any word from Agent Day and his team?"

"Not yet."

"Damn." Wufei studied his fingernails for a moment. "I guess I should go check on my team, see how the evidence in coming along."

"I'll be back in the other forensics lab with the team working on Jefferies' case."

"Thank you, commander." Wufei stood up and left.

Une sat for a moment, collecting her thoughts. With another heavy sigh, she stood up and left the office. Halfway back to the lab, her communicator went off. "Une here."

"Commander, it's Sky from communications. I need you to come to the communications section immediately."

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Une replied. "Whatever it is, can't you patch it through to my cell or communicator? I'm a little busy with two forensic investigations into two murders, in case you weren't aware." The sarcasm was clear in her tone.

It didn't faze Sky though. "Commander, it's Agent Air, one of the temporary agents currently on assignment with Agent Day and Agent Space. I don't know how secure the internal communications are or your cell for that matter. I'd prefer it if you were to come here and take the call, that way I can insure complete security."

"Why the hell didn't you say it was Barton in the first place?" Une barked. "I'm on my way." Not waiting for a reply, Une closed the communicator and took off for the communications section, only barely keeping herself from running.

* * *

"What did she say?" Sun asked from where he was currently monitoring across the room from the other agent.

"The short version or the long version?" Sky replied.

"Short, thanks," Sun said with a grin. He already had a pretty good idea of what the longer version would be like.

"She's on her way."

"Right." Sun turned back to continue monitoring his own airwaves.

"Agent Air? Do you copy?"

"Air here. I copy."

"Commander is on her way to communications now. She should be here any second so please, remain on this frequency."

"Thank you, Sky."

Moments later, Une burst into the communications room and made a beeline for Sky. Seeing the commander heading right for him, Sky quickly removed his headphones and vacated his seat.

Handing the earphones over he enlightened the commander. "Channel is all set. Air is still on the line, commander."

"Thank you." Une slipped the earphones onto her head and adjusted the small mic attached. Pushing the small button, she spoke. "Agent Air? Where are you? Is everyone okay and what's happening? Have you located any of the missing party?"

"Hello, commander," Trowa's rich tenor came down the line. "I have some news..." Trowa proceeded to give Une a run down on their findings.

When he'd finished, Une closed her eyes for a moment and tried to absorb all she'd just learned. "Agent Air, I will have a team dispatched to the coordinates immediately. Please, continue to lock down the scene and wait for the team to arrive. I will brief them as to the circumstances and mission. Once they are there, hand over the scene to Agent Flame. I want all of you, including Day, the nanny and child to report directly here to headquarters."

Before Trowa could protest, Une continued.

"I know what you're going to say, but there are protocols here that need to be adhered to. Report direct to me at headquarters. Contact me when you are five minutes out and I'll meet you in the lobby. I'll alert Sally Po and have the medical wing on stand-by to treat any and all injuries, also I want her to give that child a thorough check too."

"Understood, Commander Une."

"There was no sign of Maxwell?" Une asked, although she already knew the answer.

"No, ma'am. He was here, but we've been unable to locate him at this point."

"How is Yuy taking it?" Une's voice had softened a touch.

Trowa glanced to his friend. "Not very well, I'm afraid. He's overjoyed he has his son back, but as you can appreciate, he's pretty torn up that Maxwell is still missing."

"I understand. Take care of him, Barton."

"We will. Agent Air, out."

"Commander, out." Une pulled the earphones from her head and dry washed her face. Would this nightmare ever end?

* * *

The van continued on into the night, Duo and the other captives managing to get a little sleep. As dawn was beginning to streak across the sky, the van pulled up by a nondescript house somewhere in a suburb.

Inside Duo's body the cells had continued to divide and grow. The small fetus had floated down what passed for Duo's fallopian tube and into the malformed uterus where it had immediately burrowed into the lining and continued in its process of dividing, multiplying and growing. Whilst it wasn't quite recognizable as a child yet, the blueprints of both parents' DNA were firmly embedded in the cells and it wouldn't be much longer before it did begin to look like a tiny baby.

~ * ~

tbc...


	54. Chapter 54

**Thank you to all for the kind comments!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 54

Duo came out of his light doze as he felt the van slowing and then stopping. Once the engine was cut, he knew they'd reached their destination - wherever _that_ might be.

The four climbed out and with guns visible, hauled the four hostages from inside the back of the van, cutting the duct tape around their ankles so they could walk.

Duo took a good look around as they walked from the van, along a pathway and into a typical, suburban type house. Once inside, they were ushered into a room that looked like a lounge of sorts.

"Sit," ordered Young and three complied, Murphy already having been dumped into a chair by Tewson who had half carried, half dragged the injured man into the room.

Mathews, Peterson and Tewson left, Young remaining behind to keep an eye on the hostages. Whilst they were waiting, Duo took the opportunity to look around, his memory compiling what it could of the layout, filing it away for later use.

A new figure appeared in the doorway, Duric and Duo both turning their attention to the man and wondering if now they would get some answers as to what it was these people wanted with them and what they were up to.

"Which is the extra one?" the guy asked Young.

"Him," replied Young and pointed his gun in Duo's direction.

Duo raised an eyebrow and stared directly at the man, burning the face into his memory.

"You claim you were being held hostage by this lot?" the guy asked and inclined his head towards Farrow, Murphy and Duric.

Duo nodded, his mind ticking over and on alert to keep up with what was going on.

"What for?"

Ah, now that was the question, wasn't it? Did he tell them the truth? Or did he twist it? Hoping with all his heart the Nurse Brown and Keitaro were safe, he decided to tell the truth, to a point; omitting a few things couldn't be construed as lying - could it?

"I asked you a question," the guy snapped. "I suggest you answer or you'll be finding yourself in a similar situation as your friend over there."

"He's not my friend," Duo growled.

The man smirked. "He does have a tongue. Better start using it now before I lose my patience and cut it out," the man stated with a glare.

"These guys took me hostage as I told you. They forced me to assassinate the L1 and L3 ambassadors."

Duric was glaring daggers at him but Duo didn't care right now. He figured he could tell these idiots so much and bide his time. He hoped Duric would catch on and play along. The guy just might come in handy in an escape attempt, then he could dismember him later.

"Why?" Sampson knew about the assassination of the L1 ambassador, but had yet to learn of the L3 ambassador's death.

Giving Duric a glance from the corner of his eye, Duo bulled forward. "They said something about L2 not receiving the right proportion of funding and aid and wanting the ESUN to sit up and take notice. This was the way they intended for that to happen."

"You must be very good," Sampson replied as he stroked his chin in thought. "They never found any evidence at the scene of the L1 ambassador's murder as to who the murderer was. I still don't see why you would comply though, unless you're in cahoots with them and this is all some set up."

"When there's a loaded gun in your face, you tend to do as you're told," Duo snipped. The sweat was running down his back and he prayed his face was remaining neutral.

Duric sat to the side, his eyes never leaving Duo's face as he listened to the conversation. He wasn't stupid, he knew the nanny and child had been left behind and he had an inkling of what Maxwell was up to. For now, he decided to play along, after all, Maxwell was probably his best hope of getting out of this situation. He glanced at Murphy and Farrow. Murphy would be of no use in his injured state; and Farrow? It was all Duric could do not to snort. Farrow was nothing but a weak minded computer nerd. There would be no help at all from him.

"Really?" Sampson shifted slightly as another figure joined him. "Ah, Zaheer. I believe these are the idiots that tried to infiltrate the ESUN and break into the database."

Zaheer looked over the group, the contempt clear in his eyes. "They look to be even dumber than the idiot I took out," he sneered.

Duric's eyes flashed in anger and he gave a guttural growl behind the duct tape sealing his mouth.

Duo realized then that this must be the guy that was responsible for the murder of both the security guard and Cropp at the ESUN headquarters. He filed that information away for later use, along with the name and a mental picture of the man.

"Compared to the operation we're running, you guys are pure amateurs," Zaheer stated. "Did you seriously think you could infiltrate the ESUN, attempt to hack the database and not get caught? You sure have a lot to learn. I'm so glad I don't have to work with incompetent fools like you."

Duo could see the rage rising in Duric and was tempted to kick the man in the shins to get him to settle down. This was exactly what these guys wanted, to score a reaction from them. Duo wanted to use this opportunity to try and find out what this group was up to, and he couldn't do that if Duric went off half cocked. Besides, if he were to kick Duric, their captors would see too and that wasn't a good idea either.

"Just what is it you are doing, and what do you want with us?" Duo figured he might as well ask, one never knew, he just might get his answers, especially seeing as how this new guy, Zaheer, seemed to be a cocky bastard. In all Duo's dealings with criminals and opponents in the war, he'd learnt that the cocky ones tended to brag quite a bit; and that could, and most often did, lead to their downfall.

Duo hoped that it would be the case here too.

However, it wasn't the newcomer that answered, it was the other guy.

Sampson put a restraining hand on Zaheer's arm and gave him a cold look. "I suggest you go check that all is ready for our departure," he said, voice tinged with ice.

"As you wish." Zaheer gave the four a disgusted look and then left.

Sampson turned back to the group, eyes switching between Duo and Duric before addressing the pair of them. "What we are doing is of no concern to any of you right now. That, you just might find out later; if you live long enough. As for what we want with you? I guess you might say we're doing a little pest control. Your antics have endangered our project and that cannot be allowed. Your immediate fate is yet to be decided so you may want to enjoy what little time you have left." Leaving them with the cryptic answer, Sampson turned and left.

Young taped their ankles together again and then placed a piece of duct tape over Duo's mouth too. "I'll be back soon for you. Stay put," he added and then with a smirk, left the room.

Duo leaned back and got as comfortable as he could with his ankle and ribs still sore. He figured he might as well relax and let his mind wander in circles; hopefully that would help him in coming up with some way out of this new predicament.

* * *

Barton closed the communicator and looked to his lover. Quatre raised an eyebrow in question and Trowa answered. "Une said to secure the premises and wait for the Preventer team to get here. When they do we're to hand over to an Agent Flame and then head back to headquarters. She wants Keitaro and Nurse Brown checked over by Sally and then debriefed."

"Fine, although if I know Heero, he's already started the debriefing."

Trowa gave a soft chuckle. "How true. Come on, let's finish securing and let Yuy know what the orders are."

"I'm right with you."

* * *

In the basement, Heero was still holding his son and not about to give the infant up any time soon. In his usual, efficient manner, he'd taken care of changing the babe, annoyed at the state of his child. He didn't blame the nanny for Keitaro's lack of cleanliness, that rested solely on the bastards' heads that had abducted his son – and there would be retribution for that.

Once he was changed, Keitaro had gone back to sleep again, and that left Heero with the opportunity to talk to and check the nanny. He'd noticed the bandaged wrist and intended on finding out just what had happened there, as well as everything else.

Sitting beside the nanny on the ratty mattress, Keitaro snug and safe in his arms, Heero's heart ached for his still missing husband. Turning to the nurse, Heero reminded himself to keep his voice low and soft.

Ten minutes later, Heero had a basic outline of the kidnapping, the confinement and what the group had done, not just to Nurse Brown, but what they'd forced Duo into as well. His blood was boiling, despite the lack of facts – those he would learn in full later, once they were back at headquarters. The nurse and child needed to be checked by medical staff – then he would be able to listen to a full debriefing and decide his best course of action to bring to justice those who had dared to interfere with what was his.

They would pay, no doubt about that. Heero's blue eyes darkened with the promise of a very painful revenge.

* * *

Regaining her composure, Une was quick to leave the communications section, heading directly back to forensics. As she walked, she pulled her communicator from her pocket and punched in a frequency.

"Agent Flame here."

"Flame, I need your team assembled now. You have an assignment. Be in the forensics briefing room in ten for details. You leave in fifteen."

"Roger, commander. Flame out."

"Une out." Une disconnected and then punched in another frequency.

"Transport."

"Une here. I need a chopper on standby. Team moving out in fifteen. This is a drop off and extraction."

"Roger, commander. Chopper will be ready on the helipad in fifteen."

"Thank you. Une out."

"Transport out."

Pocketing the communicator, Une found herself at the forensics section once again and headed directly for Chang.

* * *

"Commander at three o'clock," Agent Cloud informed as he spotted the commander from the corner of his eye.

Chang looked up from where he was reading through the report on the findings to date in the study of the L3 ambassador's death. Seeing the look on Une's face, Chang dropped the paper to the bench top and with an order to keep working to his team, he aimed for the door.

Une reached the door at the same time as Chang. He opened it and stepped out. "Commander?"

"This way."

Chang followed Une back to the office they'd used earlier. Closing the door behind them, Une turned and let her shoulders sag.

"You have information?" Chang asked. It was clear that something was up.

"I've just spoken with temporary Agent Air," she breathed.

"Barton? What's happening. Have they found Maxwell, the child, the nanny?" Wufei's voice rose a touch as he spoke.

Seeing the agitation clearly in those onyx eyes, Une gave the agent the current information she had. "I won't know more until they arrive back here. I've ordered them to report straight to headquarters and notify me when they're five minutes out. I have Flame's team scrambling now and a chopper on standby to transport the team to the property. It will leave the team there and extract Yuy and the others, bringing them directly here."

"Good. It will be much faster that way and a lot less risky than driving."

"I agree."

Looking at his commander, Chang's voice softened a touch. "No sign of Maxwell, you said?"

"No. Barton said that an immediate sweep of the building and surrounding area had turned up nothing. I will have Flame and the team do a much broader search though."

"Good idea. Commander? Would you mind if I sat in on the debriefing? I will still work on the current assignment, but I'd like to be included on this one too."

Knowing how tight knit the guys were from their war days and now as friends, Une wasn't about to tear that unity apart. "Yes, Fire. I've already decided I want you on this and I would have sent you with Yuy, however you were already occupied with your current investigation."

"I'm hoping to have the major work on this assignment completed in the next twenty-four hours. What remains after that should only be trivial things that the team will be capable of taking care of."

"They can't work unsupervised, they will need someone to oversee the last parts," Une countered.

"I know. I am quite willing to continue to supervise, however, I do have another agent in mind that I think deserves some recognition and I also believe should be upgraded."

"Oh?"

Chang filled Une in on Agent Cloud, the young man who seemed to have a knack for discovering things and thinking on his feet.

"I'll take that into consideration, Fire." Une knew Wufei well enough to know he didn't put forward agents lightly. They had to be exceptional for Wufei to think they deserved promotion. "I have to go and brief Flame's team. I'll come back for you when I have word that the chopper is returning."

"Thank you, commander."

The pair left, Chang going back to his current investigation, Une to her briefing.

* * *

"That's all we can do," Sally said as she removed her surgical gloves and tossed them into the bin. The orderly had pulled the sheet back up to cover the senator's body and was now scribbling notes on the clipboard. Sally washed her hands and then took the offered pen and clipboard. She scanned over the information and satisfied, signed the bottom.

"Have that typed up and a copy sent to my office within the next six hours," she told the orderly.

"Will do, ma'am. Are you ready for the next one?"

"I need a coffee first. I'll go grab one whilst you get the body ready. If you should need me, I'll be in the cafeteria, I have my pager on me. Otherwise, I'll be back in about twenty minutes.

"Okay, doc. Enjoy your coffee."

Sally exited the autopsy room and quickly shed the surgical greens, stuffing them in the bin marked 'hazardous laundry'. Grabbing her bag from the locker she'd put it in earlier, she checked her clothing was neat and left to get the much needed caffeine boost.

Coffee in hand, Sally plonked down at one of the many vacant tables in the cafeteria. Preventer was quiet at this hour, although the cafeteria remained open twenty-four seven as there were always some agents on duty. It would be daylight soon and the building would slowly come alive as the night shift left and the day one took over.

Determined to enjoy her coffee before returning to do the second autopsy, Sally leaned back in her seat and let her eyes drift shut. Moments later she scowled as her pager went off. "Damn incompetent orderlies," she muttered under her breath as she reached for the small device. "Ah, shit," she added when she saw the number that was paging her. Fishing her cell from inside her bag, Sally hit the speed dial and waited. "You paged me, Une?"

* * *

Having finished her briefing with Flame's team and stressing the need for a thorough investigation to be conducted, Une watched them depart. Another sigh escaped her lips and she rubbed her tired eyes. She briefly contemplated getting another coffee, but there was only so much the drink could do to stave off the exhaustion that was slowly starting to claim her. It was almost dawn, a good sixteen hours since she'd last slept and heaven knew how long since she'd last eaten.

Grabbing her communicator, she put in a page to Sally. She would need the doctor alerted to the current situation as she would require a full medical exam on the nanny and child once they arrived at headquarters. She also wondered if there was something the doctor could give her to allow her to continue to function for at least another sixteen hours.

Having placed the page, she sat back to wait for the returned call. It came within minutes. Knowing Sally was in the cafeteria, Une told her to wait there and she would be along very shortly. Hanging up, Une left the briefing room and was soon in the cafeteria. Spotting Sally sitting alone, Une grabbed a pre-packed sandwich and coffee, then made her way to Sally's table.

"What's up?" Sally asked with a raised eyebrow at Une's food.

Ignoring the unspoken question, Une kept her voice low as she filled Sally in on their locating of the nanny and child and still missing status of Maxwell. Finishing off her sandwich, she swallowed the coffee and waited for the questions.

Sally was both stunned, overjoyed and saddened at the news. She fired off a few questions, mainly to the state of health of Margaret and the child, but also a few cautionary questions relating to Heero an his current state of mind. Satisfied as she could be with the answers for now, Sally began to run a mental check in her mind regarding the checks she would need to do.

Seeing the exhausted state of her boss, she also advised a good, hot meal and sleep, not the cardboard shit they served in the cafeteria; and a proper bed, not the couch in Une's office. Knowing that neither would be forthcoming any time soon though, Sally offered her boss a vitamin shot and subtly hinted about a pill that would also help to keep her awake, coherent and functional for another twenty hours. Although she did warn that once the effects of the pill wore off, Une would need to sleep and rest as she would crash and crash hard.

Une accepted the offer, she already knew the effects of the pill Sally had suggested; quite often their field agents would take something similar if they were on a case that required their full attention for longer than the usual concentration span.

The pair left the cafeteria and went to the medical wing where Sally dealt with the commander and once finished, went back to the autopsy room to inform the orderly to put the body back in the cold storage facility as they would not be doing the autopsy now, but later.

* * *

The helicopter flew through the steadily lightening sky, the coordinates set into the computer. Flame and his team had continued to discuss the assignment on their way to the property and formed their plan. Each agent on the team was allocated a task and expected to complete that task with efficiency and thoroughness.

By the time they reached the property the team was all eager and raring to go. The chopper pilot put the craft down in a small paddock to the immediate left of the building, shutting the engine down to a low idle, the rotors slowing and finally stopping. The team exited, ducking low and running away from the craft to regroup at the side.

Flame checked all agents were present and ready, then turned to greet the other agents coming across the field to meet with them.

Barton had taken over temporarily, leaving Heero free to deal with his son and emotional distress. Trowa figured Heero didn't need the added burden of briefing the team coming in to scour the property and compile all the evidence.

Leaving Trowa to exchange words with Flame, Quatre assisted Heero and his son into the chopper, then gave Nurse Brown a hand before climbing in himself. Trowa joined them a few minutes later and the chopper pilot coaxed the engines back to capacity, engaging the rotors and lifting off into the dawn sky.

* * *

"Thank you. I'm on my way." Une closed the connection and punched in another frequency. Waiting for the call to connect, she grabbed her cell and left her office.

"Agent Fire."

"Chang, it's Commander Une. Chopper is five minutes out. Meet me at the helipad."

"On my way."

Une flicked the switch and grabbed her cell.

"Doctor Po."

"Sally, chopper is five minutes out. I'm on my way to the helipad and so is Agent Fire. Meet you there shortly."

"Will do, Une." Sally disconnected and grabbed her bag.

Une put the cell back in her pocket and opened the doors that led to the stairs that would take her to the top of the Preventer building and helipad.

Within a couple of minutes she was joined by both Chang and Sally, the doctor having also had the forethought to bring a wheelchair with her just in case.

All three stood in silence, words unnecessary as they waited for the incoming helicopter and cargo.

"I hear it," Wufei said and peered into the distance.

It was light enough now to see and below them the city was slowly coming to life as people awoke and began their day.

A dark spec appeared on the horizon, steadily getting larger and louder as it neared. The thump of the rotors increased and all three on the top of the building moved back into the alcove by the stairwell as the chopper made its final approach.

Moments later the aircraft had landed and the engines were shut down. The rotors began to slow and the door was opened. All three on the building roof came out of the alcove and headed for the opening door.

Quatre opened the door and stepped out, reaching to assist the nurse. Once she was safely out, Quatre remained beside her as they walked across the rooftop towards the greeting party.

Heero exited next, a gurgling Keitaro in his arms. The infant was wide awake and seemingly fascinated by the helicopter. Trowa was the last to exit and caught up to Heero just as Une, Chang and Sally reached them.

Sally's trained eyes scanned over the nurse and then darted to the child in Heero's arms. From there she switched her attention to Heero and frowned.

"Straight to the medical wing, now," she barked and went to the other side of the nurse. "Come on, you're going in the wheelchair," she said and then added in a quiet tone, "Margaret, it's good to have you back."

Margaret turned to look at the doctor and gave a soft smile. "You have no idea just how good it is to be back," she replied and then passed out.

~ * ~

tbc...


	55. Chapter 55

**Thank you all for the kind reviews and encouragement. This fic currently has 56 chapters written and is almost caught up to where I am with writing it. Once we get to chapter 56 the updates will slow as I'm usually only able to get a chapter done each week/fortnight, all depending on how much time I get to write. I hope you all continue to read and enjoy as the saga continues. *hugs you all* Shen ^_^**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong.

Chapter 55

As the nurse crumpled, Wufei shot forward and with Quatre's assistance, managed to catch the nanny before she could hit the ground. They eased her into the wheelchair, Sally diving into her bag and locating the smelling salts.

Moments later, Margaret was again on the conscious plane.

"Damn," said the nanny as she came out of her faint and back to reality. "Why did you do that? I was quite happy in my unconscious state."

Sally rolled her eyes. "Look, you can pass out all you want later, right now I need you awake so I can examine you." Turning to Wufei, she directed her next words to him. "Can you please push the wheelchair to the medical section?"

"Of course," came Wufei's reply.

"Right, people, let's move out." Sally fell into step beside Heero and the infant. "I'm sorry that Duo is still missing, but relieved you have Keitaro back safely."

"Thank you," Heero whispered.

Pausing to wait for the elevator doors to open, Sally put her hand on Heero's arm. "We will find him, Heero."

Pain filled blue eyes turned to stare at her and the doctor could read the anguish there as well.

"I did say before we would find them and bring them home safe. We have two back and it's only a matter of time before we get Duo back too."

Heero nodded, there wasn't much else he could do and Sally was right; they had the nanny and his son back safely. The next step would be to get Duo back too.

The elevator arrived and everyone stepped inside.

* * *

The sound of approaching footsteps drew Duo's eyes from the cracks in the ceiling he was counting to the doorway. The man he recognized as Tewson stepped in, followed by Matthews and Young.

Matthews approached and removed the duct tape from each of their mouths and wrists, then nodded to the other two. Young and Tewson moved forward, each carrying a plate of food that they handed over to their 'prisoners'.

Duo took his and glanced at the meal, it wasn't much at all, just a piece of battered fish and a pile of fries. His stomach rumbled to let him know just how long it had been since he'd last eaten and he figured he might as well make the most of it. There weren't any utensils, their captors not willing to risk one of them possibly trying to make a break for it using a fork or knife as a weapon - not that they would get very far. In a standoff between a fork and a gun, Duo would put his money on the gun, there was something about a bread and butter knife that simply didn't fit the whole 'escape' routine. Picking up the piece of fish, Duo took a bite.

Duric similarly began to eat his own food, Farrow following suit.

"Someone will have to feed him," Young snapped as he placed Murphy's plate on the floor beside the chair the partially conscious man was sprawled in.

Duric looked up and glanced at Duo. Duo shot the man a look that clearly said, 'fuck off!' With a grunt, Duric turned to Farrow. "When you finish yours, feed Murphy."

Farrow frowned and was about to say something but the look in Duric's eye convinced him not to open his mouth and say what he was thinking. Farrow swallowed. "Okay," he muttered.

Tewson and Matthews departed leaving Young to watch over them. Duo wondered if he could distract the man long enough that he could risk a few words with Duric. Deciding he had nothing to lose, Duo put down his piece of fish and swallowed.

"Any chance of getting a glass of water? It's been a while since any of us had something to drink and this meal isn't helping the thirst any as it's a little salty."

Young sneered at Duo but considered the request. "I'll see what I can do." Young turned and stepped just outside the doorway to shout out to Tewson.

Duo took immediate advantage of the moment and lowered his voice to speak to Duric. "I'm hoping the nanny has managed to get out of that place and alert the authorities. If that's the case, we need to play along with these guys until Preventer can locate us, that way we just might get out of this alive."

"You any idea what they're up to? I know they're the ones that killed Cropp," Duric hissed.

"I have a theory, but that's all at this stage." Duo wasn't about to elaborate, he had his ideas and he also knew it wouldn't be long before Nurse Brown got word to Heero and then Preventer would really be on their case. Meanwhile, he would apply his own training, gather as much evidence as he could and maybe, just maybe, take these bastards down. There was the small problem of staying alive through it all too.

Further conversation was halted as Young stepped back inside the room, Tewson coming in a few minutes later with four glasses and a jug of water.

"Thank you," Duo said. It was wise to remain on the better side of these people - for now at least.

Farrow finished his meal and moved to help Murphy, Young keeping the gun trained on them. Once they were all finished, Tewson returned and removed the dirty dishes. Young produced another roll of duct tape and the three found themselves once more bound and gagged.

* * *

"X-rays and probably surgery, Margaret, I don't like the look of that wrist at all," said Sally as she examined the nurse.

Margaret snorted. "You want to try living with it."

"At least you haven't lost your sense of humor." Sally replied and then changed her tone to a slightly softer one. "You sure you feel up to the debriefing?"

"I'd be lying if I said I was fine," Margaret replied. "Look, I'll be honest, this wrist does hurt and I know there's more going on with it than meets the eye. It would be better to get it fixed as soon as possible, but right now, that isn't an option. I have to let them all know everything I can. That young man is still out there somewhere and he needs to be brought back home where he belongs; with his husband and son... his family."

Sally lowered her eyes. She knew exactly where Margaret was coming from. "I agree with you, but..."

Margaret looked up sharply.

"But... I will give you a strong painkiller to help ease that wrist for the moment; once you've spoken with Une and the others you are to surrender to me."

"Surrender?" the nurse's voice held a touch of amusement and she raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, surrender. I need to have the wrist x-rayed and probably an ultrasound done too. Then I'll get an operating theater ready. I have no doubt that those bones have started to heal and in the wrong positions too. We will most likely need to re-break them to set them properly."

Margaret sighed. "I swear you can do what you like once I've spoken with the powers that be."

"Good. Now, give me your arm so I can put in a saline drip and then give you that painkiller."

* * *

Une, Chang, Barton and Winner all sat in the small, doctor's lounge in the Preventer medical wing. Heero stood to one side, Keitaro cradled in his arms, the infant having gone back to sleep for a while. The door opened and they all looked up in expectation.

Sally wheeled Margaret in, the nanny having been given strict instructions she was to remain in the wheelchair, much to Margaret's annoyance.

'Parking' the wheelchair and setting the brake, Sally took a seat beside Une. "Okay, you can start with your debriefing now, please try to keep it short and to the point as Nurse Brown has an appointment with an operating theater very shortly."

"Thanks, we will try to keep it as short as possible," replied Une and she reached for the small recorder and turned the unit on. With the device now operating, Une turned to the nanny and began. "Nurse Brown, if you could kindly tell us exactly what happened to you and the child, from the moment you left the Yuy-Maxwell residence to the time Agent Day found you in the basement please."

Taking a deep breath, Margaret cast her mind back and began to speak. "I took Keitaro with me to the mall to do a little shopping, then we went into the park for a bit of a stroll and to feed the ducks like we often did..."

As the nurse related all that had happened, Heero listened intently, his anger growing steadily until he was ready to flay alive the persons responsible.

Wufei was similarly seething. "What a bunch of dishonorable curs!" he exclaimed when Nurse Brown reiterated how they had broken her wrist.

As the nurse continued, telling them what she knew of the assassinations Duo had been forced to commit, Quatre closed his eyes as he thought back to how he'd felt Duo's dark side and now knew why that presence had been so strong. "Oh Allah, poor Duo. No wonder I could feel Shinigami so strongly," he whispered to Trowa.

"And then all we heard were the sounds of a scuffle and gunshots. Duo made me hide in the corner between the drums, cans and other rubbish and told us to stay there. I heard someone come into the basement, it wasn't a voice I'd heard before. I didn't dare look out, keeping the child safe was my main priority. I listened as they spoke to Duo and then they left. I didn't hear anything else after that for quite some time, and then I heard Heero's voice."

Une switched the recorder off, everyone just sat in their chairs trying to digest all the information, all except Heero who continued to stand with Keitaro in his arms.

"Thank you, Margaret, for the information. Now, if we could ask a few questions before Sally takes you off to surgery?"

"Of course, commander. I'll do my best to answer for you."

Une turned the recorder back on and began with simple questions like the names of the perpetrators, descriptions, any identifying scars, tattoos or the like.

Margaret did her best to describe each of the kidnappers that she'd come into contact with as accurately as she could. She'd only met Duric and Murphy and therefore could only describe them. She'd heard of Nolen being the leader through Duo's talking of him, and she knew there was another man, but what his name was or what he looked like, she didn't know.

Une continued in her questioning, Chang and Yuy asking a question of their own here and there until they were pretty sure they had all they would be likely to get.

"Do you have any idea at all who these other people might be or where they could have taken Duo and the others?" Une asked.

"No. No I don't. I wish I did, I wish I could have done more to help Duo, but..."

"You did everything you possibly could do."

Margaret looked up at the sound of the voice. A pair of blue eyes filled with a mixture of appreciation, pain and anguish stared back at her.

"You kept my son safe," Heero whispered. "And for that I am eternally grateful."

Margaret lowered her eyes, unable to keep the contact. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice hitching slightly.

"If that's all, I'd like to get Margaret x-rayed and ready for surgery," Sally said, breaking the awkward moment.

"There's one more thing," Margaret said, her voice soft.

"There is?" Une looked at the nurse.

Raising her eyes, Margaret found Heero's eyes again and stared directly into them as she spoke, keeping her voice as steady as she could. "I'm pretty certain that your husband is pregnant again."

* * *

The sun was beginning to set when Young returned to the room where Duo and the others were being held. Ignoring the three sitting and watching him, Young moved to where Murphy lay sprawled in the chair. He checked the man over and disappeared.

Duric glanced from Murphy to Duo and raised an eyebrow. Duo shook his head in response. He didn't know what was going on either.

Young returned within minutes, Tewson at his side. The three able bodied men were hauled to their feet, the tape on their ankles cut.

"Move out," Tewson growled and waved a gun at them.

Peterson appeared in the doorway, also armed. "Follow me," he ordered.

With a glance at Murphy, Duric started to follow Peterson, Farrow right behind him. Duo hobbled after the pair, his eyes also flicking to Murphy. Murphy didn't look too good. By rights he should be in a hospital, he'd lost a lot of blood that Duo could tell and from his observations, Murphy was not only in shock, but it appeared infection was starting to set in if the sweating forehead and glazed eyes were anything to go by.

Unable to communicate with their mouths duct taped, the three men followed their captor outside and back into the waiting van. Once they were inside, their ankles were re-taped and then they were left alone for a moment, Tewson keeping guard from outside the van.

Duric continued to cast glances at Duo and the braided man had a pretty good idea what was going on inside Duric's head. The same thoughts were going through his own. The main thought being; where were they going now?

Matthews and Peterson soon joined Tewson outside the van and chatted amongst themselves in low tones. Although Duo did his best to strain his ears, he couldn't pick up on the conversation and it was too dark to read anyone's lips. Moments later he spotted the bulky guy called Zaheer step out and disappear around the side of the house. He returned moments later behind the wheel of another van.

Duo's head jerked back towards the house as he spotted Sampson and two other men coming out. Whilst the conversation was still low, Duo picked up a couple of words on the night air and he stiffened.

Wainright.

Duo could swear he'd heard Sampson address one of the other two men as Wainright. Quickly, his mind scrambled, dragging up information he had pushed to the back of his conscious.

Wainright.

He was one of the senators at the ESUN. More specifically, he was the one in charge of the Colony rebuilding scheme.

So what in the name of Hell was he doing here?

Duo didn't get much chance to ponder the thought. Sampson, Zaheer, Wainright and the other guy all got into the front van. Tewson and Peterson climbed into the back of the van with Duo and the others; Matthews climbed in front and started the van up.

Duric glanced around, looked at Duo and then looked pointedly at the house. It was clear to Duo he was mentally asking, 'What about Murphy?'

Duo shrugged his shoulders. He didn't have a clue where Murphy was.

Young appeared from the front door then, closing it and jogging towards the van. He holstered his gun as he climbed inside, Matthews slipping the van into gear and driving off behind the other van.

* * *

"P - pregnant?" Heero whispered as he visibly paled, the nanny's words hitting him like a freight train.

Margaret nodded.

The rest of the room were also in stunned shock. Sally was the first to recover.

"Are you sure, Margaret?' she asked, her efficient, doctor side coming to the fore.

"Pretty sure," replied the nanny. "Without doing a proper blood or urine test I couldn't be a hundred percent positive, but after observing him over the past few days, I'm about ninety percent convinced."

"But, how?" Heero asked, his mind still trying to grasp the words.

Seeing the opportunity to have a dig at his friend, Wufei was about to come out with a smart comment when he caught the look in Sally's eye. He quickly swallowed the words. Best not to annoy the doctor, especially when their own romance was still in its infant stages.

Unaware of Wufei's squashed intention to tease him, Heero fixed Sally with his eyes. "We did everything you recommended, switched roles and used protection," he defended.

Sally shook her head. "This certainly does bring an entirely new set of problems," she began. "Regardless of the 'how', Heero, _if_ Duo is pregnant again, I don't think I need to remind you of the risks involved; and I don't mean just his condition being discovered. There's also his physical makeup and the fact that it's not been all that long since he carried Keitaro. His body isn't ready for another pregnancy so soon."

Sally didn't need to remind Heero at all. The Japanese man was fully aware of the dangers of another pregnancy so close on the heels of Keitaro.

"Then I suggest we really need to step up this investigation, people," Une stated in her calm voice. Before she could speak further, her pager went off. Grabbing the device, she glanced at it and frowned. "I'll be right back." Une stood up and stepped outside the doctors lounge to place a call to the number on her pager.

"Commander Une here."

* * *

The two vans continued on through the early evening and into the darker night. Duo and his companions dozed on and off, no one really getting much in the way of sleep. After what Duo deduced to have been at least three hours of traveling, the van began to slow and he blinked open his tired eyes, peering as best he could out the window at the darkened surroundings.

There wasn't much to be made out, but as Duo's eyes adjusted to the dark and the vans came to a stop, he was able to make out a little more. Once the vans had come to a complete stop, the door was opened and their four 'babysitters' got out.

The door was left open and aided by the light of the moon, Duo could see enough to recognize an abandoned, military shuttle station when he saw one. The buildings were crumbling into decay and from what he could see of the launch mechanism, it wasn't all that much better.

Beside him, Duric was also staring, wide eyed at their surroundings. He nudged Duo with his shoulder, the long haired man turning to scowl at Duric. With his mouth still taped shut, Duric inclined his head towards the shuttle launch ramp and raised his eyebrows.

Clearly he was asking Duo if they were going to be launched into space off that ramp. Duo shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't sure, but it looked like that might be the plan. He then shook his head. He doubted very much that even these idiots would try something that risky. From what he could see of the ramp, it was under repair, however there was still quite a bit that needed doing to it before it would be able to launch a heavy shuttle. To do so now would most likely end up with the shuttle getting halfway along and the entire structure would collapse underneath it – not a very nice ending.

Another vehicle was approaching and Duo switched his attention to that. It pulled up outside his range of vision but he did hear another three voices join in with those currently outside. The conversation was difficult to hear, but from time to time the breeze would blow in the right direction and Duo would catch a few words. From those brief snatches, Duo could pretty much guess what the conversation was about.

"It wouldn't be ready..."

"...wasn't supposed to be for another six months..."

"...damn idiots throwing a spanner..."

"...Boss isn't happy..."

"...change of plan..."

Judging by the irritation in the voices as well as the fragments of the conversation he heard, Duo pretty much figured these guys hadn't planned on using this facility for another six months, in which case the launch ramp would have been repaired. With Nolen's appearance and actions, it seemed these guys had had their plans thrown into jeopardy and were now trying to salvage what they could.

The doorway was suddenly shadowed and a head poked itself in, Duo and Duric both fixing their eyes on the person standing there. Duo felt his heart rate quicken a touch as he recognized the man before them.

Detective White.

Duo was sure it was him, the detective that he and Heero had dealt with when picking up the files and taking over the case of Cropp's murder. If the detective was in with this gang then no wonder the police report on the murder had been so weak. Whether the man had similarly recognized Duo or not, he couldn't tell. He hoped not.

"Who the fuck are they?" White asked as he pulled his head out.

"I thought you said there were four?" came another voice and then another head poked inside, withdrawing a second later.

The sound of low voices could be heard followed by a few expletives, then the group seemed to agree on whatever it was they'd been discussing. A cell phone was pulled out, numbers punched and after a few more minutes, what seemed a couple more calls, the group began to pull apart and get back into the vans.

Detective White joined Duo, Duric, Farrow and their kidnappers in their van, the other man going to the front van with Zaheer and the others. The engine started and Matthews drove once more into the dark night.

Matthews drove for a short while before stopping the van again. White got out and disappeared, returning a few minutes later with two large duffel bags in hand, passing one to the front van and then climbing back into Matthews' van.

Once they were back on the road again, Peterson turned to the detective who had joined them and began to speak in a low tone. "Guess we should get this set up, it's only an hour to the shuttle port."

The other man nodded and grabbed the bag he'd brought into the van with him. Rummaging around inside, he pulled out several sets of clothes and handed them over to Young, Peterson and Tewson. He passed a set to Young in readiness for Matthews before pulling out his own set of clothes. Silently, they all changed.

Duric's eyes widened as he watched the men changing. Their captors all now wore suits, complete with shoulder holsters, all except Matthews – Matthews would change into his once they stopped driving.

"Here," said the detective and passed over what looked like ID badges. "They're not perfect, had to do a rushed finish on them but they're close enough. No one will notice the difference."

Each man took an ID and clipped it to his lapel before being given another badge, this one sitting in a type of wallet along with what Duo could swear was a detective badge. Those were slipped into inner pockets.

"Now for the prisoners."

Duo, Duric and Farrow all found themselves being handcuffed, a set of ankle manacles attached and then a chain added that locked the handcuffs to the ankle ones. Once they were secured, the duct tape was removed from wrists, ankles and thankfully, mouths.

Duo winced as the tape was pulled from his mouth, but if felt good to be able to breathe through his mouth again.

The volume of street lights outside had begun to increase and along with it, the noise factor. Glancing out the window, Duo could see they were pulling into a shuttle port. Their van followed the other one and pulled into a police only parking area. Once the vans both stopped, everyone began to get out and Matthews quickly changed his clothes.

Once they were all standing outside in the parking lot, the rest of the plan became clear.

"You three are our prisoners, dangerous felons that are being extradited to face the courts and answer for your crimes," White informed them. "Under no circumstances are you to speak, you will keep your heads low and do exactly as you are told. Remember, there are three of you and ten of us; and _we_ are armed." To emphasize his point, White lifted the jacket and removed the gun from its holster.

Pointing the gun at Duo, White spoke again. "Move."

The three 'criminals' formed a line with the other men surrounding them and began to walk towards the side entry to the shuttle port.

~ * ~

tbc...


	56. Chapter 56

**Thank you all for the kind reviews. Okay, we're caught up to where I'm currently at in the writing of this fic. Next chapter will be uploaded somewhere in the next week.**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong.

Chapter 56

Having finished her call, Une stepped back into the doctors lounge, the conversation inside ceasing and all faces turned in her direction. "That was Agent Flame. They have the property secured and initial forensic evidence is currently being collected. Sally, there's another body on its way in, I'll need a full autopsy from you as soon as you can."

"I'll add it to the list," Sally muttered.

Une chose to ignore the sarcasm. "Good. Now, Margaret, you have an appointment with an operating theater, I believe?"

Margaret nodded.

"I'll leave you in Doctor Po's capable hands then. The rest of you are to go home, I don't expect any of you back here until tomorrow morning. Yuy?"

"Yes, commander?"

"I'm going to appoint a full, around the clock, guard on your home. I know you have excellent security set up but I'm sending a couple of agents anyway to assist the people you already have on the premises. I trust you to make the necessary introductions to your current staff."

"Yes, ma'am." Heero knew there was no point in arguing.

"Good, now get going, all of you."

The agents, Sally, Margaret, Heero and Keitaro all left the doctors lounge. As they walked down the corridor each was lost in their own thoughts.

"This is where we will leave you, gentlemen," Sally said as she paused at a branch in the corridor. "I need to get Margaret sorted out. Heero, I expect you to bring Keitaro in tomorrow so I can give him a full examination." Seeing the Japanese man about to open his mouth, she quickly carried on. "I know I checked him over earlier, but that was only a brief examination to make sure he wasn't injured in any way. I'd like to check him thoroughly tomorrow."

"Okay." Heero was pretty sure his son was fine, but he couldn't argue with the doctor's logic.

"I will see you all tomorrow then. Goodnight, gentlemen."

Heero stepped up beside Nurse Brown whilst the others were saying their goodnights. "Sally will take good care of you. I hope everything goes okay with your wrist and I'll be sure to stop by in the morning to see how you are."

"Thank you, Heero." The nurse paused and a frown crossed her face. "Are you going to be able to cope okay with Keitaro?"

Knowing the nanny was worried, Heero was quick to ally her fears. "I'll be fine, I did, after all, have the best teacher when it comes to raising children."

The nanny blushed. "Oh, get away with you, Heero." Still, she looked pleased by the compliment. "You look after that boy and I'll be back at work before you know it."

"Rest and heal first," replied Heero, then he did something totally out of character for him. He moved to stand closer and bent at the waist. "Thank you for looking after my son and keeping him safe. Thank you for being there for Duo too." Before he could change his mind, Heero leaned in and pressed a kiss to the nanny's cheek. Pulling away, he blushed and quickly turned on his heel, leading the way out of the Preventer medical section and towards the elevators that would take them to the basement parking area and their cars.

Nurse Brown was stunned for a second, then she raised her fingers to her cheek and brushed them lightly over the spot Heero had kissed.

* * *

Entering the shuttle port, Duo kept his head low but his eyes were busy scanning around. There weren't many people in this section of the port, the main commuting section was further over, this part being used mostly for private transport. He had no doubt the men surrounding them would use their guns so he continued to play along, hobbling behind Duric and Farrow as they walked through the port and to the immigration desk.

Arriving at the desk, the newer guy that had joined them with Detective White approached the officer behind the desk. Duo strained his ears to pick up on the conversation.

"Good evening, officer. I'm Chief Inspector Carrol. I believe you have been informed as to our arrival and purpose for this trip?" As the man spoke he handed over some paperwork and also flashed his badge.

"Ah, yes, chief inspector." The officer took the paperwork and glanced briefly at it before handing some of it back. "I take it those are the felons?"

"Yes, they are."

"Rough looking trio. What are the charges?" the officer asked as he stamped the appropriate documents.

"Murder and armed robbery amongst other things. I'll be glad to see them in jail," replied the chief inspector as he took the offered documents.

"I'm glad you're transporting them on a private shuttle then and not with civilians." Whilst most criminals were transported on private craft, it wasn't unusual for some to travel on public shuttles, although they were the less dangerous criminals.

"Thank you. If that is all I think we should get aboard and get these felons where they belong," said the chief inspector.

"By all means. Just go through these doors and follow the corridor down to gate fourteen. Your shuttle is waiting there for you. Have a safe trip."

"Thank you." The chief inspector turned back to the group and indicated for them to follow him.

As they proceeded down the corridor, Duo's brain was busy going over the information he'd just learned. It was even clearer now why Cropp's murder hadn't been given the investigation it deserved. Not only was the detective responsible for the investigation in with this gang, but the chief inspector too! Duo wondered exactly how deep the corruption in the police force went – and just who was behind all this.

Arriving at gate fourteen, the chief inspector and Sampson went to speak with the person manning the doors to the entry way to the shuttle. Duo glanced around, his hopes of escape plummeting.

Moments later a gun was pressed into his back and he was told to get moving. Shuffling along, he followed Duric down the small walkway and into the shuttle. Duo was pushed into a seat, the harness strapped on and then he was left alone.

He gazed out the window, watching the ground crew flitting around as the rest of the group all took their seats and prepared for takeoff.

The shuttle's engines rumbled into life and the craft began to make its way from the docking port, along the small runway and into position for the slingshot that would send them off into space. The engines began to pick up, the craft shuddering as the pilot held her still, waiting until he had enough energy to make the take off.

Then the craft began to move forward, building in her speed as she approached the ramp that would launch her. Reaching the base of the ramp, the chains engaged to the underbelly, adding even more forward momentum to the craft as both turbines and sling shot mechanism worked together to thrust the craft up and into the atmosphere.

Duo took another look out of the window as the shuttle fought the gravity of the earth, his heart heavy in his chest.

Would he ever see his son and husband again?

* * *

Sally looked carefully at the x-rays, noting exactly where the bones had broken and where they were rejoining. She frowned and then scanned the cat scan pictures. She wasn't happy at all. With a sigh, she turned back to the patient who was lying on the gurney waiting to enter the operating theater.

"Margaret?"

"Yes?"

"I've just looked at the x-rays and cat scan of your wrist. I can see where the break is and how the bones are starting to heal, but I've got a question for you and I want an honest answer."

Margaret frowned a little. "Okay."

"Tell me, are you experiencing any numbness in that wrist or your fingers?"

Lowering her eyes, Margaret spoke softly. "Yes, yes I am. More in the thumb and the first two fingers."

"How long have you had the numbness?"

"I only really started to notice it about three to four days ago."

"Thank you. I won't beat around the bush here. The way your wrist has been broken and the bones moved, the nerves have also shifted slightly. The bones have tried to heal again and in the process have trapped a couple of those nerves. Put bluntly, those nerves are being crushed and we need to liberate them as soon as we can. I don't know at this stage how much damage has been done to them and I won't until after the surgery and you're awake again. I have to warn you, Margaret, that there's a distinct possibility that the numbness could be permanent; nerve tissue doesn't regenerate as you well know. I don't expect it would get any worse, but there is always that chance that the nerves have been damaged too much and will continue to deteriorate."

"I understand exactly what you're saying doctor. I had thought this would be the case. Just do the best you can once you have me in there and I'll be happy."

Sally gave the nurse a smile and squeezed her shoulder. "You can be sure I'll do everything within my power to make this operation successful. Now, it's time to operate." Sally gave the anesthetist a nod and he began to inject the anesthetic into the drip line. Within seconds the nurse was asleep.

"Right, let's get her inside and get started."

The gurney was wheeled, Nurse Brown transferred across to the operating table and the surgery began.

* * *

Once home at the mansion, Quatre and Wufei took charge of the agents Une had supplied to add to the security detail. They introduced them to Harim and Raphael, leaving the Maguanacs to bring the agents up to speed with the current security system in place at the mansion.

Trowa had headed for the kitchen to start cooking them all a late dinner whilst Heero went up the stairs to the nursery, Keitaro still asleep in his arms. Laying the child gently in his cot, Heero went through to his and Duo's room, aiming for the bathroom where he turned the faucets on to fill the bath with warm water.

He needed a bath or shower himself and he also intended to wash all the filth from his son. Not comfortable with letting the babe out of his sight for any length of time, Heero decided to take his son in the bath with him. Whilst the water ran, Heero returned to his room and fetched a change of clothes from the dresser.

Turning the water off before the tub could fill too much, Heero checked the temperature and then went to get a fresh diaper for Keitaro and the child's pajamas. With everything set out ready, Heero went back to get his son.

Keitaro stirred and blinked open his sleepy eyes. Recognizing his father's face, he gurgled happily. Heero smiled affectionately and carried his son through to the bathroom where he undressed them both and climbed into the tub.

Keitaro seemed happy with this new turn of events and splashed away with his small feet and hands whenever he could. Heero let the child play for a few moments before picking up the wash cloth and beginning the task of cleaning both himself and his son. Once they were both clean, Heero sat and relaxed, letting the baby enjoy his splashing and simply absorbed the moment.

Having gotten his son back eased some of the pain in Heero's heart, but not all. Until Duo was safely back beside him a part of his heart would continue to remain an open, bleeding wound.

* * *

Trowa finished his cooking and began to plate the meals. He was almost finished when Quatre stuck his head around the door. "Need any help?"

"You could go call the others and set the table, it's almost ready," Trowa replied.

The blonde head disappeared to do just that, returning within minutes, Wufei in tow and the pair began to set the table.

"Heero coming?" asked Trowa as he set the plates down on the table.

"Yes. He was just finishing off getting Keitaro in his pajamas," Quatre said as he took his place. "Smells delicious."

Heero appeared with Keitaro in his arms and walked across to place the baby in his high chair. Trowa brought over a small bowl of food and handed it to Heero who nodded his thanks. Sitting down, Heero automatically checked the temperature of the food before picking up the spoon and starting to feed the infant.

Once everyone had begun to eat, the talk started. The question that was foremost in everyone's minds was 'where was Duo?' and 'what was their next step to be in locating the missing man?'

All they had to go on was the nurse's description of two of the perpetrators and one dead body. They had no clue at this stage who the new people were, where they were residing and what they wanted.

Besides Duo missing, they also had the problem of the two missing senators; Wainright and Richards, not to mention the missing funds and the purchases made with those missing funds. On top of all that, the purchases had also gone missing.

"I feel like I'm really missing something here," Quatre groaned and rubbed his aching temples.

"At this rate we will all be missing our sanity," muttered Wufei.

"It's high time we got away from the 'missing' and did something about the 'finding'," Trowa grunted.

Heero wiped Keitaro's mouth, pleased to see his son's appetite was still healthy. "We need to take a step back from it all I think. Take a breath, then look at each problem separately. We also need the forensic evidence to help us in our cause and I can't see any of that being available until at least tomorrow afternoon at the earliest."

"But, Heero, we can't just sit here and do nothing!" Quatre protested.

"I didn't say we were," Heero replied.

"Then what are you proposing?" Wufei asked as he placed his cutlery on his empty plate. "Thank you, Barton. That was delicious."

Trowa nodded at the compliment to his culinary skills and his cheeks tinged pink.

"Once Keitaro is asleep I intend to carry on trying to trace those purchased parts, see if I can't locate a delivery address or something for them," Heero said as he began to clean up the infant and high chair.

"I'd like to know where those two senators have gone," Chang muttered. "There's no way we will ever see them at the ESUN again."

"I agree." Trowa paused as he thought. "Anyone know where the senators live?"

"Their contact details should be in the ESUN personnel files I think," replied Quatre. "Most large companies have all their employees details on record and I'm assuming the ESUN would do the same."

"Right. I'm going to put Keitaro to bed. Chang, you and I will use the main computer to see if we can find out where these parts were being shipped to. Quatre, you and Trowa see if you can hack into the personnel files in the ESUN database and get the contact numbers and addresses for those two senators." Heero looked at his friends. "Okay?"

Two nods and a grunt signified the response. Satisfied, Heero picked up the babe who was finding it difficult to stay awake and took his son upstairs to the nursery. Changing the infant's diaper, Heero lay his son in the cot and covered him with the blankets. Keitaro snuggled into the warmth, a thumb finding its way into the tiny mouth and offering comfort to the child. Heero wound the little key on the mobile then released it. The soft sounds of a lullaby chimed out as the small figures began to turn.

Watching the child as his eyes grew heavy and finally closed, Heero couldn't help the lump in his throat or the warmth in his chest. He was so relieved and grateful to have his child home safely; and yet his heart still ached, a piece of his soul missing and would remain that way until Duo was once again in his arms. Turning from the cot, Heero walked over to the window and gazed out and up to the stars that twinkled brightly in the night sky.

"Where are you, Duo?"

* * *

Duo dozed for a while during the shuttle flight, their captors leaving them alone for the most part, only making their presence known when they handed out water bottles to each of the 'prisoners'. Duric and Farrow also slept, the three men obviously thinking along the same lines and getting what rest they could whilst they could. None of them had any idea where they were going or what awaited them at the other end.

When he fully awoke the shuttle was still traveling through the black void of space, Duo's internal clock telling him they had been flying for several hours. His stomach backed up his clock by announcing with a loud growl that it was hungry. His eyes glanced around but judging from what he could see of their captors, they wouldn't be getting anything to eat any time soon.

Young and Tewson were on watch, the others sleeping. Duo turned his gaze to the small window and the darkness beyond. The stars twinkled here and there, Duo's brain scanning over them and recalling his knowledge on stellar maps in an effort to try and learn where they were and where they could possibly be heading.

Figuring out the stellar pattern wasn't that hard once he'd located a couple of major stars. From what he could tell, they were on course for L2. With nothing else to do but stare outside the window, Duo let his mind wander over all that had happened recently and try to figure out the puzzle.

From what he could remember and what he'd managed to learn during his captivity, he knew the first group had noticed that L2 was lagging far behind the other colonies and as such had formed their group with the intent of forcing the ESUN to provide more funding. His own hacking into the databases had shown him that all monies donated to the rebuilding scheme did not add up and he was pretty certain that this second group had something to do with that. With no further facts at his disposal, Duo could only speculate on what this second group was after.

And the ideas his mind was giving him were not very nice ones.

Filing all the information he currently had into the recesses of his mind, Duo could only wait, hope and pray that he would be able to gather evidence, learn what was going on, somehow get what information and facts he could to Preventer and survive the experience at the same time.

Yeah, just another day at the office.

* * *

Sally gave a long sigh as she inserted the last stitch into the wound and swabbed the area. "That's the best we can do," she said to the theater nurse. "We won't know how much feeling she will have in that hand and fingers until she comes around."

"Well, it won't be for lack of trying on your part, Doctor Po," the nurse replied, smiling beneath her mask. "Would you like me to finish off the bandaging and then get the plaster bandages ready?"

"If you could, that would be wonderful. I could use a few minutes break." Sally stepped back to let the nurse in and do her work. It had been a long operation, three hours in fact and Sally's eyes were feeling the strain. It had been intricate and difficult to re-break the bones from where they'd started to knit back together and then extract the nerves currently being crushed by those bones - but she'd done it. Now all she could do was hope that the nerves hadn't been damaged too much and that Margaret would still have good use of her hand.

"We're ready for the plaster now, Doctor Po," the nurse said.

"Okay." Sally stepped back up and began the task of applying the plaster bandages to hold the wrist in its proper place to heal the right way.

* * *

Une sat behind her desk, mind swirling with thoughts until they all began to blend into one. Her eyes were heavy, mind fast becoming a ball of cotton wool and her body was starting to crash on her. Knowing the effects of the pills Sally had given her earlier were starting to wear off, she thought it best if she went home and tried to get a good night's sleep.

There wasn't anything more she could do at HQ for the moment anyway. Not until she had all the reports in from the various groups currently working on the cases. She knew that the team working with Chang on the L3 ambassador's murder wouldn't have any evidence on who the assassin was - but they already knew it was Agent Night. The team working on Jefferies' death should have something for her by the morning.

As for Agent Flame and the team out at the residence where Margaret and the child had been recovered from... She sincerely hoped they would have something concrete for them and soon.

With a sigh, Une dragged her weary body from the chair, picked up her purse and turned off the lights in her office. Stepping out she noticed the secretary had left, in fact, most of the staff would have gone home, leaving the night shift to monitor all that was going on. Checking her pockets, she made certain she had her pager and cell phone and then departed the office, heading for the elevator, her car and then home.

Hopefully, tomorrow would bring them a breakthrough.

~ * ~

tbc...


	57. Chapter 57

**Thank you for the kind reviews! This chapter is unbetaed as my beta is currenty MIA. Please forgive any errors.**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 57

It had been a long night for Heero and the others, and not too productive either. Heero and Wufei had spent hours trying to trace the place of delivery for the armaments without success. It seemed that once they had been paid for, they'd been collected by a cargo company, a company that did not show up in any records anywhere. The armaments it would seem, had simply disappeared into thin air.

Trowa and Quatre had more luck, managing to get into the personnel files of the ESUN and securing the address' and contact details of both senators. The information was duly noted and plans made to inform Une on the 'morrow with the intent of paying the senators a visit.

With nothing more able to be accomplished that night, the four retired to bed.

Keitaro was sleeping soundly in his cot, the child appearing none the worse for his adventures. Heero stood watching the steady rise and fall of the infant's chest, lost in his thoughts. He debated calling HQ to see how Nurse Brown's operation had gone and glanced at the clock. It was late, but Heero was concerned for the nanny and decided to call anyway.

Walking back into his and Duo's bedroom, he picked up the 'phone from the bedside table and punched in the number for HQ. His call connected, the night operator transferring him through to the medical wing and the nurses station. He explained who he was and the reason for his call, the nurse on duty informing him she would try to page Doctor Po and have her talk to him. He was placed on hold for a few minutes before Sally's voice came down the line.

"Heero, what can I do for you?"

"I'm sorry to call so late, but I wanted to know how Nurse Brown is," Heero said.

"Ah. Margaret is sleeping at the moment but I can tell you that the operation went well. I managed to set the wrist correctly and release a couple of trapped nerves. At this stage I don't know how much function Margaret will retain in the wrist and hand, I'll have to wait until she's fully awake and we can run some tests. I do expect there to be some loss of movement or feeling or both, but exactly what and how much I can't speculate at this point."

"I see." Heero went silent for a moment. "Sally? When she wakes up, would you mind letting her know I called and that I'll drop in tomorrow to see her, please?"

"Of course, Heero." Sally couldn't help but smile to herself. "I know she'd be happy to see you and also pleased you've called."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Anything else I can help you with?"

"No. I'll leave you to your work. Good night, Sally."

"Night, Heero."

Heero hung up the 'phone feeling a little better in knowing the nanny was resting comfortably. Climbing into bed, he made a mental note to pick up a large bunch of flowers tomorrow for her.

* * *

Sally hung up the 'phone, a small smile playing across her face. It would appear that Margaret had ingrained herself into Heero and Duo's lives a lot more than they realized. Not that it was a bad thing, in fact Margaret was probably one of the best things that had happened to the pair. The woman had become something of a mother figure to the pair – something they really needed, even if they wouldn't admit to it. Knowing what she did of the pairs background and their lack of parents whilst growing up, the nurse could only be a positive influence in their lives.

With the smile still on her face, Sally went through to check on her patient before attending to the other numerous tasks that awaited her. Walking into the private room, she noted the nurse still sleeping peacefully, the plaster encased wrist resting on a pillow. Picking up the chart from the holder at the end of the bed, Sally checked the notes and observations, pleased to see that the nurse's temperature, blood pressure, heart and breathing rates were all normal.

Replacing the chart, she left the nurse to sleep and headed for the morgue and autopsy room; there was still the matter of a couple of autopsies she had to perform before she could go home that evening.

* * *

Duo noted the slight change in the vibration of the shuttle, his ears picking up on the engine sounds which had also changed. He looked outside the window, trying to see where they currently were. His earlier observations had led him to believe they were heading for L2 and his curiosity was piqued.

Straining his eyes through the black void he could start to make out the distinctive shape of a colony ahead. The shuttle drew closer and with each passing second, Duo was able to make out more and more of the colony lazily spinning in space.

It was L2.

A shudder ran through Duo, his mind still looking desperately for any clue as to what was going on. Unfortunately, there was nothing.

The lights all came on in the shuttle, people that had been sleeping now being awakened and harnesses secured. Tewson checked on the 'criminals', making sure they were all strapped in, behind him followed Chief Inspector Carrol.

"I do not need to remind you three that there will be guns trained on you at all times. Make one wrong move and I will not hesitate to shoot you. You are felons, I suggest you remember that." The chief inspector turned and went back to his seat, strapping himself in as the shuttle prepared to dock.

Minutes later, the shuttle had docked and the pilot was powering down. The group began to release themselves from their harnesses and collect together all they had brought with them. Tewson and Young assisted the three criminals out of their harnesses and to a standing position.

The Chief Inspector took the lead, Wainright and Richards just behind him. Then followed Sampson, Zaheer, White and the three in chains. Surrounding the three and behind them came Young, Matthews, Peterson and Tewson.

With everyone in place, the group left the shuttle and entered the shuttle port.

They came into the area to the side of the main arrivals section where they were met by four L2 officials. Carrol produced the paperwork, the officials checking the details and asking a few questions. Carrol replied and the officials seemed happy enough with whatever it was he'd said. The documents were stamped and the group allowed to pass through, the three criminals on the receiving end of some pretty dirty looks.

Exiting through a door to the side of the port they were met by another man who led them to a pair of nondescript vans. The three prisoners and their guards were escorted to one van, the chief inspector and the others got into the other van.

Moments later they were off and driving through the streets of L2.

* * *

Sally returned to the Autopsy room and noted the change of orderly. She nodded in greeting as she stepped inside. "You been briefed?" she asked.

"Yes, Doctor Po. I have the ambassador's body ready for you," replied the orderly as he turned to the 'fridge and pulled out the gurney with the ambassador's body on it. Within a minute the body had been transferred to the autopsy table.

"Thank you," said Sally and picked up the clipboard with the paperwork on it. She checked over the brief details there, checking the tag number against the one on the toe of the ambassador and then handed the clipboard to the orderly. Grabbing a pair of latex gloves, she wheeled the instrument tray across and prepared to begin.

The autopsy didn't take long, the cause of death was evident, a cut to the throat that traveled almost from ear to ear. Sally worked through the procedure though, noting down anything and everything she found.

The throat wound was of particular interest, Sally covering everything she could on the wound. One could learn a lot about an assassin simply by studying the wounds on the victim. She noted the angle the knife would have been held at, how much pressure would have been needed to inflict the wound; all these small factors would add up to tell them things such as if the assassin was left or right handed, male or female, short or tall.

The victim might be dead, but the body could still provide a lot of answers.

When Sally had finished she had no choice but to come to the conclusion that whoever had murdered the L3 ambassador was the same person that had murdered the L1 ambassador.

Sally was well aware of the evidence mounting up and pointing to Duo. All she could hope for was that when this was all over, Duo wouldn't be charged for murder.

Taking the clipboard back from the orderly, she scanned down the notes, made a few more and then signed the bottom of it. "Right, he can go back now and we'll do the last one."

"Yes, doc." The orderly placed a clean sheet over the body and returned it to the morgue.

Whilst the orderly was fetching the last corpse, Sally changed her gloves and mask. A fresh set of instruments were located and the used ones put to one side to be sterilized later.

"Who is this one?" Sally asked as the orderly returned with the body and placed it on the autopsy table.

"Male, Caucasian, approximately forty-five to fifty years old. No other identity confirmed at this stage. Forensics are working on that, currently running fingerprints and dna through the database."

Sally removed the sheet and gazed at the person. "Another lovely mess," she muttered as she noted the bullet entry and missing rear skull. "Okay, best we get started then."

* * *

The vans drove for a while through the streets of L2. The colony was still in its night cycle, although Duo guessed it must be somewhere in the early morning hours. He took to staring out the window of the van, eyes scanning over the landscape as the van drove on. From what Duo could make out they were heading through the more 'finer' areas of L2 and into the slums. The landscape changing from nice homes and business' to derelict warehouses and houses that were missing windows or doors. The towering blocks of flats built by the colony government that were supposed to house many of the poverty stricken lay mostly in ruins; here and there a street rat could be seen.

He shuddered as memories of his childhood slammed into his consciousness, times spent on the streets, foraging for food, running from the authorities and predators alike.

Seemed little had changed, despite the aid.

He could well understand Nolen and his gang doing what they had, their intentions and hearts had been n the right place; it was the methods they used that were wrong. He guessed some good was going to come out of all this though. If not for Nolen's gang then it was highly possible this second group would have continued on undetected until it was too late to do anything about them.

That's presuming he could find out exactly what it was this second group were up to, who their mastermind was and if he could stop whatever it was they were up to from happening.

There were a lot of questions in there, many variables, whats, whys and wherefores. Duo sighed and hoped he would be able to do something.

The vans continued through the slums, winding through back streets and pressing deeper into the ghetto areas. These were areas not even the street rats would venture into unless they were desperate. The drug lords, murderers, thieves and general low life lived and ruled this section.

The vans came to a stop outside a derelict building. It looked like it had once been a local store, but now there was nothing left of the windows, doors hung off their hinges, anything of value or use having been stripped from the building ages go. All that remained was an empty, broken shell.

The doors opened, Duo and his fellow captives being ushered out and into the building, eyes wide and scanning around.

"What a filthy place," muttered Richards, looking down his nose at the building.

"Do not judge a book by its cover," Sampson snipped and moved deeper into the building.

With a grunt, Richards followed behind Sampson and the others, careful of where he walked. He didn't want to step in anything if he could help it.

Watching the senator gingerly picking his way through the rubble, Duo couldn't help a small snicker.

The group made their way through to the back of the building and down a flight of stairs to what appeared to have been a basement. Duo wrinkled his nose in disgust, not only at the dank smell, but he' also had quite enough of basements lately - thank you very much!

Once they were all inside the basement, Zaheer and Sampson moved to one of the corners, fiddling around and moving things. Upon their return to the group, Duo could see an opening that hadn't been there before.

"Move," came the command from Young, accompanied by a shove to the lower back.

Duo stumbled slightly, his ankle sending sharp pains of protest up his leg but he refused to acknowledge it. Gritting his teeth, he willed the pain away and followed the others through the opening and down a flight of steps and into the bowels of the colony.

* * *

Une resisted the urge to slam her fist into the small alarm, instead she knocked the ringing thing to the floor where it gave one last, defiant chime and fell silent. Blinking bleary eyes, all Une wanted to do was roll over, close her eyes and sleep forever - well another few hours at least.

Unfortunately, she couldn't and reluctantly she tossed back the bed covers, dragged her tired body from the mattress and made her way to the bathroom.

Several minutes later she reappeared feeling a little better. The shower had made her feel a little more human at least; now all she needed was the coffee to complete the job. Several minutes later, the scalding liquid was finding its way down her throat, accompanied by a couple of slices of toast.

Breakfast taken care of, Une grabbed her keys and left her apartment, hoping her agents would have something to report today.

"Good morning, commander," her secretary greeted as Une strode into her office.

"Morning, Fiona. I don't know whether it's going to be a good one though," Une replied. "Any word from any of the agents?"

"Nothing as yet, commander."

"Okay. Let me know immediately if anything comes through."

"Yes, commander," replied Fiona and handed the commander the stack of mail sitting on her desk.

Une took the mail and entered her office, closing the door behind her. She hung her jacket up, put her purse in one of the desk drawers and took her seat. Reaching for the mail she began to go through it.

* * *

"I think we're all done here," said Agent Flame as he watched the crew packing up the last of their equipment. "Everything secure?"

"Yes, boss," replied Agent Ash. "Everything is loaded into the vehicle and we're good to go."

"Right. Everyone into the car," Flame ordered and went for one last check of the premises. Satisfied they'd packed the most important evidence into the car and the remainder packed in readiness for the chopper to collect, Flame joined his team in the car for the drive back to HQ.

The sun was yet to break across the horizon and Flame knew it would be a while yet before he could rest. The team had worked through the day, following night and into the early hours of the morning to gather all the evidence at the residence. Now it would be up to the main forensics team back at HQ to analyze all the evidence and come up with answers.

Agent Spark waved them off, he was remaining at the crime scene to keep it secure and wait for the chopper to come back and pick up the remaining evidence.

* * *

"Commander?"

"Yes, Fiona?"

"I have forensics on the line for you."

"Thanks, Fiona. Put it through please."

"Right away, ma'am."

"Une here." Une listened as the head of forensics gave her a brief rundown on where they were with their current investigations.

"Thank you. I'll call down shortly with the team that's been allocated to this case as I want them in on the results," Une told the head. "I'll call you when we're on our way." Une hung up the phone and glanced at the clock. Picking up the phone again, she put a call through to the medical section.

* * *

"Doctor Po, here. Ah, Une. How are you this morning?" Sally inquired.

"I'm fine, thank you. Has Agent Day reported there yet?"

"Not yet, but he is due at any time."

"When he gets in, please ask him and the other three to report to my office as soon as possible."

"Will do."

"Thank you."

Sally hung up the phone and rubbed her tired eyes before turning to the nurse on duty. "I'm just going to check on Nurse Brown. Could you page me when Agent Day and his son get here, please?"

The nurse nodded and Sally left to check on her patient.

* * *

Chang parked the car, Heero getting out and starting to undo the various straps on the baby seat to release his son. Keitaro gurgled happily, doing his best to grab his father's hands and fingers with his own.

Trowa and Quatre pulled up beside them and moments later they were walking into Preventer and heading for the medical wing. Quatre carried a large bouquet of flowers that Heero had asked him to pick up for the nurse on their way in.

Arriving at the medical wing, the nurse there paged Sally and asked Heero to wait. The other three went on ahead to see the nanny and let her know Heero would be by very shortly. Sally arrived a couple of minutes later.

Leading Heero through to one of the examination rooms with Keitaro in his arms, she passed on Une's message. "You can leave Keitaro here with me whilst you go and see Une, Heero. I promise to look after him and the exam will take about an hour."

Heero seemed reluctant to leave his son, preferring to have the child within his sight at all times, but he also had a job to do.

Noting the hesitation, Sally could fully understand and appreciate Heero's concerns. "I promise I will look after him, Heero. In fact, I'll keep him with me all day for you if that's okay with you. I don't have anything other than patient checks to do so he'll be doing me a favor by not letting me get bored and keep me sane too. I'll also be spending some time with Nurse Brown and I know she'll love to see him."

Heero could see the logic and he did trust Sally. "Okay," he said. "But Keitaro is to remain with you at all times. If your shift is going to finish and I've not returned to collect him by then, you will contact me and I'll come and get him."

"No problem, Heero."

"Arigato." With a nod, Heero turned and left, stopping by Nurse Brown's room to collect the other three and pass on his wishes for a speedy recovery to the nanny.

The nurse had been warmed to see who her visitors were and pleased with the bouquet of flowers that had been given to her. Quatre explained that they were from Heero and handed over a box of chocolates that he's also bought on the way in from himself and Trowa.

They'd only been with the nanny for a few minutes when Heero arrived and informed them of Une's orders for them to report directly to her office. Exchanging a few words with the nanny and promising to stop by later for a proper 'chat', Heero and the others departed.

* * *

"Commander, the agents are here," Fiona said down the comm line.

"Thank you, Fiona. Please, send them in."

Four agents entered and all took seats, Une looking at each of them, Yuy in particular. The Japanese man had dark circles under his eyes and his face looked drawn. Understandable given the strain he was under. Once they were all comfortable, Une began to speak.

"I have called you all in here this morning as we have some results from forensics come in. I need you all to accompany me to the forensics lab for a complete briefing."

"Has there been a lead from the evidence at the place where Duo was being held?" asked Heero.

"No, not as yet. Forensics is still working on that case and I hope to have something later today. No, this is in relation to Jefferies' accident."

"Ah." Whilst Heero was disappointed there wasn't anything forthcoming from the house they'd found his son and the nanny in, there might be a clue in the information relating to Jefferies' demise.

"Gentlemen, if you would follow me, please." Une stood and led the way out of her office and to the forensics labs.

* * *

Duo and the rest of the group continued to press deeper into the lower regions of the colony, passing through a maze of tunnels. From what Duo could gather, they were in a part of what used to be the old garbage disposal system. When the colony was first designed and built, getting rid of the refuse was a simple case of gathering it all together in one spot and jettisoning it out into space. That practice was very quickly brought to an end as the ramifications of having garbage floating around in space near a colony were brought to the attention of the then, colony council.

Not long after, new ways of garbage disposal were brought into play and the old collection tunnels sealed off as they were no longer needed.

Continuing on through the tunnels they eventually came to what used to be the main collection point. It was here that they halted and Duo was quick to look about himself. The collection point consisted of a very large area, sub dived into slightly smaller areas where the refuse had been sorted, crushed and then packed to be sent out into space. From what Duo could tell, the entire area had been transformed into what he could only describe as a training facility.

He didn't get much of a chance to study the place for long though as the group was herded along a series of catwalks above the old collection point and into a slightly smaller area. Here they stopped again and Duo could see a mass of people up ahead, all lined up and standing to attention.

Just like an army.

His blood ran cold.

A solitary figure stepped up onto a podium at the far end of the area and looked over the assembled 'army'.

Duo's eyes widened and his heart rate sped up as he recognized the figure.

It was Dekim Barton.

~ * ~

tbc...


	58. Chapter 58

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 58

"Agent Summer?" Une questioned to the three agents in the foyer as they entered the forensics section of Preventer. The requested agent quickly moved forward and took them down a long corridor to the last room on the left.

Stepping inside, Agent Summer closed the door behind them and then moved to stand behind the table at the side of the room. "Commander, agents," he acknowledged. "We have finished the forensic side of the investigation into the accident involving the senator known as Jefferies..."Agent Summer went on and explained step by step their findings. It was a long and technical explanation, some of it going completely over the agents heads, but they all got the basic idea.

"To sum up; a crude bomb was made and placed in the asphalt. When the senator's car passed over it, the device was detonated by a person or persons of which we have one possible suspect. The resulting explosion caused the tire to blow out and the steering column to be damaged. With the car disabled in such a manner the driver lost all control and the vehicle slammed into the side support of the bridge killing the senator in the process. It was a deliberate and calculated attack."

"The second bomb?" Une asked, although she'd already been briefed, the other agents didn't know.

"We found a second explosive rigged to the underside of the bridge and believe it was planted there as a back up. Should the first detonation have failed to take out the car, the second most certainly would have. The explosives division disarmed the bomb and during the process one of the agents came forth with some interesting information."

All four agents looked expectantly at Summer.

"The agent believed the bomb to have been built by one of our own; specifically, one Agent Night."

Heero felt as if he'd been sucker punched. The color had drained from his face and he had difficulty breathing for a moment. He felt a reassuring grip on his elbow and looked to see Chang standing beside him, onyx eyes filled with worry.

"How can you be so sure?" Quatre asked, a dangerous tone in his voice.

"The explosives experts were trained on a device the same as the one found at the scene. The agent in charge of the training was one Agent Night. Also, we checked for fingerprints and DNA – there was a positive match. Therefore we also assume the bomb that took out the car was built and detonated by the same person." The weight of the situation fell heavily on the shoulders of Duo's 'family', each finding it hard to come to terms with Summer's words; but the evidence was there in black and white, no disputing it.

"Duo would not have done this deliberately." Heero's words were barely a whisper.

"Deliberate or not, the fact still remains that Agent Night was responsible either directly or indirectly for the death of Senator Jefferies," Summer stated.

"That may well be, Summer, but we have reason to believe that Agent Night was forced into this," Une snapped.

"Of course, commander. I'm just here with my teams to present the forensic facts. I most certainly hope that Agent Night is cleared of any charges that may be laid against him."

"Thank you, Summer." Une turned back to her team. "My office, now."

The group left and went back to the commander's office to discuss the findings.

Sitting in Une's office, Une picked up a sheaf of papers and glanced over them before addressing the agents. "These are the autopsy reports on Jefferies and the L3 ambassador. I'd like for you all to read them." Une handed them each a copy and sat back to wait.

Ignoring the report on Jefferies for the moment, Heero and Wufei concentrated on the L3 ambassador's report. Reading through the evidence and then the final conclusion, both men had to agree with the findings. The ambassador had been murdered by the same person who had committed the L1 ambassador's murder.

"Look at the time of death," Wufei muttered. "Then take a look at the time of death for Jefferies."

Heero did and saw what Wufei was driving at. "We need to check the maps of the areas where both murders were committed."

Seeing her agents were picking up on something, Une let them go to their own offices to continue their investigation.

* * *

"Do you think it's possible that Duo could have killed both men?" Quatre asked as they entered Heero and Duo's office.

"Hai, but I need to check the maps," Heero booted up his computer and with Wufei looking over his shoulder they brought up the maps they needed and combined with the information they had from forensics and the now known location of where Duo was being held, set about trying to see if the proposition was possible.

Fifteen minutes later they had their answer.

"Given all the relating facts, it is possible for Duo to have committed both murders," Heero conceded with a sigh.

Wufei elaborated a little further for Trowa and Quatre. "This is where Maxwell was being held," he pointed to a spot on the map. "This is where Jefferies had his accident, and here is the ambassador's residence. Given the time of death for each of the victims, there was enough time for Maxwell to get from here to here and commit both murders in the time frame."

"There's no disputing the evidence, that I agree on," Quatre began and then frowned as his mind ticked over. "Do you seriously think they will charge Duo with three accounts of murder?"

"Winner, this is peace time, not war. You kill someone in war and it's called serving and protecting your country. You kill in peace time and it's called murder." Chang let the words speak for themselves. He wasn't trying to be cruel, but facts were facts and that was how the law worked.

"But surely given the circumstances," Quatre began but didn't get the chance to finish as Trowa spoke up.

"What Wufei says is true, but there are extenuating circumstances here and that is what we need to gather evidence for; to prove Duo was forced into this, that he had no choice in the matter."

No one voiced the concern that they had to find Duo first before he could be charged.

Heero changed the topic. "We need to inform Une of this and also the address' of the two senators that are missing from that rebuilding scheme."

"Let's move then," came Wufei's reply and all four left to return to Une's office.

* * *

Dekim Barton.

Duo's blood ran cold in his veins when he identified the person standing on the podium. This whole mess was getting deeper by the minute.

Standing on the catwalk, he glanced again at the assembled group. They appeared to be a motley looking lot and from what Duo could tell, most were from L2. Their stance, the way they interacted all screamed 'L2 trash' to him. Duo was no stranger when it came to the 'refuse' of L2; the drug dealers, thieves, thugs and so forth. All seemed to carry themselves in a certain manner. He gave up on that train of thought when a voice began to speak, hushing the crowd.

"Welcome all. I have been informed by the senior officers that your training is almost complete." Barton paused for a moment and scanned the crowd. "Unfortunately, due to some outside interference, our plans have had to be pushed forward slightly. This won't be a problem providing you all continue to train hard, it will mean that the regime will be stepped up a little and phase two will commence a month earlier than first planned."

There was a low murmuring through the crowd before they fell silent again.

"Some of you will be shipped out in the next twenty-four hours, the remainder will continue their training here and be moved out at a later date. Your senior officers will let you know all the details. Good work, men. Keep it up and soon the Earth and Colonies will be yours."

The crowd burst into a series of applause and cheers, Dekim taking a bow and then leaving the podium.

_// Shit! // _Duo thought to himself. This was a whole lot bigger than he'd first thought.

"Move!" came the order from behind and Duo was pushed forth, his thoughts still playing around in his head.

* * *

Having informed Une of their findings, the commander agreed with them, including Wufei's concerns regarding Maxwell's possible charges for murder when he was eventually found and returned. Seeing the concern in all the mens' eyes and the anxiety in Yuy's she was quick to reassure them all that she would be doing everything in her power,and use all of the Preventers resources to insure that Duo would not be prosecuted for those crimes. She couldn't give any guarantees though, just the promise to do all she could.

Having been given the information regarding Wainright and Richards, she thought for a moment before making up her mind. "Barton and Winner, I'd like for you two to check this out. Please, go to the residences and if the senators are there, bring them in for questioning."

"And if they're not?" Trowa questioned. He really didn't expect to find either senator at home.

"Then you are to search the premises for anything, anything at all that could relate to the investigation. I'll contact our legal section and have the appropriate paperwork drawn up immediately to give you access to those residences and the power to execute a search."

"Thank you, commander."

"Yuy, I want you and Chang to remain here. I'm expecting the autopsy result on the male brought in from the terrorist group; also some of the forensic results should be just about ready too. I'll need you both to investigate further."

"Yes, commander."

The four agents split to attend to their assigned tasks.

* * *

"This is it," Quatre remarked as Trowa brought the vehicle to a stop outside a modest looking home.

"You got the paperwork?" Trowa asked as they stepped from the vehicle and approached the front door of the residence.

"Yes." Quatre held up the papers. Pushing the doorbell, the pair waited. The sounds of footsteps could be heard and then the door opened to show a middle aged woman standing there.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Good morning, ma'am. I'm Preventer Agent Air and this is my partner Agent Space. We would like to speak with Senator Richards please," Trowa said in a calm tone and showed his badge, Quatre doing the same.

The woman looked at the badges and back to the agents. "I'm afraid the senator isn't available right now."

"Oh. Could you tell us when he will be available, this is of some urgency," Quatre stated in his soft tone. He also turned the charm on, baby blue eyes and gentle smile were applied in full force.

The woman didn't stand a chance against the puppy eyed look.

"The senator has gone away on holidays and I don't expect him to return for at least four weeks," she said.

"I see. You wouldn't happen to know where he went on vacation or a contact number at all?"

The woman shook her head. "No, I'm sorry, he didn't leave any details with me."

"Okay. Well, in that case would you mind if we came in and checked around. This is in relation to a Preventer investigation and we believe the senator could have some evidence that will help us in our cause. I do have a search warrant."

The woman looked a little hesitant at first, but when Quatre mentioned the search warrant she opened the door wider. "Of course, come inside." She stepped back and allowed the two agents to enter.

As they moved inside, Quatre handed the woman a copy of the warrant. "Could you show us to the senator's office, please? I think that would be the best place to start."

Taking the warrant, the woman scanned it quickly and then placed it on the hall table. "Follow me, gentlemen."

* * *

Duo, Duric and Farrow were escorted along the catwalk and through a series of tunnels, coming out into another section of the former garbage collection structure. During their 'walk' several of their captors had left them and now they only had Young, Sampson and Zaheer covering them. Coming to a halt, Duo spotted the figure of Dekim ahead of them in the small room to the side.

"In here," Young barked, Duo and the others obeyed.

Barton turned around slowly and let his eyes wander over the three people standing before him. "They don't look all that dangerous," he snorted, "or that intelligent either. Are you sure you have the right people?"

"Yes," Sampson replied. "There is no doubt that these are the ones who tried to disrupt the funding and are responsible for the assassination of the L1 ambassador, and so I'm informed, the L3 ambassador too."

Barton stroked his chin, deep in thought. "Then their looks are obviously deceiving. I thought there would be more of them."

"There were. Unfortunately, two were killed when we went in to overpower them. This one here," Sampson pointed to Duo, "was found in the basement, says he was being held hostage by the others and he's the one who took out the ambassadors."

"Really?" Barton cocked his head. "Either he's lying or he's a damn good infiltrator. What about the other two?"

"We haven't interrogated them properly yet."

"I see." Dekim turned to Zaheer. "You have four hours to get what information you can from them. I don't care how you do it, but I want them all able to function at the end of it. I may have a use for them and if I do I'll need them in one piece and able to work. If they don't cooperate or turn out to be useless, we will dispose of them later."

"Understood." Zaheer turned and gave the three a positively evil look. Farrow whimpered, Duric shot a death glare at the burly man whilst Duo remained impassive – although inside he was as tense as a bow string.

"Take them away."

Young assisted Zaheer to escort the three out of the room and deeper into the garbage tunnels of the L2 colony.

* * *

"Thank you, ma'am, you've been most helpful," Quatre said as he and Trowa left the residence of Richards. Between them they had the senator's computer, several discs and quite a few files from the senator's filing cabinet.

"What's the betting that Wainright isn't at home either?" Trowa said as he slipped the car into gear and drove for Wainright's residence.

"I refuse to bet with you, Trowa, and I would have thought you'd learnt your lesson in regards to betting," Quatre huffed, remembering the several bets Trowa had taken with Nurse Brown, not to mention Duo during Duo's last pregnancy.

"I didn't mean in the literal sense, Quatre," Trowa replied a little sheepishly. Yes, he'd been unlucky enough to lose a few bets in the past; but maybe his luck would change. "Given Richards has flown the coop I'm pretty certain that Wainright won't be back any time soon."

"I'm pretty sure you're right, but we still need to check."

Trowa drove on keeping his thoughts to himself.

Sure enough, they were greeted at Wainright's residence with a similar picture to Richards. No, the senator wasn't at home, he was away on vacation. No the housekeeper didn't know where he was going or when he would be back and neither did she have a contact number or name of a place he would be staying at. She was also reluctant to let the agents in, even after they had shown her the search warrant.

Eventually they managed to gain entry to the premises and once more removed computer discs, a hard drive, laptop and several files to take back to HQ for further investigation.

"I'll contact Une and let her know what we have and ask where she would like us to take it all," said Quatre as Trowa drove them back to Preventer.

"I wonder how Heero and Wufei are getting on?" Trowa mused as he drove.

"I'm sure we will find out once we get back," Quatre replied and then placed his call to Une. Moments later he closed his cell and pocketed it.

"Well?"

"We're to take all the stuff to the lab where either Heero, Wufei or another from the team will take a look at what's there."

"Okay. Any news on Yuy and Chang?"

"No, Une didn't say anything other than they're still investigating. Once we've dropped the stuff off we're to report to Une."

"Sounds good." Trowa continued to drive.

* * *

Heero and Wufei had read through the autopsy report on the man brought in from the house where Duo and the other had been held and were on their way to the medical section to question Sally over a few things. Sally had arranged to meet them in the doctors lounge.

Entering the lounge, Heero immediately made a beeline for his son who was crawling around the floor, Sally's eagle eye permanently on the child. Scooping Keitaro up, he pressed a kiss to he child's forehead and then cradled him against his hip.

Sally smiled and took a seat, Heero and Wufei following suit.

"Before we go onto the other stuff, I just want you to know that I've given Keitaro a full examination and he's perfectly fine. Happy and healthy with no sign of any physical or mental trauma," Sally informed Heero.

"Arigato," Heero replied

"Now, you wish to discuss the autopsy report on the guy brought in?"

"Yes."

Sally went through the entire report with the pair, answering questions as she went. After roughly five minutes the agents were satisfied they had all the information currently available.

"Any idea on who he was?" Wufei asked.

"Not as yet, but I did send DNA samples and also fingerprints to the forensics section and they were running them through the database. They may have a positive ID on him by now."

"Thank you." Wufei stood and turned to Heero. "Yuy, I think we should pay a visit to forensics again, see what they have managed to discover not just on this case, but on the ambassador's murder too."

Reluctantly, Heero kissed his son again and then left him in the capable hands of the doctor.

* * *

Zaheer and Young took their captives through the tunnels and eventually came out in another old sorting area. They were marched through to a small room and forced to sit. Young tied each of them to the chairs they were in, only then did he remove the manacles and chains from wrists and ankles.

Zaheer cracked his knuckles as he looked to the three. "Now, we can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way. It's entirely up to you."

Farrow whimpered, the look of fear flashing in his eyes. Duric remained stubbornly silent, glaring at the man. Duo felt the bile rising in his throat.

"I'd start with him," Young said and pointed to Farrow. "He looks that much of a wimp that he'd spill his guts quick enough."

Zaheer's eyes narrowed and he moved towards Farrow. Farrow was shaking uncontrollably from head to toe, small cries escaped his mouth as he tried desperately to control himself.

Closing the distance between them, Zaheer brought his face close to Farrow's and spoke. "I will ask the questions, you will give me the answers. Right?"

Farrow nodded.

"Good. Let's begin."

* * *

"Ah, Agent's Day and Fire," Summer greeted as Heero and Wufei arrived back at the forensics department. "I was just about to page you."

"You have something?" Chang asked.

"Yes, yes we do. We were able to lift fingerprints from the keyboard at the L3 ambassador's residence. They match with Agent Night's."

Whilst they were all pretty sure it was Duo who had assassinated the L3 ambassador, to have it confirmed seemed to send another nail into the coffin of the case that would see Duo charged with murder.

"You're sure?" Heero questioned.

"Positive."

"We also have a positive ID on the John Doe that was brought in from the Nevada residence and ID's on the other people that were there."

~ * ~

tbc...


	59. Chapter 59

**My apologies for the delay in getting this chapter posted. My long time beta, Yami_tai has had to resign from betaing for me due to RL and I've been looking for another victim... err... beta. Sakura, aka Eternity has kindly stepped up to the position** **and I look forward to a long association with her. Many thanks to tai for all her past work, I'll miss her. Warm thanks to Sakura for offering and I hope I don't drive her to insanity too soon!**

**Now, on with the fic...**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 59

It didn't take Zaheer long to get information from Farrow. The computer nerd was only too happy to answer all of Zaheer's questions as best he could if it meant he wasn't going to be injured. With the information gathered, Zaheer turned to Duric and closed the distance between them. Standing before Duric, Zaheer looked at the man and then turned his attention to Duo as well.

"I'm pretty certain you two can add to this information," he said in a cold tone.

"I've already told you all I know," Duo sneered. "If you're going to work him over, can you at least leave him alive? You've already killed two of my other kidnappers and I'd at least like the pleasure of killing him for what he did to me."

Zaheer snorted. "Cocky bastard, aren't you?"

Duo shrugged.

"Maybe I should start with you, see if you _are_ telling the truth." Zaheer moved a little closer to Duo and then paused for a second, a shiver running down his spine. Purple eyes gazed back at him, steady and calm, but they held an unholy spark in them. Zaheer shook himself mentally and raised his fist.

The blow caught Duo on the side of the head and sent his senses reeling. Once his eyeballs had stopped jumping around and could focus again, he found Zaheer's nose just inches from his own.

"Now, let's start at the beginning, shall we? How did you meet these other two?"

* * *

"You have a positive ID?" Heero repeated.

"Yes, yes we do," Summer stated. "If you would follow me, please?"

Heero and Wufei followed Summer through and into a small office where the agent moved the mouse on his computer and then turned the screen for the agents to see the images he was about to bring up.

"The John Doe brought in has been positively identified as one Anthony Nolen, resident of L2 and former rebel soldier during the war."

Heero and Wufei looked at the image of the man on the screen. Even though the vid phone messages that had come through to Une when the terrorists were demanding the funding for L2 be increased had been slightly distorted, there was no mistaking the match.

"And the others? We only found the one body at the residence and can confirm there were at least three more involved from the information Nurse Brown has given us," Heero stated.

"We managed to get enough DNA and fingerprints from the residence and articles to confirm there were four other people besides this Nolen, the nurse, baby and Agent Night."

"Four?" Wufei questioned. "We have reason to believe there were only three others there."

"There were fingerprints and other evidence to the contrary, agent. Here..." Summer clicked on a couple of links and brought up four thumbnails, each a smaller picture of their suspects.

"The first," Summer clicked to enlarge a thumbnail, "Is a fellow by the name of Andrew Duric. He worked with Nolen in the rebel forces, his specialty was weapons. This one..." another picture opened up, "is a Paul Murphy. Again, he was a rebel soldier. This one," another picture was displayed, "A fellow by the name of Colin Farrow. He's into computer stuff, although communications was more his area of expertise with the rebels. The last one," another picture opened and revealed a familiar face, "His name is Martin Cropp, a computer whizz and was responsible for hacking files and intelligence for the rebel faction."

"Cropp?" Heero took another look at the picture and ran it through his mind. "He's the guy that was silenced along with the security guard at the ESUN. He was hacking into the database to find those missing funds."

Several pieces of the puzzle all slotted into place, but Heero knew there was more – much more. He needed to think, needed somewhere quiet without distractions and preferably a computer for at least an hour where he could sort through his theories and check the facts.

"Chang, I need to sort a couple of things out. I'll be in my office."

"Okay," Wufei replied. "I'll finish up here and join you shortly."

Heero nodded and left, his mind whirling with thoughts.

* * *

"I don't think you're going to get anything further from them," Young commented. "I'm pretty certain they're all telling the truth."

Zaheer grunted and turned away, wiping his knuckles on a handkerchief.

Farrow was pretty much unscathed, a couple of bruises and that was all. But then he'd been only too willing to answer all of Zaheer's questions. The other two weren't quite so lucky. Duo sported a black eye and split lip to go with his twisted ankle and bruised ribs. Duric was the worst; broken nose, black eyes, split lip, missing tooth and a couple of broken ribs.

Zaheer had his answers though.

"I'll go report to Barton." He took a look back at the prisoners. "Leave them here for a while, they're not going anywhere."

"Okay. I need the bathroom so I'll return in a minute to watch them."

"I'll send one of the others to relieve you shortly. I'll find out what Barton wants doing with them."

Young nodded and the pair left the room.

Duo groaned and slumped in his seat, his fingers automatically going for the knots in the ropes that bound his hands behind his back and the chair, unfortunately, they had been tied with a precision that would take him some time to get undone and right now he didn't have that much time. Duric was breathing heavily and only barely able to see out of his swollen eyes. Despite his condition he did his best to talk.

Turning to Farrow, he addressed the computer tech first. "Asshole," he muttered. "I've got a good mind to beat the living crap out of you."

Farrow lowered his eyes. "I, I can't take violence," he whispered. "I'm not a soldier."

"No, you're not," Duric sneered. "And thanks to you they know exactly what we were after. It wouldn't surprise me if we all end up dead." He turned his attention to Duo and left Farrow contemplating his words. "And you, "

"You can shut the fuck up," Duo snarled. "You honestly think that what you lot were up to is going to make much difference to whatever it is these lot have planned? That shit head was right; you're a bunch of amateurs compared to these people."

"Why you sniveling..."

"Just shut up and listen. I don't know what it is these guys are planning, but I can sense it's something big. We need to stay alive, and as much as I loathe to say it, we need to work together."

"Why should we fucking help you?"

"Because I'm the best chance you have of remaining alive and getting out of here." Duo neglected to add that he wanted Duric alive so he could have the pleasure of killing him himself for all he'd done.

With a sigh, Duric admitted defeat. "Okay."

"Good, now listen up. It's obvious this lot is planning something big. Two of those assholes that came with us from earth are ESUN senators, and if I'm right, they're the ones responsible for the missing funding. You guys upset their apple cart by sending Cropp in to hack the data base for information. This group is intent on something much bigger than what you lot wanted. They have police hierarchy on their payroll, that would explain a few things, then there's the missing funding, this facility, that army and at the end of it there's Dekim Barton."

"Dekim who?"

"Barton," Duo replied.

"And who the _fuck_ is he?"

"Trust me, you really don't want to know; besides, it's quite involved and would take longer than we have now to explain."

"If I'm to work with you I need to know what the fuck it is I'm getting into," snapped Duric.

"I'll tell you, just not now. Young will be back in a second. For now, play along with them, keep your ears open and your mouth shut."

The sound of approaching footsteps silenced them, Young returning to keep watch whilst their fate was decided.

* * *

"You have information for me, Zaheer?" Barton turned around from where he was studying the colony blueprints.

"Some, but not much."

"What did you find out?"

Zaheer repeated to Dekim just what he'd managed to get from the prisoners.

"So, they were telling the truth then?"

"It would appear so."

"Hmm." Dekim stroked his chin. "I don't think they will be much to worry about then. Although, that one that says he was kidnapped by them. I have a feeling I've seen his face somewhere before."

"Sir? What would you like me to do with them?"

"The one that says he's a computer tech, I can use him on the project. The other two..." Dekim thought for a moment. "If that kidnapped one really did assassinate the ambassadors as he says, then I could use those skills. Let them live for now. Offer them a choice. They can join the project, or be eliminated."

Zaheer nodded. "I'll tell them now." Turning, Zaheer left.

"Where have I seen you before?" Dekim mused. Something tickled at the back of his memory but he couldn't draw the elusive thought forward. Dismissing it for the moment, he returned to his blue prints.

* * *

"Yuy? What's going on in that head of yours?" Wufei asked as he entered Heero's office, finished with his meeting with Summer.

Yuy looked up and motioned for Wufei to take a seat. Once the other agent was comfortable, Yuy began to explain. "We know these terrorists were demanding extra funding and using Duo to assassinate the ambassadors in order to gain that funding. We also know that two of the ESUN senators were involved in siphoning off rebuilding funds, specifically from L2. Those funds were deposited into a bank account under the name of Barton and then used to purchase armaments. Both senators are now missing, so is Duo and three of the terrorists. What we don't know is who these other people are and where those armaments have gone and what is planned for them."

"Your point being?"

"I have a hunch that the senators, these other people and the armaments are all connected together. If we can find out, track where the armaments have gone, I'm sure we will find Duo and the other terrorists; not to mention the answers to our other questions."

"I happen to agree with you there. But you checked the shuttles, ports and the like yourself and didn't find anything," Wufei reminded Heero.

"Hai, I did. I think it might be time to back track."

"Back track?"

"Hai. Trace the armaments to their purchase points, go pay a visit to the suppliers and see if we can't discover where they were delivered to."

Wufei considered this for a moment. "Okay. I suggest we take this to Une and let her know what we want to do. I'm sure she will clear it."

"Wufei, there's more."

"More?"

"You remember our investigation into Cropp's murder? How Duo said it was done by an outsider?"

"Yes. I also remember we haven't closed that case yet. We haven't got enough evidence to go any further at this point."

"That's correct. Chang, I think I know _why_ we can't get any further in that investigation."

Wufei was getting impatient. "Then tell me," he demanded.

"I called the precinct back to speak with Detective White, he was the man in charge of the police investigation."

"And?"

"He's unavailable."

Wufei quirked an eyebrow.

"It seems he's taken a vacation. They wouldn't tell me where he's gone or for how long."

"The police are entitled to some time off too, Yuy. They don't give out their location details for a reason. They're like us in a lot of ways, I'll bet there's many people who would hold a grudge against them and given the opportunity, wouldn't hesitate to take them down."

Heero couldn't refute that. It was well known that when you worked in law enforcement, police or Preventer, there was always someone who bore a grudge. "I know, but Wufei, I asked to speak to the police chief, I wanted to see if they'd had any new developments and I was told he was also on vacation. In fact, both the detective and the chief have taken their vacations at the same time."

"How do you know that?" Wufei stared intently at Heero. A smirk played over the Japanese man's mouth. "Please tell me you didn't?"

Heero lowered his eyes, his smirk growing wider.

"You fucking well _did_, didn't you?" Wufei's eyes blazed. "Yuy, you of all people should know you can't just go hacking into any system when you feel like it. What if you're caught?"

"I wasn't."

"Yuy," Chang's voice held a dangerous edge to it.

"Chang, you might be my superior officer here, but that's my husband out there, my possibly pregnant husband, and I will do anything and everything within my power to find him and bring him home safe."

Heero's eyes blazed fiercely with determination and Wufei knew it was time to back off. "If you do get caught, you're on your own."

Heero nodded. "I have a gut feeling that these police officers are caught up in this racket too. It's too coincidental that Wainright, Richards, Duo, these other three terrorists and the two police officers should all disappear on the same day."

"Let's go see Une. I think if we can trace these missing armaments then we will have a good chance of finding Duo and the rest of these people."

Yuy stood and grabbed his jacket, following Chang out of the office and to speak with Une.

* * *

Une listened to her agents as they brought her up to speed with their thoughts, hunches and request for further investigation. Having heard it all, she agreed with the agents that it may uncover something new if they were to go back to the list of armaments, track the suppliers and see if they could get anything more from them.

When Une heard about the police officers also taking vacation, she couldn't help but agree with Heero, it did sound very suspicious and whilst that might be the case, they didn't have solid evidence to back it up - it was all purely circumstantial and speculation. She could really feel for the man, it was frustrating the way the law worked at times.

"Agents Air and Space should be returning any time soon. They have been out to the residences of the missing senators and from the brief contact I've had with them, they haven't managed to obtain any further information from the house staff at either residence. They have confiscated equipment though which may contain something to help us in our inquiries. I have asked them to take the materials to the labs when they return and I'd like for all four of you to take a look and see if you can find anything," Une informed them.

"Okay," Heero replied. "I'd like to get started on these suppliers as soon as possible though."

"Chang, you and Yuy continue on with that part of the investigation. I'll have Barton and Winner begin on the other when they get back."

"Arigato."

"Heero?"

"Hai?"

"I'm having Summer print out pictures of the terrorists that are missing, Duo too. I want to circulate them around, send them to all the police departments' worldwide, the colonies too, post them anywhere and everywhere we can think of. It may just give us a break in this case."

Heero thought on that for a moment before nodding. "I agree, commander, however," he paused for a moment. "However, I don't know about the police. If my hunch is right about the chief and detective we have no idea how deep any possible corruption could go within the police force. It might be restricted to this precinct only, but then it could go further. If it does go further then I feel it may hamper our investigations."

Heero had a valid point, Wufei mused.

Une also seemed to think Heero had raised a good point and thought for a moment. "What if we circulate the pictures through other channels and leave the police out of it?"

"How do you mean?" Wufei asked.

"Posters, Internet, maybe the media. That way many of the public will see the photos and I guess the police will too, but at least any corrupt officers won't be able to act without attracting suspicion."

"That could work. Then if anyone has seen any of them we can follow up the leads and hopefully locate them." Heero knew they were probably grasping at straws and whilst he was still uneasy regarding the police department, what Une said made good sense.

"Fine. I'll let Summer know to go ahead and get the pictures printed. I'll speak with a couple of the news stations and see if we can get a bit of 'air' time for the pictures too."

"Thank you. Is that all, commander?" Wufei asked as he stood to leave.

"For now," Une replied. "Keep me informed on where you are and what you're doing."

"Of course." Wufei turned and led the way out of the commander's office, Yuy right behind him.

* * *

"How are you feeling, Margaret?" Sally asked as she entered the nurse's room with Keitaro in her arms.

"Bored, fed up, want to get out of here," the nurse replied with a raise of her eyebrow. "Ah, I see you've brought my little man to see me."

Sally gave a laugh and sat herself down on the side of the bed, handing Keitaro over to the nanny's waiting arms. "I thought you'd be going stir crazy by now. I hope Keitaro will be able to amuse you for while."

"Of course." Nurse Brown settled the child in a sitting position in her lap, her good arm around the child's back to support him. "How's my boy?" the nurse cooed.

Keitaro's face had lit up into a wide grin when he saw his nanny. He gurgled happily as he sat with her, eyes wandering around and taking in everything around him. He spotted the cast on the nanny's wrist and arm and immediately focused on it. Chubby fingers came forth and he tried to grasp the hard plaster.

"I'm afraid it's not a toy, Keitaro," the nurse chuckled.

"How is it feeling?"

"Not too bad."

"I want to do a few tests with you, see if we can gauge how much feeling you have lost or regained."

"Fine with me."

Sally proceeded to do her tests, getting the nurse to flex her fingers, pressing on the tip of each finger with a sharp, then a blunt object. As Sally was conducting her tests, Keitaro busied himself in still trying to grab hold of the plaster cast.

Tests done, Sally smiled to the nurse. "I'm pleased to tell you that it seems you have only minimal nerve damage. There's a slight loss of sensitivity in a couple of those fingers, but not enough to affect you in your daily life. We will know more about any strength loss once the bones have healed and the cast comes off."

"That's good news then," replied Margaret. "Now, when can I get out of here and go home?"

Shaking her head, Sally sat once more. "Not for a day at least. If all is still well tomorrow, I'll look at releasing you."

"I'll hold you to that."

"Of that I have no doubt."

* * *

Duo and the others didn't get another chance to discuss their current situation, Young had returned and was relieved after a short while by Tewson. Duo's mind was still working on figuring out what Dekim Barton could possibly be up to with all those men, what were they training for and what was going to become of them?"

After what Duo figured had been about an hour since Zaheer had left, the burly man returned. He nodded to Tewson and stepped up to face the three.

"I've been speaking with the boss and it seems he has a proposition for you."

Duric didn't really care all that much right then, Farrow wasn't sure what to think and Duo cocked his head, interested to see what this new turn in events could be.

"You all have skills he can use on the project. He is offering each of you the opportunity to join this project."

"Really? And what is the alternative?" Duric snarled.

Zaheer turned to look at the man. "I thought that would be obvious even to a man of your intelligence. Join the project or be eliminated."

"Hmm... I might just have to think this over," Duo said, tone slightly sarcastic. "Join a project or die. Guess there really ain't much in the way of options or negotiations there."

"If I had my way I'd just shoot you all now and be done with it," Zaheer snapped.

"I'll join," Farrow whispered, Duric shot him a glare and Farrow lowered his eyes.

"In that case, I suppose I will too," Duo stated and shrugged his shoulder as best he could. "Not as if I'm doing much else right now."

"And you?" Zaheer glared at Duric.

"Fine, whatever, I'm in."

Zaheer turned to Tewson. "Go get Matthews, I'll need the pair of you to escort these three to Barton."

Tewson nodded and went to fetch Matthews, leaving Zaheer alone with the three.

Turning his icy gaze to the three he let it be known he would much prefer not to have the three around, but he had no choice, Barton had given his orders and Zaheer would obey. "I warn you all now, put a foot out of place and I will shoot first and ask questions later."

With Tewson returning seconds later with Matthews, the three were untied and escorted to meet with Barton and discover exactly what they would be doing and what the project was.

~ * ~

tbc...


	60. Chapter 60

**Many thanks to all who are reading and hugs for the kind reviews1 A few answers in this part.**

**Enjoy...**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 60

When Trowa and Quatre returned to Preventer HQ, Une brought them up to speed with what was going on. Both temporary agents were pleased that a little more had come to light in regards to the investigation and could only hope that Wufei and Heero would be able to turn up more leads for them to follow.

Having brought all the confiscated material from both missing senators' homes, they were soon hard at work in one of the labs, searching through all they had in an attempt to find anything that would help in their cause.

Une had Summer print out the photographs of Duo and the other missing people, contacting the various resources herself and informing them of her wish to display the pictures in the hope that someone may have seen something of the missing men.

The media were helpful to a point, but wanted to know more of the case, and Une wasn't ready to give out that sort of information yet. After several minutes of talking with media heads, she managed to secure a deal and the photos were duly dispatched. Meanwhile, Summer had also posted the pictures on the Internet and whilst it was a remote shot that someone somewhere had information on the whereabouts of the guys, he wasn't about to hold his breath waiting for that information to come through.

When Heero had discovered the missing funding in a bank account and traced the purchases, he'd been unable to locate any place of destination. At this stage, they hadn't investigated further as other events had unfolded that required their attention. Now though, Heero intended to be as thorough as he possibly could.

The list of companies where the various armaments had been purchased from, whilst not all that long, was quite wide spread throughout the earth and colonies.

"There's no way we can possibly cover all these suppliers in person," Wufei stated as he looked at the diverse addresses for the companies.

"I realize that. There are a couple that are within a fifty kilometer radius, I suggest we start with those and see what we get. We can either contact the others by phone, or have other agents from Preventer branches check on them, depending on what we find out from these two," Heero replied.

Wufei glanced at his watch. "We have just enough time to check out one of the suppliers today. I'll contact the other branches and have agents begin to check on the other companies whilst we look into this one."

"Then let's not waste any more time."

* * *

Tewson and Matthews guided their 'prisoners' through a few more tunnels, Zaheer bringing up the rear and keeping a close eye on the three. Duo's mind was working overtime, not just on what was in store for them now, but also trying to figure out a way he could possibly contact Heero, or anyone for that matter on the outside, and let them know of their whereabouts.

After walking for several minutes they came to a halt outside another small room. Zaheer went ahead and entered, returning within seconds to motion the rest of them through. Entering, Duo's eyes scanned around, noting everything he could about the place.

It was a fairly decent sized room on the inside, containing a minimum of furniture which consisted mainly of desks and a couple of chairs. Maps adorned the walls and any available surface also appeared to be covered with maps or blueprints. Standing behind a desk was Dekim Barton himself.

The older man looked up when the group came to a stop and he casually rolled up the blueprint he'd been studying before fixing his full attention on the three. His eyes roamed over each one, obviously not in the least perturbed by their injuries. Finally he cleared his throat and spoke.

"Zaheer tells me you are willing to join the project," he said in a calm voice.

"Not like we had much choice," muttered Duo. Instantly, Barton's eyes narrowed in on him.

"You don't like our hospitality?" Barton sneered.

"I've had better," came Duo's reply.

"Watch your mouth," Tewson snapped and pointed the gun directly at Duo.

Duo gave the man a disdainful look and fixed his attention back on Barton.

"I've seen you before," Barton stated.

Duo shrugged. "What can I say? I have one of those faces, there's many people that look like me out there."

"No, I don't think so." Dekim's brow furrowed as he tried to drag the memory up, but it still eluded him. "Not to worry, I'm sure it will come to me in time," he stated and then looked at the other two. "Which one of you has the computer experience?"

"I do," replied Farrow.

"Good. Matthews, take him to Lewis."

Matthews grasped Farrow by the arm and pulled him around, leading him from the room.

"As for you two," began Barton. "I'm sure you're both curious as to what the project is and what part you will play in it?"

"It might help," Duo replied sarcastically.

Ignoring the jibe, Barton continued. "It's really quite simple. I intend to take over the earth and free the colonies once and for all from the repressive rule of the dictators there." When neither of the two men looked all that impressed, Barton narrowed his eyes. "You don't believe me?"

"It's been tried before and failed," Duo replied with a shrug of his shoulders

"Ah, yes it has, but where they failed, I will succeed."

"How can you be so sure?" Duric questioned.

"My plan is foolproof."

"That's what Romefeller, Oz and White Fang thought too," Duo muttered under his breath. "But they didn't count on the Gundams."

Dekim caught the softly spoken words and the memory he'd been hunting for suddenly burst forth. He stepped forward and closer to Duo. "Now I remember," he stated and raised his hand. His finger poked Duo in the chest. "You were a Gundam Pilot. Pilot 02 to be precise, if I remember correctly."

Zaheer's head jerked up and he almost gave himself whiplash as he spun to look at the man Barton had identified. Tewson swallowed hard.

Duo's violet eyes darkened as he fixed Barton with his gaze. "Yes. I was Gundam Pilot 02," he said in a cold tone.

Barton's eyes lit up and he rubbed his hands together. "I thought so. This is excellent, with you on my project success is even further guaranteed." An evil smile graced the man's face as his mind ticked over.

Duo wasn't sure he liked the look on Barton's face, but right now he didn't have any choice other than to go along with whatever it was he'd gotten himself into. His mind though was constantly on alert for any chance or opportunity he might get to try and contact Heero.

"Oh yes," Barton continued, "I can certainly use you on the project."

"What is it you want from us in this project?" Duric snapped. He was getting tired of the games being played.

Turning to face Duric, Barton narrowed his eyes. "That, you will find out once we have moved to our point of operations."

"How do you think you will succeed when all the others failed?" Duo tossed in.

"The others all tried to take over by using brute force," Dekim replied. "That was their downfall. I intend to use brains and keep the brawn for the back up."

Neither Duric or Duo looked convinced.

"It's really quite simple," Barton explained. "You cannot rule by force alone, that will gain you nothing but unrest, but - " Dekim paused for a moment, then continued, "but, by outsmarting the dictators you have shown you're a force to be reckoned with. No one wishes to oppose someone who is smart."

Duo snorted. "I fail to see the point here. You talk of brute force and how it fails to accomplish anything, yet you have an army assembling right now." Duo knew there was still unrest amongst the Colonies and their governments and that the ESUN was working hard to resolve the distrust and show the Colonies that they all needed to work together.

"Weren't you listening?" Dekim snapped. "The army is my back up. I intend to take over by using a rather unique, persuasive method, the army will only be there to enforce my rule should the need arise."

"And what is this 'method' you seem so sure will work?" Duric questioned. He honestly couldn't see how Dekim could take over and rule the Colonies and Earth without some form of violence and attack.

Barton spun around and with an evil smirk, addressed the other man. "Computers."

Duric frowned, Duo raised an eyebrow.

Seeing his audience wasn't following on, Dekim shook his head. "You're a lot more stupid than I thought. Computers, the entire earth sphere and the colonies alike are reliant on technology. Oh, they would be the first ones to tell you that they aren't, but step back and take a look at the big picture. Take out the computers, remove the technology and what do you have? Think about it people." Dekim turned and walked away to stand behind his desk, allowing his words to sink in. Raising his head, he spoke to Zaheer. "Take them to the containment area and prepare all for departure. We will leave in four hours."

Zaheer nodded. "Move!" he ordered.

* * *

Sitting in the small containment room, Duo had a lot to think about. His mind was whirling with thoughts, the full realization of what Barton was planning slowly unraveling in his brain.

"Something tells me this guy isn't your usual bad guy," Duric said.

"No, he isn't," Duo replied a little absently.

"I'm not as clued up on all this technical talk, you think you can explain in simple terms what it is he's planning on doing?"

Duo sighed. "I don't have the full picture myself yet, all I can do is speculate, but I'm pretty sure I'm not far off the mark. It's true what he said about the Earth and Colonies being reliant on computers and technology. You take that away and you put the entire human race pretty much back to the stone age."

"You seriously think he would try to destroy all the technology?" Duric asked, his tone one of disbelief.

"Firecell," Duo stated quietly.

"Firecell?"

"Yeah. It's been talked about and discussed, but no one really knew if it would be possible to actually bring it into reality as such. I don't think the governments really took much notice, believing that no one would be either smart enough or stupid enough to pull such a stunt. It's all been pretty much theories up to now."

"What exactly is a Firecell?"

"In very simple terms the Firecell is a name for a program that cuts into the technological world, shuts down computers; and I'm not talking your home computer here, I'm talking the major players. Communications, economics, transportation; even basic life support could all be effectively shut down. But as I said before, it's all been theory, no one has ever put the theory into practice that I know of."

Duric paled. "But, wouldn't that be deadly to the Colonies? They depend on life support."

Duo nodded. "Yeah, they do. No, I don't think Barton would go that far, well, not unless he wasn't getting what he wanted."

"We're all fucked."

"Seems like it." Duo didn't bother to argue, he needed his mind to stay alert, to figure out if that _was_ what Dekim was planning. He was pretty sure it was and if so, Duo needed to try to find a way to stop him.

The two men remained in thought until Matthews and Zaheer came to collect them.

Once again they traversed the corridors of the garbage system, emerging back out of the tunnels and into the abandoned building. It was evening cycle when they stepped out into the recycled air of L2. Despite the slightly sour tasting air, Duo drew deep breaths, clearing out his lungs from the oppressive air of the garbage system.

A car was waiting for them and as Duo climbed inside, he glanced around. There wasn't much in the way of human presence, this was one of the poorest and more crime ridden sectors of the colony; no one ventured here if they could help it.

The car drove through the artificial night and out of the slums. Duo realized they were heading for a smaller shuttle port on the colony. Most Colonies had two major ports, one for passengers and one for cargo. They also had smaller ports to handle the smaller cargo shuttles and therefore leave the large port free.

When he'd been working with Hilde in the scrap yard he'd often come to the smaller port to either send out a shipment or pick up one and even though it had been a while since he'd been there, he was quite familiar with the way the port worked.

Pulling up at the smaller shuttle port, the group exited the car and stood around the side of the main entrance in a small alley way . Zaheer looked down his nose at Duric and Duo.

"You will both keep your mouths shut and do exactly as you are told. Matthews has a gun trained on you at all times."

Both men nodded.

"Here." Zaheer handed them both a pair of coveralls with some company name on the back that Duo didn't recognize. "Put them on and act like you're cargo handlers."

Duo and Duric did as requested, Zaheer and Matthews doing the same. Zaheer produced ID tags and passed them over, checking each man had it clipped to the top, left pocket of the coveralls. Satisfied, he gave one last warning before leading the group out to the front of the shuttle port where a van had pulled in.

The doors to the van were opened to reveal several boxes.

"We are to take these boxes and load them onto shuttle X436. Keep your heads down, eyes to yourself and mouths shut. I will deal with the authorities," Zaheer informed them.

The boxes were removed from the van and stacked onto three small trolleys. Matthews, Duric and Duo each took a handle to a trolley and began to follow Zaheer into the port. Zaheer approached the cargo desk and handed over paperwork, chatting idly with the officials behind the desk as they checked the validity of the paperwork.

Whilst Zaheer was busy, Duo peered out from underneath his bangs, spotting a security camera to one side. He glanced at Matthews who was watching Duric and took a chance. He lifted his head just enough and looked into the camera. His lips moved silently to form a few, simple words and then lowered his head again before Matthews could spot him. It wasn't a moment too soon; Matthews turned to look at him and seemed satisfied that Duo was doing as he was told.

Having cleared the paperwork, Zaheer returned to the group. "Bay four," he stated and began to lead the way past the desk and along the corridor that would take them to the loading bays.

As Duo passed the desk, he tried to raise his head enough to see the officials behind it, a warning growl from Matthews told him that was not a good idea and Duo quickly ducked behind his bangs again.

The walk wasn't long, bay four appearing quickly and the three pushed their trolleys to the waiting, open cargo doors. The boxes were transferred from the trolleys to the belly of the small shuttle, the four humans entering the shuttle once the cargo was secure.

"Strap in," Matthews ordered as Zaheer went to speak with the pilot.

Strapped in, Duo wondered where the hell they were heading now. As if reading his mind, a returning Zaheer gave them a smirk.

"You didn't seriously think that Barton would use L2 as his base point? No, we're heading to a small satellite, that is where the base for the operations is located." Zaheer went quiet as the shuttle's engines came to life and the machine began to move out from its bay to the short runway that would take it to the exit runway from the colony.

* * *

"Thank you, you have been most helpful," Wufei said as they exited the recycle yard. He walked in silence beside Heero and climbed into the car.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Heero rubbed at his chin, locked in thought. Wufei broke the silence.

"L2."

Heero nodded and pulled out the paper invoice the man had given him. "This does not make a lot of sense." He handed the sheet to Wufei who scanned it over.

"I agree. There's more than just armaments here, there's circuitry, chips and a whole lot of other stuff that doesn't fit in."

Heero sighed. "How soon before we get reports back from the other teams investigating the other places of purchase?"

"We should start to have some answers coming in by tomorrow morning."

"Good. There's a thread here, something tying all this together and I can't put my finger on it," Heero stated, his voice clearly frustrated.

Wufei started the car. "Let's go back to HQ, you have a son to collect and I'm interested to see if Barton and Winner have had any luck in discovering anything from the confiscated material from the senators' homes."

"Okay."

Wufei drove them out of the parking area and back to Preventer headquarters.

* * *

Quatre scratched his head and then rubbed his weary eyes. The screen before him was starting to blur a little. Beside him, Trowa was also finding it difficult to concentrate. They had been at this for several hours now and had yet to find anything of interest in relation to the case.

"I think I need a break," Quatre stated as he stretched his arms above his head, feeling his spine pop and the muscles ease a little.

"Coffee?" Trowa asked, a hopeful look in his visible eye.

"Sure," Quatre chuckled and got up to stretch his legs and fetch the coffee.

Trowa continued to pour over the contents of the hard drive on Wainwright's computer, he was beginning to doubt that they would find anything at all. Quatre returned with the promised coffee, setting the mug beside his partner and then standing behind Trowa's chair to massage the tired muscles of his lover's shoulders.

"Feels good," Trowa sighed as he let his eyes drift shut and enjoy the ministrations.

Quatre continued to manipulate the flesh, digging his thumbs and fingers in harder, attempting to loosen the knots.

With his husband working on the muscles of his shoulders, Trowa opened his eyes and continued in his search. Clicking on another folder his eyes suddenly widened and he let go a soft gasp. Immediately, Quatre stopped and looked over his partner's shoulder.

"What is it?" the blonde asked as he scanned the screen.

"I'm not sure," Trowa replied, "but it's certainly something I wouldn't expect to be on here."

Pulling across his chair, Quatre sat next to his lover and studied the information.

"Why would a senator want to research communications networks?" Quatre asked.

"I don't know," Trowa replied and then clicked on a sub folder. "This is interesting. Looks like he was researching a lot of things."

Trowa continued to click on sub folders, each one containing research on many different networks and systems the Earth and Colonies used. They ranged from communications to power grids, transport to banking.

"I think we should inform Une of this," Quatre stated.

"I agree." Trowa inserted a disc into the computer and downloaded the information. Just as he was preparing to shut down the machine, Heero and Wufei entered.

Quatre turned to see their fellow agents walking in the door and was immediately out of his seat. "Any luck?" he asked.

"Sort of," replied Heero. "We've checked out one of the suppliers named on the list from Barton's bank account. We know his shipment of goods was sent to L2."

"L2?" echoed Quatre.

"Hai. There's also items on the inventory that are not armaments."

"What sort of things?"

"Circuitry, chips, circuit boards, things like that," Heero replied.

Quatre frowned.

"Have you two had any luck?" Wufei asked.

"Not sure. We have found something that appears a little unusual on Wainright's hard drive."

"What sort of things?" asked Heero as he approached the Latin.

"It seems the senator was doing a little research, mainly into systems and networks of the Earth and Colonies."

Heero let his eyes scan the screen when Trowa brought the data back up. The hairs on the back of his neck began to prickle. "Copy it."

"Already done."

"I have a feeling this is related."

"How?" asked Trowa.

"Not sure, but my gut is telling me that it is."

The pager on Wufei's belt went off and he looked at it. "Une," he stated and went to the internal phone in the corner of the room. Moments later he returned. "Une wants us in her office now. There's been a breakthrough."

The four agents scrambled to get out of the door and to Une's office.

* * *

Sitting back in his chair and watching the news, one of the officers that had been on duty at the shuttle port accepted the mug from his wife and took a sip of the hot beverage.

"Any good news on?" she asked her husband as she took a seat.

"Not really. Mostly just the same old stuff," he replied.

The news went to a break, showing a couple of adverts and then an advert of a different kind.

"Have you seen these missing men?" the announcer said as four pictures were splashed across the screen. "If anyone has seen any of these men or knows of their whereabouts, please contact your local Preventer office. All information is confidential." The program went back to the news.

"Harold?" The woman turned to look at her husband who was locked deep in thought.

Turning, Harold locked eyes with his wife. "I'm pretty sure I saw two of those guys at the shuttle port today."

"You did? You'd better call the Preventer office then."

"I couldn't be a hundred percent sure, but they looked pretty close to two of those pictures," Harold said as his mind drifted back to that evening. "I don't know if I should call, what if it's not them?"

"Call them anyway, I'm sure they would be interested, even if it turns out to be someone that just looks like them."

"You may be right," Harold replied and with a grunt, he got up out of his chair and went to place a call.

"Preventer L2 branch, how can I help you?"

"Those men that you lot are looking for? I think I may have seen two of them."

~ * ~

tbc...

AN: The idea for the Firecell was inspired by the movie 'Die Hard 4'.


	61. Chapter 61

**Many thanks for the continued reviews!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 61

"You think you may have seen a couple of the missing people?"

"Yeah," Harold replied.

"One moment sir."

Harold waited as his call was transferred.

"Missing persons unit. I believe you have some information regarding a missing person?"

"I was just watching the telly and saw some pictures of four guys that are missing," Harold began. "I'm pretty sure I saw two of them today."

"I see, sir. May I have your details?"

Harold duly gave his name, address and phone number.

"Thank you, sir. Now, which of the two did you see and where?"

Harold gave the person all the information he could, explaining he couldn't be a hundred percent sure, but from what he remembered they bore a close resemblance to two of the missing men.

"The shuttle port has security cameras?"

"Yes, yes it does."

"Right. Thank you for your information, sir, you've been most helpful. We will look into this and contact you should we need any further details."

"Just trying to be a good citizen," Harold replied.

"Have a nice evening, sir. "

"You too." Harold hung up and returned to the lounge room and his wife.

"Well?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I told them all I could remember," replied Harold, sitting back into his armchair and stretching his legs out in front of him.

"That's good. I hope it helps them."

Harold nodded and returned his attention to the television and watching the soap opera that was now screening.

* * *

The four agents arrived at Une's office, Wufei knocking on the door whilst the others remained slightly behind him, fidgeting nervously.

"Enter." Une looked up as the four agents came in. "Take a seat, please."

Trowa and Quatre took the two seats to the left leaving the other two for Heero and Wufei.

"You said there had been a breakthrough?" Heero asked as he leaned closer to the commander's desk.

"Yes, there has." Une pushed a piece of paper to the side, pulled another to the front and then looked at her agents. "The pictures Summer had printed have been put into circulation and the Preventer Branch on L2 has had a call from someone who thinks he saw two of the missing men; namely Maxwell and the guy, Duric."

"When? Where?" Heero all but yelled.

"Take it easy, Yuy and let the commander finish," Wufei said as he put a restraining hand on the Japanese man's arm.

"It was in a shuttle port I believe, sometime this afternoon."

"I'm going," stated Heero and started to get up from his chair.

"Agent Day, sit down!" barked Une in a tone that said she wouldn't tolerate anything less than prompt compliance.

Yuy sat, glaring at their commander.

"I have agents from the L2 branch going out to the shuttle port as we speak. They will speak with the authorities there with the intent of retrieving the security cameras' footage. If Maxwell was there it should be caught on camera as those ports are monitored around the clock. That footage will be sent directly to here through Preventer's secure Internet line. I expect to have it by the morning."

Heero shifted in his seat.

"Once it arrives I want you, Yuy and Chang, to go through it with a fine tooth comb."

"Understood," Wufei replied.

Une turned her attention to Trowa and Quatre. "Have either of you found anything of interest on the senators' hard drives?"

"We're not sure," Trowa began. "There's the usual things one would expect to find, but then I stumbled across a folder on Wainright's drive that doesn't strike me as being the sort of thing one would expect to find."

"Oh? Care to elaborate?"

Trowa rubbed his chin. "It appears the senator had an interest in networks and systems. I found evidence of his researching into systems such as communications, banking, transport and the like."

Une frowned. "I suppose the man could have a hobby of that sort."

Trowa shook his head. "No, I don't think so. I'd like to continue with the search though, see if I can uncover anything further, something that might give us a clue as to why he was interested in such systems."

"Then continue with your investigations tomorrow," replied Une and then turned her attention back to Heero and Wufei. "How is your investigation coming along?"

"We spoke to a proprietor who was listed on the bank accounts as having supplied items. He was most helpful and gave us not only a list of the items purchased, but also the point of delivery," Wufei explained.

"And?"

"It was L2," Heero whispered.

"This is getting more and more complex by the minute," sighed Une.

"There's more. Along with several armaments on the invoice, there were items such as circuit boards, chips and other electrical equipment. It doesn't add up."

"You're right. That is a little weird. Have you looked into any of the other suppliers yet?"

"No. I have agents from other branches checking for us but I do not expect to get anything back from them until tomorrow at the earliest," stated Wufei.

"I see. Okay, gentlemen. I suggest you leave this for now, go home and try to get some rest. I will see you all back at work in the morning. Once I have the security tapes from the L2 branch, I'll send for you. Goodnight."

The four agents stood and with their own good nights, left the commander's office.

* * *

"Ah, Heero," said Sally as the young man entered the hospital room she was sitting in with Nurse Brown.

"Sally, Nurse Brown," Heero returned as he strode across the room to the bed with Wufei behind him.

Keitaro's face lit up when he heard his father's voice and he gurgled happily, reaching out his pudgy arms to be hugged.

Heero's face broke into a soft smile and he reached for his son, picking him up and cradling him against his chest. "How are you, Nurse Brown?"

"Much better, thank you. I'll be better still once I'm out of here though," the nurse said.

Chuckling, Heero looked to the nurse. "Not fond of hospitals?"

"Not when I'm on the other side," came the reply.

"Now Margaret, I did say if all was still okay tomorrow that we would look at releasing you," Sally soothed.

"I know, but I can't see for the life of me why I can't go home now. I'm fine, I know what I can and can't do and believe me, I'm not about to start swinging off the chandeliers!"

Heero's eyes widened, Wufei blinked and Sally almost choked trying not to laugh.

"Chandeliers?" Sally snickered.

"You know what I mean," huffed the nurse. "Just let me out of here and I promise to be a good little nurse and take things easy."

"Sorry. No can do. You'll just have to be patient and wait for tomorrow." Ignoring the growl from the irate nurse, Sally turned to the two agents. "Any further developments?"

"Hai. We just might have a breakthrough. Someone at a shuttle port on L2 believes he's seen Duo."

"Oh my lord!" exclaimed Margaret.

"We should be able to confirm if it was him tomorrow. The Preventer branch on L2 is sending agents to the port to obtain the security camera footage," Heero said.

"And if it is him?" whispered Sally.

"Then I will be going to L2," said Heero in a tone that said he would be on the first flight out, permission or not.

"See, you'll have to let me out tomorrow," Margaret stated. "If Heero is going to be off to L2 then I'll need to be home to look after Keitaro. He can't take the child with him."

That was something that hadn't crossed Heero's mind. He had responsibilities now, he couldn't just drop everything and shoot off into space, no matter how much he wanted to.

Sally sighed and raised her hands. "Okay, okay. I give up. If everything is okay through the night then I'll release you first thing tomorrow morning."

"Thank you," replied the nurse, her tone smug.

"Come on, Yuy, we need to get moving. That child needs to be fed and put to bed," Wufei said.

"Thank you for watching him today, Sally, you too Nurse Brown," said Heero.

"No problem, Heero. It's been a pleasure," replied the two women.

"Good night." Heero turned to leave, the chorus of good nights following him.

* * *

"Come on Tom, we got a call to attend."

Tom paid for the coffees and donuts, hastening back to the patrol car and climbing inside. "What's up?" he asked as he passed over a coffee and tucked the bag of donuts into his lap before securing his seat belt.

"Someone called headquarters about a house. Seems there's not been anyone there for a few days and there's a bit of an unusual smell coming from it. Captain wants us to go do a preliminary check of the joint."

"Geeze, I thought it was something like a murder the way you were yelling, Barry," Tom said as he sipped his coffee.

"Nah, nothing like that," Barry chuckled. "You know that nothing exciting happens around here."

"Good. That's just the way I like it." Tom finished his coffee and ate a couple of donuts, leaving the others for his partner. "Where is this place?"

"Should be just around the corner. A neighbor called in, said they hadn't seen anyone for a while but there was this smell so we gotta go check it out."

"Probably someone went on holiday and left their garbage can full,'"replied Tom.

"Well, we will know soon enough. Here we are." Barry pulled the patrol car to the side of the road and cut the engine. "That's the place there," he said. "Neighbor that called lives..." he glanced at the notepad he'd written the details on. "... there, number 67."

The two officers exited their vehicle, putting their hats on and strolled up the walk to the front door of number 67. Barry knocked and waited. Moments later the door opened.

"Mrs Penshaw? I'm Constable Stevens and this is Constable Pritchard. You called the station about your neighbor's house?" Barry said as he introduced both himself and his partner.

"Ah, yes. Thank you for coming out. I'm not sure if there is anything wrong, but I haven't seen anyone at the house for the past three days. I didn't really think much of it at first, but then my dog managed to slip her collar when I was walking her earlier and she shot into the garden next door. I went in to get her and that's when I noticed this funny smell coming from the place. I tried knocking on the door but there was no answer. It might be nothing at all, but, that smell, it didn't seem right."

"No problem, Mrs Penshaw. We'll go take a look around. As you say, it's probably nothing, but it pays to be sure," replied Tom.

"Thank you. I hope I haven't wasted your time," said Mrs Penshaw.

"I'll come back shortly and let you know if we find anything." Tom turned to his partner and with a roll of his eyes that the lady couldn't see, the pair left the porch and walked back out to the sidewalk. "Nosey old biddy," he said under his breath.

"Oh, I don't know. She didn't seem to be the kind to put her nose into her neighbors' business," replied Barry.

With a shrug of his shoulders, Tom turned off the sidewalk and along the path to the house in question. He knocked on the front door and waited.

"You smell that?" asked Barry as he wrinkled his nose.

Tom took a couple of sniffs. "Yeah, that's pretty foul."

Barry knocked again, a little harder this time. "That must be an awful lot of trash to smell that bad."

Tom just nodded.

After waiting a few more moments and still not getting a reply, Barry tried again, knocking loudly and calling out at the same time, "Hello, this is the police! Anyone home?"

"Let's check around the back," Tom suggested when their repeated knocking and calling resulted in nothing.

"Good idea." Barry followed his partner around the side of the house and towards the back. They tried to look inside windows as they passed, but the curtains were drawn, preventing them from seeing anything. Reaching the back door, Barry tried the handle to find that it was locked. They tried knocking and calling out again.

"No one home by the look of it," Tom stated. "That smell though."

"Yeah. I'm gonna call the chief and let him know what we've found so far and see if he will give us permission to enter the premises," replied Barry and went back to the patrol car, Tom went back to the front door.

"What did he say?" Tom asked as Barry returned.

"He said it's probably nothing, but given the smell we had better check it out. We have permission to enter."

"Okay. You want to see if any windows are open? Or do you want to break the door lock?"

"No need for theatrics," Barry said with a shake of his head. "We need to be discrete and keep this to minimal property damage."

"Then we look for an open window first then." Tom walked to the side of the house again and began to check all the windows he found. None would yield. The windows on the other side and front were similarly closed and locked.

"Let's try the back," said Barry.

Again, all windows were secure.

"Guess we will have to break one," sighed Barry.

"Why not break the small one just to the side of the door, then you can climb in and open the back door for me?" Tom replied.

"Why don't you climb in?" Barry retorted.

"Because I won't fit," his partner replied with a smug smile.

"I keep telling you to quit eating those donuts," huffed Barry, but duly drew his baton. Moving to the small window, he swung the baton and brought it against the glass, the sound of shattering glass greeting their ears. Using the baton to knock all the shards of glass out the way, Barry prepared to climb in.

"Fuck, that smell is worse," he muttered as he did his best not to gag.

"Just hurry it up, will you? Our shift finishes in a couple of hours and I'd like to be knocking off on time for once."

"Okay, okay. Quit your griping." Barry managed to climb inside and seconds later was opening the back door, charging out to the fresh air and drawing in deep gulps.

"You okay?" Tom asked, concerned with his partner's state.

"Yeah. That smell is really foul." He pulled a handkerchief from inside his pocket and put it over his nose and mouth. "I suggest you do the same," he told his partner.

Tom did as Barry suggested and the pair entered the house.

Tom tried the light switch and the bulb flickered before lighting up fully. "At least the power's still on."

"Then it can't be a fridge full of decaying meat," replied Barry. Given the strength of the smell, that's what Barry thought they would most likely find.

They were inside a kitchen, the light making it much easier to see. Nothing looked out of place. A few dishes on the sink, garbage bin only containing a few wrappers and bits of paper.

"Let's go through and see if we can find where this smell is coming from," Barry told his partner.

The two police officers made their way out of the kitchen and along a hallway. As they found light switches, so they turned them on. The first two doors they came to opened into bedrooms. Nothing appeared out of place. Beds were made and the rooms neat and tidy. Pressing on further into the house, there remained two more doors up ahead.

"The smell is getting worse," Tom commented.

"I think it's coming from behind that door," Barry replied and inclined his head to the door on their left.

The pair paused outside the closed door, neither one really wanting to open it, but knowing they had to.

"This is ridiculous," muttered Barry as he looked to his partner.

"Don't look at me, I really don't want to go in there," Tom said. "I'll go check the other room."

"No you don't," growled Barry. "You're staying right here with me."

"Fine."

Barry reached for the door knob and closed his fingers around it. He swallowed and then shook his head and gave a snort. "I'm a fucking copper, for crying out loud! There's nothing in here that I have to worry about." He took a deep breath and still berating himself mentally for being such a wimp, he opened the door and stepped inside.

It was dark and gloomy in the room, Barry's hand automatically swiping down the wall, looking for the light switch. The smell was much stronger in here, to the point where it was almost overpowering.

Tom had never smelt anything like it in his life – it was a sort of sickly sweet odor.

Barry's hand managed to find the light switch and his fingers pushed it.

Instantly the room was bathed in a pale light.

Barry's eyes widened in shock as he looked around what was obviously a lounge room.

Tom ran into his partner's back. "Why'd you sto... Oh fuck!" Tom back pedaled rapidly, hand clasped over his mouth as he charged for the back door and fresh air.

Barry didn't have the chance to move. His legs turned to jelly and he vomited right where he stood. "Oh, crap," he managed to get out between heaves. Once his stomach no longer had anything left in it to expel, Barry managed to get his legs working and shot from inside that room, the horror there following him in his mind. He found Tom out the back, throwing up in the flower bed. It made him feel a little better that he'd not been the only one to react in such a manner.

"I gotta call the chief, this needs experts in this field," he managed to say.

Tom just nodded and continued to enjoy his coffee and donuts a second time.

Barry staggered back to the patrol car and grabbed the radio handset. "Chief? Yeah, it's me, Stevens. I think you better send out the homicide squad."

~ * ~

tbc...


	62. Chapter 62

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 62

Tom finally stopped heaving and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. Still feeling nauseous, he made his way around the side of the house and back out the walk to where his partner was sitting inside the patrol car. "What did the boss say?"

"Chief said to sit tight, cordon off the area and wait for the homicide squad."

"Right." Tom reached into the vehicle and grabbed his bottle of water. Taking a swig, he rinsed out his mouth, spitting the water to the grass on the verge. "We should have some tape in the trunk."

Barry popped the trunk and Tom fished around in the depths, locating a roll of police tape and bringing it out. The pair walked in silence back to the front fence of the house, Barry taking one end of the tape and tying it to the end fence post whilst Tom began to unwind the roll as he walked to the other end of the fence. Tying that end off the pair went back to the car to await the homicide squad. Neither man really wanted to go back inside that house.

"Uh oh. Don't look now but there's a neighbor at six o'clock," muttered Barry.

"Great," groaned Tom.

The pair did their best to look normal as Mrs. Penshaw approached.

"Ma'am," greeted Barry.

Mrs. Penshaw gave them a smile before looking to the tape and then back to the officers. "I don't mean to be nosy, but it seems my calling you out to investigate has turned up something?"

"Yes, ma'am, it has. I'm sorry though, I'm not at liberty to inform you of what has been found or any other details at this point in time. We're waiting for a special police squad to come in and investigate as it's out of our jurisdiction, however, I'm sure they will want to speak to you in relation to the house, its occupants and anything at all you can remember from the past several days," Barry informed the woman.

"I see. Well, I'm happy to help in any way I can, officer."

Tom pulled his notebook from his shirt pocket. "If you wouldn't mind, ma'am, could I please get your details? I need name, address, phone number, things like that to pass on to the investigating officers and then they will contact you when they wish to speak with you."

"Certainly." Mrs. Penshaw moved to the rear of the vehicle with Tom who began to write down the necessary information. Once completed, the woman went back to her house and Tom joined his partner in the car.

"I hope they get here soon," Barry said as he fidgeted with the sleeve of his shirt. "I could really go for a strong whiskey."

"I think a couple of Valium would be better," snorted Tom.

"After seeing _that_ I'd be inclined to have the Valium and the whiskey!"

"That looks like them now," Tom said as he spotted a blue van approaching.

"Yep, it's them alright. Time to get back to work."

* * *

Heero finished doing up the buttons on the pajamas and picked up his son. Cradling the infant in his arms, he rocked Keitaro for a few minutes, watching the child's face. The babe was focused completely on his father, blue eyes with a purple tinge locked onto the familiar face and a small smile played over the rosy lips. Heero ran his hand lightly over the downy hair and stroked a finger over a chubby cheek.

"We're going to find your mother, Keitaro. I swear I will bring him back to us," Heero whispered as he lay the child in his cot and pulled the blankets up around the small body.

Keitaro gurgled and then snuggled down to sleep.

Pressing a kiss to his son's head, Heero smiled and then pulled away to wind up the mobile. With the soft music playing he watched his son for another minute before leaving the room and heading back down to the lounge where the other three were waiting for him.

Quatre gave the Japanese man a warm smile as he entered and took a seat. "Keitaro okay?"

"Hai, he's just about asleep."

"Good." The blonde thought for a moment before speaking again. "Heero, if it will help any I can ask Siska to watch Keitaro for you during the day?"

Heero shook his head. "Thanks, Quatre, but Siska already does enough around here, it wouldn't be fair to ask her to babysit as well. Besides, Nurse Brown should be released from the hospital tomorrow."

"But her wrist will be in plaster for some time yet. Are you sure she will be able to cope?"

"I'll talk to her."

"Look, how about we come to a compromise? I'll ask Siska to keep an eye on both Keitaro and the nanny, if assistance is required I'm sure she would be happy to help out."

"Okay." Heero gave in, he really wasn't feeling up to a battle of words with the blonde, his mental reserves were pretty much exhausted.

"When do you think Une will have the security camera footage?" Trowa asked, changing the subject.

"She did say it would be tomorrow. If Preventer moves pretty quickly I'd say we should have it by mid morning," Wufei replied.

"I hope so. We really need a break in this case and this seems to be our best chance so far," Trowa stated.

"I couldn't agree more," replied Wufei.

"If it is Duo on that tape, then I will be going to L2," Heero stated in a voice that brooked no argument.

"Don't worry, Heero. If it is Duo on that tape then all of us will be going to L2," Quatre said in a quiet but firm tone.

"Thank you," whispered Heero.

"No thanks needed. We're family and that's what family does – stick together, watch out for each other's backs."

Heero didn't say anymore, there wasn't any need too.

* * *

"Officer Stevens, Officer Pritchard, I'm Kevin Royce and this is my partner, Darren Trimble." He nodded in the direction of the other two men. "The other two are Peter Lawrence and Mike Harvey, both are forensic officers," Royce said as he shook hands with the two police officers and showed his ID. "HQ said you have a homicide case here?"

"Yes, that's correct," Barry replied and proceeded to tell the detective all they had discovered from the call out to the discovery in the lounge room. "It's not a pretty sight," Barry concluded.

"That's an understatement," muttered Tom.

"Lost your lunch did you?" Royce chuckled.

"Yeah, you could say that," Tom sighed.

"It's okay, most officers do when confronted with a homicide scene, even we still throw up on occasion," Royce replied.

"Can you show us to the crime scene?" asked Trimble.

Barry groaned. "I'd rather not go back in there if possible."

"That's okay, I understand. Can you give us an idea of the house floor plan?" Trimble needed to know so they could make their way directly to the crime scene without touching or disturbing anything else in the house and possibly ruining evidence.

Barry nodded and explained the lay of the house. He also told the detectives exactly what he and Tom had touched.

"Thanks. I'll need you guys to remain here for a while longer to control any crowd that might gather," Trimble stated.

"Great," muttered Tom with a roll of his eyes. "I'd better call the missus and let her know I'll be late for dinner."

The two detectives returned to their vehicle and the other two of their team who were getting themselves ready to enter the crime scene. Royce and Trimble joined them in donning the protective clothing; paper coveralls, masks and what looked like paper shower caps were slipped over their shoes. One picked up a camera, the other a large, black case. All set, the four went around to the back of the house and entered through the open back door.

Following the directions that Barry had given them, the detectives located the lounge room easily enough and took in the sight before them.

"Bloody hell," whispered Trimble through his mask.

"Not all that pleasant, is it?" replied Royce as he stepped further into the room.

The other two officers in the squad entered and looked around before setting down the case and getting the camera ready.

"I'll get a few shots of the body before you examine it, sir," said Peter and pulled the camera from around his neck and into his hands. Moving across the room, he was careful not to disturb anything and began to take his pictures. After a few minutes, he deemed he'd gotten enough on record and turned back to the detective. "You can continue now, sir. Please try not to disturb the body too much if you can, there's still the autopsy, cataloging of evidence and such to be done."

"I'll be as careful as I can," Royce replied. The officer wasn't being smart, just doing his job and Royce knew that. With a nod to his partner, the pair approached the body and left the other two to continue their photographing of the rest of the scene.

Trimble had his notebook out and started to take notes as Royce examined the body.

"Male, Caucasian, roughly thirty five years of age, wearing blue jeans, green shirt, brown socks and combat boots," Royce stated as he began his preliminary check. "It appears he has a gunshot wound to the left hand and one to the calf - both non fatal. There's another gunshot wound to the left temple. Without an autopsy at this stage, I'd be confident in saying the wound to the head is what killed him and I'd approximate he's been dead for at least three days. It appears to be an assassination type killing, close range from what I can tell," Royce continued.

Trimble wrote everything down as his partner continued in his examination.

"I'll check his pockets, see if there's any form of ID on him." Royce looked to Trimble for confirmation, the other detective nodding in the affirmative. Royce carefully felt around the pockets, doing his best to fend off the queasy feeling he was starting to get in his stomach. A corpse was not exactly pleasant to deal with, one that was three days old, possibly longer, was even more unsettling. Besides the smell, the body had bloated quite a bit and was very unstable due to the decomposition that had started to take place. [1]

Royce was lucky, amongst the items he found in the victim's pockets was a wallet. Placing all the other items into a forensics 'bag', he opened the wallet and began to look through it. "Bingo," he said quietly as he pulled out the man's driver's license. "Our deceased here was one Paul Murphy," Royce said.

Trimble added the name to the list of information then paused and scratched his head. "Can I take a look?"

Royce handed over the license and Trimble studied it carefully for a moment.

"What's up?" asked Royce. "You know him or something?"

Trimble shook his head. "No, I don't know him, just his face seems familiar. I could swear I saw a picture of him just recently, but I can't for the life of me think where."

"It's okay, don't try to overtax that brain of yours," snickered Royce.

Trimble gave his partner a glare. "I'm sure it will come to me when I least expect it," he huffed. "Come on, we'd better hurry up, we need to call in the coroner soon and I'm sure he'd rather collect the body before he has his dinner."

"Yeah, yeah, don't get your knickers in a knot," Royce replied and turned back to the body.

The pair worked in silence, cataloging everything they could in the room whilst the other two officers continued in their photographing of the entire house. Trimble called the coroner who arrived within an hour and met him at the door.

"Thank you for coming, sir. We still have a bit to do before the body can be removed, but it shouldn't take long."

"No problem," replied the coroner. "Mind if I take a look?"

"Of course, come right through."

The coroner grabbed the body bag from his vehicle and duly followed Trimble into the house and through to the lounge room, careful not to touch anything.

"Coroner's here," Trimble informed the other three.

Royce came over and greeted the man with a handshake. "Good to see you again, Ben," he said.

"You too, Kevin. What have you got this time?" the coroner replied as he set the plastic body bag on the floor next to the body.

"Murder victim by the look of it. There's three gunshot wounds evident on the body, but the one to the temple was the fatal shot."

Ben gave a low whistle as he looked the corpse over. "Any ID?"

"Yeah, we got lucky in this case, guy still had his wallet on him. Driver's license says Paul Murphy."

"Can I have a look at that?" the coroner asked, his excitement rising.

"Sure." Royce handed over the license.

Ben took it and looked steadily at the picture, he switched his attention to the body again and compared the two. "Royce?"

"Yes?"

"I think you should cease your investigation for the moment."

"Why?" Kevin Royce looked up, shocked. Trimble also stopped what he was doing and looked to the coroner with the same question in his eyes.

"This man is on the Preventer missing persons list. I think you should call them, this is a case for them, not the State."

"Pardon?" Royce clearly didn't follow.

"All coroners offices are given a daily update on current missing persons on the off chance one might turn up dead. I had the latest update this morning and there was a photograph of this man in the file. Preventer are looking for him," replied Ben.

"I knew I'd seen his face before," exclaimed Trimble. "I saw him on the television last night. There was an advert break and they ran their usual segment with photos of missing people; this guy was one of those photos."

Royce gave a defeated sigh. "Okay, I'll give them a call and see what they want to do, then I'll call back to headquarters and let them know what's going on." Royce pulled his cell from his pocket and stepped out of the room to make his call.

"You sure it's one of those guys?" Trimble asked the coroner.

"Positive," replied Ben. "I'm sure Preventer will be very interested in him and these circumstances. I hope no one moved or touched anything?"

Trimble shook his head. "No, nothing has been touched, other than us turning the body to catalog the wounds and such. The other two are still photographing everything and were about to move onto the next phase when you got here."

"Good. I'm sure Preventer will want to take over and will probably wish to speak with all four of you, not to mention take any evidence, including the photos, that you have thus far."

"They'd be most welcome to it," replied Trimble. "We have enough on our plate to deal with as it is, we really didn't need this case as well."

Ben chuckled. "I can well imagine," he replied.

* * *

Une glared at her cell phone as it rang, especially seeing the caller ID on the screen. With resigned sigh, she hit the receive button. "Commander Une, this had better be something important to interrupt my dinner," she growled.

"My apologies for calling you at home, Commander, but we've had a call from a detective Kevin Royce, he wishes to speak with you in regards to a body they have found. He said it was urgent," the agent said.

"Why the hell the police force can't deal with their own cases of bodies is beyond me," muttered Une. "Okay, agent, give me the number and I'll call him back," Une sighed.

The agent passed on the number and apologized again for interrupting the commander.

"It's okay, agent, it's not your fault. Thank you." Une disconnected the call and sat for a moment. With another sigh of resignation, she got up and placed her dinner in the microwave and picking up her coffee, went to the lounge room to make the call.

"Kevin Royce, speaking."

"Detective Royce, this is Commander Une from Preventer. One of my agents contacted me and gave me your number. They said you have found a body and wished to speak to me about it?"

"Ah, Commander Une, thank you for returning my call and I'm sorry for calling after hours," replied Royce.

"That's okay, detective. Now, could you please tell me why you wish to speak to me about a body? I'm sure you are quite capable of dealing with this sort of thing yourselves."

"Normally we wouldn't have a problem, but in this case the body in question is listed on the Preventer data base as being of interest to Preventer."

"I see."

"The deceased is one Paul Murphy. I believe Preventer is looking for him."

"Murphy?" whispered Une.

"Yes."

Une's mind was racing but she quickly pulled herself together, the commander instincts taking over. "You are correct, detective, we are looking for a man named Murphy. Are you certain it's him?"

"Yes, Commander. His wallet was still on him and his driver's license confirms that's his name. The coroner arrived and informed us he is listed as being of interest to your organization so we haven't proceeded any further in our investigation. Commander, what would you like us to do?"

Une had gotten up and walked through to the dining room, grabbing a pen and paper. "I need details, detective, to start with the address where the body is."

Royce gave the address along with other details the commaner asked for.

"Thank you. I trust that the scene has not been disturbed?"

Royce related all they had done thus far, including a preliminary look over the body.

"Right. Detective, please remain at the property until my agents arrive, I'll call you back with who they are so you will know to let them pass. I trust we can count on you and your teams' full cooperation in relation to the crime scene?"

"Frankly, Commander, you're welcome to it. We have enough to deal with without another case on our hands. We will give you all the information we have so far including the photographic evidence."

"Thank you, your assistance is appreciated. I'll contact my agents now and call you back shortly."

"I'll be waiting. Good bye."

Une hung up and pondered the news for a moment. Picking up the cell again, she dialed a number and waited for the call to connect.

"Agent Summer here, Commander."

"Summer, get your team together, we have a body, it's one of the terrorists that was with Agent Night."

* * *

"What did Preventer say?" asked the coroner as Royce walked back in.

"I spoke with Commander Une and she confirmed this guy is on the list of people of interest to Preventer. We're to hold on our investigation and remain here at the scene until her agents arrive," Royce informed everyone in the room.

The other two officers didn't look all that pleased, but Trimble gave a nod and a grin. "Fine with me," he said.

"I suggest we wait outside, that way we're not disturbing the crime scene any further than we already have. I'd better call the Inspector and let him know what is going on too."

"I suppose they're going to want our camera and pictures too?" muttered Peter.

"Yes, and anything we have collected so far as evidence," replied Royce.

"Figures." Peter and Mike began to pack up their gear, grateful in one way that they hadn't gotten any deeper into their investigation. With Preventer taking over it meant time saved for them, time they could be spending working on another case, and right now they had more than enough of those to deal with.

The group made their way back outside the property to where the two police officers waited and a few onlookers had gathered. Barry and Tom were brought up to speed on the case, both officers a little shocked upon hearing that Preventer were now involved.

With nothing more to do now than wait for the arrival of the Preventer team, Trimble produced a pack of cards and the men began to play a few hands of poker to pass the time.

* * *

Agent Summer was quick to scramble his team, meeting at headquarters to collect all the gear they would need to assist in their investigation of the crime scene. Once they were mobile, Summer contacted Une to keep her informed of what was happening.

"Thank you, Summer. You and the team know what to do so I'll leave you to it. I'll expect a brief report from you tomorrow morning. Une out." Une glanced at the clock, it was getting late and she debated whether to call Agents Fire and Day. Given the hour, she decided against it, she'd risk their wrath and let them know first thing in the morning - at least then she should have a little more to work with if Summer had gotten his report to her.

Knowing there wasn't anything more she could do that night, Une took her shower and tumbled wearily into bed.

* * *

"Thank you, you've been most helpful," the agent said to the security chief in the L2 cargo space port. He checked the bag, eyes scanning over the discs.

"You're welcome. I hope that there's something on there that can help," replied the chief. "No need to worry about returning the discs either. I've had them copied so we still have our records, those are the originals."

"Much appreciated." The agent turned to his partner. "Come on, we need to get back and get these to the tech department. The almighty Commander back on Earth is chomping at the bit to get these, or so I'm told."

The pair exited the building and drove back to the L2 branch of Preventer. Upon arrival, they made their way directly to the tech department to meet with the head tech, Kirby.

"Those the discs?" asked Kirby.

"Yeah," replied the agent and handed over the bag with the discs safely inside.

"Thanks." Kirby took the bag.

Knowing a dismissal when they saw it, the two agents left the tech to get on with doing his job.

Kirby sat down and slotted the first disc in the computer, scanning through it quickly. There were seven discs in total; a lot of footage to scan through to locate the section where Agent Night was alleged to have appeared.

From what the guy who had called had said, the two men were noticed late afternoon. Kirby removed the disc and inserted another, taking note of the time. As the footage was from the morning, he figured he could safely discard that one.

Having put three of the discs aside, Kirby started with the fourth, this one commenced recording mid afternoon.

Eyeing the discs still to be looked at, Kirby settled deeper into his seat and got himself comfortable.

This could take a while.

He was onto disc five when he jerked upright in his seat. Hitting pause, he then rewound a little and pushed 'play'.

"Bingo," he whispered as the figure of Agent Night came into focus.

~ * ~

tbc...

[1 ] All information on the process of decomposition of the human body was gathered from the following sites:

.com/2005/06/02/human-decomposition/

.org/wiki/Decomposition

AN: Duo will be back in the next chapter. ^_^


	63. Chapter 63

My apologies for the delay in getting this fic updated. After the sudden passing of my father, writing was the last thing on my mind and given the angst currently flowing in this fic I couldn't bring myself to write it. The muse has returned and I'm feeling a little more up to it now and further chapters will follow soon.

Thank you for your patience.

Enjoy...

"Family Ties."

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 63

The small shuttle began a series of brief burns, Duo immediately looked out of the window and scanned around. He spotted the satellite they were coming in to dock with and sat back again.

"What's happening?" Duric asked.

"We're docking," replied Duo.

Both men tensed slightly as the shuttle carried out its maneuvers before a series of thumps and then a shudder before all fell silent.

"I think we've arrived," Duo muttered. Moments later his words were confirmed.

"Move it you two," said Matthews, his gun trained on the pair.

Complying with the order, the two released their belts and stood, walking through the shuttle to the door and exiting into a large hanger area. Duo gazed around, noting there was another shuttle present, its cargo doors open and items being offloaded. A poke to his back soon had him moving again.

The group traversed a few corridors before coming to a stop outside a set of sealed doors. Zaheer pressed his palm to the small scanner and the doors opened. They moved along another corridor, stopping outside another set of doors which Zaheer opened.

"Your quarters," the big man said.

Duo and Duric were pushed inside. "There are a few changes of clothing and bathroom facilities. I suggest you use them."

"Do we get fed?" Duric asked. It had been a while since they had last eaten and right now his stomach was just about ready to start eating itself.

"Later," replied Zaheer and then closed the doors.

Duo took a look around. It was a typical bunk room, very similar to what he'd lived in on the Peacemillion. The only difference being this would be more of a cell than a bunk room. "I'm gonna shower," he told Duric and moved to the small closet to see what it held in the way of clothes. Picking out a shirt and pants that looked like they would fit, Duo moved into the small bathroom and closed the door.

Duric selected some clothes for himself before sitting on one of the bunks and waiting for Duo to finish.

* * *

Kirby double checked the discs, confirming he had all the shots of Agent Night before sending them through to Preventer HQ on earth. With there being nothing more he could do in relation to the discs he informed the head of the L2 branch what he'd done.

With the disc information being relayed back to earth, two agents were sent out to pick up Harold, the guy from the shuttle port and bring him in to answer some questions.

* * *

Une arrived at work feeling like she'd been sleeping on a plank of wood and not her firm mattress. She ached from head to toe and had done her best to hide the dark circles under her eyes with liberal applications of concealer. It hadn't really worked.

"Commander? You look like shit, if you'll excuse the language," Felicity said as Une walked into her office. The secretary handed over a hot coffee which Une greedily took. "Have you been getting any sleep?"

"Felicity, I feel like shit, and no, I'm not getting any decent sleep and I won't until these latest cases are solved."

"Ah, you have my full sympathy. Ever thought of seeing Doctor Po and getting something to help you sleep?"

The look on Une's face told the secretary all she needed to know.

"Okay, maybe not then."

Une carried her coffee through to her office and started up her computer. Whilst she waited for the computer to run through its start up sequence, she checked the mail and paperwork on her desk, sorting it out into order of priority. The computer 'pinged' to let her know it was all set for the day's work and as Une finished the last sip of her coffee, her intercom buzzed. "Yes, Felicity?"

"Commander, I have Captain Johnston on the line from the L2 branch."

"Thank you, Felicity, put the call through, please." Pushing the button to close the intercom, Une picked up the 'phone which had started to flash. "Captain Johnston?"

"Commander Une. I called to let you know that Kirby has finished analyzing the security disc footage you requested and the parts pertaining to your investigation have been sent through. You should be in receipt of them somewhere in the next half an hour."

"Thank you, Johnston."

"I've also sent two agents out to bring in that guy from the shuttle port who called us with the information to get a full statement from him. Is there anything in particular you wished us to ask him?"

Une went through the usual procedure for interviewing a witness and added a couple of questions she wanted answers to before thanking the Captain and cutting the call. Hanging up the phone, she let her head fall into her hands and exhaled loudly, blowing her bangs from her face.

It was going to be one hell of a day and it hadn't even started yet.

Picking up her coffee cup, Une took a long swallow, feeling the liquid burn down her throat and warm her stomach. Replacing the cup on its coaster, she picked up the phone again and pushed the number for the communications section.

* * *

Duo had finished his shower and lay back on his bunk. Duric stepped out after taking his shower and tossed his soiled clothes into the corner where Duo had placed his. Glancing at the long haired man, Duric climbed onto the upper bunk and got comfortable.

The silence lasted all of two minutes.

"This Firecell thing. You have any idea how this idiot proposes to put it into action? And what he hopes to gain from it?" Duric asked. "And whilst we're on the topic of this idiot, where the hell do you know him from?"

Duo thought for a moment, eyes scanning over the small 'cabin'. He'd checked it out earlier for any form of bug and hadn't found anything. That didn't mean there wasn't anything there though. To be completely sure he'd need to scan the entire area with a nifty gadget that Preventer had invented to detect pretty much anything in the 'bug' line.

Choosing his words carefully, Duo began to speak. "I don't really know all that much about it. Like I said before, it's all been pure speculation; no one had gone far enough with the idea to actually write a program that would bring it into effect."

"But now they have, or so they say."

"If they have managed to write a program then I'd say we're pretty much screwed." Duo took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Like I said before, a Firecell would in effect, take control over the entire network of computers, earth side, colony side, it wouldn't matter. Wherever there is a computer, this program could infiltrate and take command. The person who has the program will then be able to access and take control over any and all functions. Power, transport, financial, life support to name a few would all be controlled by this one person and there's nothing anyone can do about it." There was one person who might be able to do something about it, Duo thought to himself, but Heero was back on earth and unless by some remote chance, he'd managed to trigger someone's curiosity at the shuttle port, Duo didn't think there would be much hope of Heero doing anything.

"Surely there has to be something we can do?"

"I don't know. I do have some experience with computers, but I can't really see them letting either of us anywhere near a main frame or keyboard for that matter."

"If only I could speak with Farrow," Duric muttered.

"I don't think he would be any good. What Dekim is planning is a whole lot more in depth and complicated than Farrow would even begin to understand."

"He's damn good with a computer," replied Duric hotly.

"I'm not saying he isn't, not for your average shit anyway, but he's way out of his league with this stuff."

"You still haven't told me where you know this guy from, or why he's doing this," Duric said, changing the subject slightly.

"What do you know about the war back in AC195?"

Duric proceeded to fill Duo in on what he'd been up to during the first war.

"Dekim Barton was part of the original Operation Meteor," Duo began and then filled in the gaps for Duric. "He more or less got tossed to the wayside during the war and I don't think he was too happy about that. I often wondered where he'd gone and what he was up to - if he was still alive that was. Guess I have my answer to that now."

Duric remained silent, tossing the information around in his head.

"Now we have a rough idea of what he's planning, the question is, what are we going to do about it?"

"I still think Farrow is our best bet. If they have him working on the computers, I'm sure he could do something, maybe plant a virus or scramble the programming?"

Duo laughed. "I don't think so. First up, they will be watching him like a hawk; secondly, he doesn't have the know how to get into a system such as what Barton must have if he's to pull off this stunt. No, we need to think of something else."

The silence stretched for a short while before Duo spoke again.

"I guess we can only wait and see what it is they want us for in relation to this project. Once we know what we're doing then we can formulate a plan or figure out how we can stop this."

"I suppose so."

The door opened and Matthews stepped inside with a gun. Young followed with a tray and set it down on the small table. Duo and Duric watched them both but didn't move from their positions on the bunks.

"Food," Matthews stated. "We will be back later to collect the dishes." Both men stepped out and the door locked behind them.

Duo raised himself from his bunk and shuffled over to the tray. Lifting one of the covers off a plate his face screwed up into a grimace. "I hate rehydrated food."

* * *

"Morning, Heero," Quatre greeted as he walked into the kitchen where Heero sat feeding Keitaro.

"Morning, Quatre," Heero replied and raised another spoonful of baby cereal into Keitaro's waiting mouth.

Pouring himself a cup of tea, Quatre leaned against the bench and studied his friend. His empathy reached out and then recoiled a touch at the strong emotions coming from Heero. "Did you get any sleep?" Quatre could feel the exhaustion, the pain and anguish rolling off the Japanese man and felt for him.

"A little," replied Heero honestly. He hadn't been sleeping much at all since Duo had disappeared and wouldn't until his lover was back with him.

Trowa and Wufei entered the kitchen at that point, Wufei making his usual green tea and Trowa opting for a coffee before fishing inside the 'fridge for something to make breakfast with.

"Are you taking Keitaro to work today?" Wufei asked, sitting down opposite his comrade.

"Yes. I can't leave him here by himself and I can't take a day off to stay at home with him."

"Isn't Nurse Brown being released today?" asked Trowa as he cracked eggs into a bowl and began to whisk them.

"Hai, she is. I'll take Keitaro with me and if Sally releases Nurse Brown as planned then I'll ask her to bring him back home with her." Heero placed the spoon in the empty bowl and wiped the baby's face with a wet cloth.

"I wonder if there are any new developments?" Wufei pondered.

"I'm sure if there had been, Une would have contacted us by now," Quatre said as he removed the toast from the toaster and set it on plates ready for Trowa to put the scrambled eggs on.

"I suggest we all eat up and get into headquarters as soon as we can, there's still a shit load of stuff to go through," Trowa informed as he set the plates down on the table.

"I should have something back from the other agents that are back tracking other invoices Barton ordered at some stage today, Thank you, Barton, this is delicious," Wufei said as he tucked into his eggs.

"We've still to a bit more data to go through on those computers we took from the senators' offices so we might get lucky yet," Quatre said.

"I'm going to get Keitaro ready." Heero pushed his half eaten breakfast away, stood up and lifted Keitaro from his high chair, disappearing up the stairs.

Quatre sighed and looked at the food still left on Heero's plate. "We need to speed this up and find Duo before Heero has a complete breakdown."

* * *

Une finished her call to the communications department, Agent Oak promising to page her just as soon as the security footage arrived from L2. With that part done, Une put a call through to the forensics section. Agent Summer was still out in the field so there wasn't much more she could find out from that department. Deciding she needed another coffee, Une stood and stretched; her spine popping and picking up her coffee mug, walked back out to the reception area and Felicity.

Felicity looked up as the door to her boss' office opened.

"Could you get me another coffee please, Felicity?"

"Certainly, ma'am."

"Could you also see if Agent Fire and Day have arrived yet and if they have, get them to come through to my office along with Agents Air and Space, please?"

"Will do." Felicity took the offered coffee mug and Une went back into her office to carry on with the mountain of paperwork that still awaited her attention.

* * *

Walking into Preventer headquarters, Heero headed directly for the medical section and Sally's office. The doctor wasn't there but a helpful nurse pointed him in the direction of Nurse Brown's room where she said he would find Doctor Po.

He paused just before the doorway when he heard voices from within.

"I will release you on the condition you rest that wrist as much as possible."

"I don't plan on spring cleaning."

"I should hope not. That wrist has suffered a major trauma and if you want to have full use of it again then you will heed my recommendations"

"I am a nurse you know."

"Precisely. I rest my case."

"Am I interrupting anything?" Heero asked as he walked into the hospital room, Keitaro in his arms.

Sally whirled around and Nurse Brown gave a broad smile.

"Heero!" Sally exclaimed. "No, you're not interrupting anything, I'm just trying to get this stubborn patient to listen to my advice and take it easy with that wrist when I release her," she added and gave said nurse a glare.

"Don't try using that look on me, it won't work," Nurse Brown huffed. "Ah, how's my little man this morning?" she said with a smile and held her arms out for Keitaro.

The child smiled and gurgled happily as he was handed over to his nanny.

"I can assure you that Nurse Brown will heed your advice and not stress her wrist when she comes home. Siska has kindly agreed to help her out with Keitaro," Heero informed.

"Thank you, Heero." Sally turned back to the nurse who was cuddling the child and pressing kisses to his face. "Okay, Margaret, you're free to go whenever you like."

"Thank you." Nurse Brown turned to Heero. "I appreciate the offer of help too and I'll be sure to let Siska know if I need assistance, and thank her as well."

"Okay, now that's all settled, how are you going to get home?" Sally questioned.

Nurse Brown looked blank for a moment, she hadn't thought about that.

"I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of bringing in some clothes for you," Heero said and placed a small bag on the foot of the bed. Turning to address Sally too, he continued. "Preventer forensics still have Nurse Brown's car in the Preventer garage. They have finished with it and the keys are here. She can drive home herself if she feels up to it, or I can call a cab."

"I'd prefer to drive myself," Margaret replied. "It's an automatic so I don't have to worry about using the wrist," she said to Sally. "Thank you, Heero for being thoughtful enough to bring me some clothes. My others were no doubt sent to the rubbish when we got here and I really don't feel like driving home in one of these gowns."

"Could get a little chilly, not to mention you'd scare half the other road users," Sally mused.

Margaret looked down her nose at the doctor. Sally held her hands up in defense. "Don't you have other patients you need to torture?" the nanny asked.

"Yes, yes I do. I'd best get back to it then. Good luck Margaret and I'll expect you in my office in another six weeks to remove the cast." Sally turned to leave. "I'll catch up with you a little later, Heero." With that, she was gone.

"I'd best be getting to my office and start work," Heero said. "Are you sure you will be okay?"

"I'll be fine, Heero."

* * *

"Commander, this is Oak from communications. The security footage has arrived from L2."

"Thank you, Oak. I'll be there shortly." Une disconnected and then pushed the intercom. "Felicity, have you gotten hold of Agents Day, Fire, Space and Air yet?"

"Yes, ma'am. They are on their way here now."

"Send them straight in when they arrive will you?"

"Certainly."

Une leaned back in her chair and pondered what could be on the security disc from the L2 shuttle port. Moments later a knock at her door had her sitting upright again. "Enter."

Four agents walked in and stood before the commander's desk.

"Ah, gentlemen. The security footage has arrived from L2. Agent Oak is waiting for us in communications."

The four agents gave a nod and followed their commander out of her office and down to communications.

Oak looked up when the door opened. "Commander, agents," he greeted. "I have the footage downloading to disc now. It should be almost finished. If you would all come this way?"

Oak led them through to another room and went to the computer that was humming away. "Ah, it's done," he muttered and removed the disc from the computer. With disc in hand, Oak walked across the room to another computer, this one had a larger screen. Popping the disc into the hard drive, he clicked on a few commands and moved back. Heero and the others crowded around, eager to see what was on the screen.

The screen cleared and the footage began to roll.

Duo and several others were seen entering the shuttle port, then Duo and three others, all dressed in coveralls with some logo and company name on them, stood off to one side whilst the larger man disappeared off screen.

Two of the group seemed slightly tense, eyes constantly roving around. Duo and the other man, whilst appearing tense as well, weren't as edgy as the other two.

"That's definitely Duo," Heero said softly.

"That other guy, isn't he the one called Duric?" Wufei asked.

"I think you could be right, Chang. I'll cross check against the photos we have," Une said.

Heero watched carefully as Duo turned to look straight at the camera. His eyes flicked to the left and right and then back at the camera. His mouth opened and a few words were spoken before Duo turned away and resumed his former stance.

Reaching out, Heero grabbed the mouse and stilled the playback.

"Yuy?" questioned Une.

Heero didn't look at his commander; his eyes were fixed on the screen as he rewound the footage to where Duo looked at the camera. "Duo said something," he grunted and hit play.

The images rolled again, this time Heero slowed the frames down and studied his husband's face and lips very carefully. He hit pause just as Duo's image was turning away. "Fuck!"

"What, Yuy? Could you read his lips? What did he say?" demanded Wufei.

Trowa, Quatre and Une were also eager to know.

Heero closed his eyes and hung his head. "If I'm correct in my lip reading we're in a shit load of trouble."

"Agent Day, what did Agent Night say?" Une asked, her voice low.

Swallowing, Heero raised his head and looked Une in the eye. "He said; Dekim Barton, Firecell, back up army."

Silence filled the room.

~ * ~

tbc...


	64. Chapter 64

**Thank you to all who are reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter. More to come very soon.**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 64

"Are you sure?" Une questioned.

"I can't be one hundred percent certain, but I'm pretty sure," Heero replied and hit the rewind again.

All agents and the commander watched very carefully as Heero slowed the play down to almost a frame by frame speed. The Japanese man's eyes followed every movement of Duo's lips and came to the same conclusion.

"I'd swear on my life that he said 'Dekim Barton, Firecell, back up army'."

"I'm not as proficient at lip reading as Heero is, but I get pretty much the same words," Trowa put in.

"Firecell?" Quatre questioned with a frown.

"Dekim Barton? I thought he was long dead," Wufei commented.

"Obviously, he's not," Une snapped. "Unless Agent Night has made an error."

"Duo wouldn't make a mistake on that. If he says Dekim Barton then the man is involved in this thing somehow." Heero's brow furrowed in thought.

"A Firecell?" Quatre questioned again. "I didn't think it was possible."

Heero scratched the back of his neck. "Technically, it isn't. It's all been speculation."

"Until now if what Duo said is correct," said Quatre.

"If this is Dekim Barton and a Firecell is a possibility, then the man is completely insane," Wufei grunted.

"I think we need to look a little deeper into this Firecell possibility, gentlemen," Une interrupted. "If Barton is behind it, we need to find out all we can about how it would work; and what we can do to prevent it from happening."

"If Barton has somehow managed to develop a Firecell program, I really don't think there is much we can do," Trowa muttered.

"There's always something we can do," Une stated. "You're forgetting a couple of important things here."

Four agents turned to look at the commander.

"We have one of the best computer hackers and programmers in the Preventer ranks. We also have one of our top agents in the enemy camp."

Heero looked away. "I don't know if even _I_ have the skills to stop something like this," he whispered.

* * *

Summer took one last look around and satisfied he had all he needed, he began to work his way back through the house. The detectives had handed over all the information they'd gathered and even stayed for a while to help the Preventer team out a bit. Stepping back outside, he noted the sun was up and took a quick glance at his watch. It was a little after eight. They'd been at the premises for just over twelve hours; and he could feel every one of them in his tired and aching muscles.

The team was securing everything into the vehicles and Summer left them to it, walking over to the sleek, black car parked behind his own. "Are you all set?" he asked the agent sitting behind the wheel.

"Yes, boss."

"Okay, you may as well head off then, the rest of us will be about ten minutes behind you. I'll call ahead and let the commander know we're on our way back. Either she or I will contact you and let you know which doctor will be meeting you for the autopsy."

"Thanks, boss." The agent started up the car. "I'll see you back in the office when you get there."

"Drive carefully," Summer replied and stepped back so the agent could pull out. Watching the car disappear down the road, Summer walked back to the house to speak with the police officers and insure that the crime scene would remain secured.

"We're all set to go, sir. Would you like us to wait for you or go on ahead?" Agent Autumn asked.

"Go on ahead. I've got a couple of calls to make and then I'll be on my way. Take everything up to the department and wait for me there." Summer glanced at his watch again. "I know you all should have finished your shift by now, but see who can work overtime and who can't, this is a top priority case and we need to get into it right away."

"Yes, sir." Autumn turned and went back to the car; Summer pulled his cell from his pocket and punched in a number. "Put me through to Commander Une please. This is Agent Summer, clearance code, F187SUP." Summer stated.

* * *

Une's pager went off, the commander pulling it from her pocket and glancing at the screen. "Excuse me a moment," she said to the agents. Walking to the side of the room, Une picked up the phone and punched in a number. "You paged me, Felicity?"

"Yes, ma'am. I have a call from Agent Summer for you."

"Right. Put it through to this extension please."

"Commander?"

"Summer? What have you got for me?"

"We have finished for now at the crime scene and are heading back into headquarters to continue the analysis of the evidence. The body should be back there in the next ten or fifteen minutes. Who would you have meet the agent to do the autopsy?"

"Tell the agent to pull into the emergency bay two. I'll have Doctor Po waiting."

"Roger that, Commander."

"Anything else?"

"No, I'll report in once I'm back."

"Thank you, Summer." Une hung up and turned back to the four agents still studying the screen and footage.

"The forensics team is on its way back in, we should have some results from them a little later. Heero, I need you to look into this Firecell thing, find out anything at all about it that you can, including if it can be stopped. Chang, you assist him. Agents Air and Space, see what you can dig up on Dekim Barton. Where he went during the war, what he did, who he was involved with, the brand of toothpaste he uses; anything at all that could help with our finding out exactly _what_ it is he's up to."

"Yes, Commander," the four replied.

"Let me know when you have something."

"Yes, Commander."

"Then hop to it!"

The four agents moved; Trowa and Quatre disappeared to the temporary office they'd been assigned and fired up the computers. Heero and Wufei aimed for Heero and Duo's office to research on the Firecell conception.

Une gave a sigh and picked up her cell. "Sally?"

"Une? What's up?"

"I have another body coming in for you to autopsy. Arriving in about five minutes in emergency bay two."

"Let me guess, you want the report yesterday?"

"Last week would have been preferable, but yes, as soon as you can. Thanks, Sally."

"No problem. How is the investigation going?"

"We have new information which is being investigated as we speak."

The tone in Une's voice told Sally all was not well though. "I see. I'll get this autopsy done and the report to you as soon as I can, then you can bring me up to speed." Sally's voice brooked no argument.

"Thank you, Sally." Une disconnected and dropped the cell back into her pocket. Rubbing her hand across her face, she left the communications lab to return to her office, detouring by the coffee machine.

* * *

Summer passed the information on to his agent who was delivering the body to headquarters and then followed his team back to Preventer headquarters. All the collected evidence was taken through to the forensics department and dispersed to the various sections. Most of the team remained and set to work on analyzing all the evidence.

Sally headed off to the emergency bays to await the arrival of the body. Within minutes of getting there, the Preventer vehicle pulled in and reversed into the bay. The agent got out and opened the rear doors.

"What exactly do you have for me, agent?" Sally asked as she assisted in pulling the gurney from within the bowels of the car.

"Male, Caucasian," the agent began and filled Sally in on the circumstances surrounding the body's discovery.

"Thank you, agent." Sally steered the gurney with the agent's assistance into the autopsy room. "I'll take it from here."

"Right you are, doc," the agent replied and once the body had been transferred to the autopsy table, he retrieved the gurney and went back to the car.

Sally paged one of the orderlies to assist with the autopsy and whilst she waited for their arrival she fetched a fresh tray of instruments, donned her mask, gown and gloves. By the time the orderly turned up the paperwork had been started.

Briefly explaining the background to the autopsy case, Sally then handed over the paperwork and prepared to begin.

The orderly assisted with getting the body removed from the body bag and set up on the table, once all was ready, the orderly placed the clipboard on a convenient tray table and prepared to pass over instruments and take notes.

"Male, Caucasian, appears about thirty to thirty-five years old," Sally began, the orderly writing the information down. "External visual preliminary check show a gunshot wound to the left hand, one to the calf and one to the left temple." Sally probed around, lifting the hand and calf as she continued her preliminary inspection. "Exit wounds also visible on calf and hand. The exit of the bullet to the temple was just above the right ear and has taken a large portion of the skull with it."

"Not a nice picture is it?" the orderly said.

"No, it isn't. Off the record, this looks like an assassination to me."

"I think you'll find that once we start looking deeper we will find evidence to support that supposition."

"I agree with you. Pass me the long nosed forceps, please."

The autopsy continued, the clinking of instruments in the tray and low tones of voices as they made notes and comments the only noise.

Four hours had passed when Sally called an end to the autopsy. The orderly cleaned up the room and settled the body back in a body bag whilst Sally finalized her notes and waited for the last of the results to come back from pathology.

Finally, Sally had all her results and with a summary of her findings, she went in search of the commander.

* * *

"I have Captain Johnston on the line, ma'am," Felicity said.

"Thank you, Felicity. Please, put him through."

Moments later the captain's voice came down the line. "Commander, I have the statement from the man at the shuttle port who called in about seeing the agent that is missing."

"Good. What did he say?"

Johnston proceeded to read the statement he'd taken from Harold; Une listening intently.

"You're telling me there were five men at the shuttle port, one of which was Agent Night?"

"Correct, Commander."

"Captain, have a copy of that statement sent through immediately to me."

"Yes, Commander. I'll send it now."

"Thank you. This is the address to use." Une gave the agent her secure email address and then turned to her computer to bring up her mail account.

"It's sent. You should have it shortly."

"I'll contact you if I need anything further. Good work, Captain."

"My pleasure, ma'am."

Une cut the call and turned back to her computer - the mail had arrived. Just as she was about to open the attachment there was a knock at her door. "Yes?"

"Doctor Po is here to see you," came the secretary's voice.

"Send her in, please."

The door opened and Sally entered carrying a sheaf of papers in her hands.

"What have you got for me, Sally?"

"I've done the autopsy as requested and here's a report of my findings." Sally passed over some of the papers.

Une took them and scanned down the words.

"From what I got back from pathology, combined with the findings on the body itself, I conclude that the man was murdered. The wounds inflicted to the hand and calf were older than the gunshot wound to the head. The wounds to the hand and calf were inflicted anywhere between twenty four and forty eight hours before the head wound. It was also a different gun that was used for the head wound."

"I see." Une read over the pathology report and agreed with Sally's findings.

"What is the background on this body, Une?"

With a sigh, Une gave Sally a condensed version of what had transpired in the past day or two, including the discovery of the body, the footage from L2 and Duo's haunting message.

"A Firecell?" Sally gasped. "I didn't think it was possible."

"Neither did we," Une replied grimly. "I have Heero and Wufei looking into it as we speak."

"But, it's all been speculation. No one ever thought it would be possible to put it into practice; and if they did, it would be like the holocaust."

"Tell me about it," Une sighed. "I'm really hoping it isn't true."

"But what if it is?"

Une looked up and met the doctor's eyes. "Then I suggest we all start praying."

* * *

Summer rubbed his eyes and reached for the coffee mug only to find it empty. With a sigh, he put it back down and then looked up as a mug was waved under his nose. "Thanks," he said as he took the mug and greedily sipped at the contents. Looking up, he smiled at the agent. "That's just what I need."

"I think an intravenous drip of the stuff would be more appropriate," chuckled Agent Autumn.

"You got that right," replied Summer. "How is the rest of the team doing?"

"Pretty good. We should have some positive results on the fingerprinting within the next hour. Pathology is still working on the DNA samples and the other evidence we brought in."

"Good. I really need to have something to take to the Commander as soon as possible. The longer we take the colder the trail is getting."

"You really think that Agent Night will be charged with murder?" Autumn asked.

Summer stared into his coffee mug for a moment, ordering his thoughts and choosing his words carefully before speaking. "All the evidence we have gathered thus far on this case points to Agent Night being responsible for the murder of at least three people. There is no refuting that. However, it's the circumstances under which these murders were committed that is the question in this case."

"Excuse me for saying so, but I honestly can't see Agent Night willingly murdering those people."

"Me either," Summer sighed. "But you know just as well as I do how the system works. The evidence is there in black and white, unless there are witnesses to make a statement and swear that Agent Night was forced to commit these murders then he's pretty much screwed."

"We have to find him first though," stated Autumn.

"That we do. And once we do it will be up to us to try and produce the evidence to counter the charges."

"Funny how this system works. We dig up all the evidence to prove what happened, and then we need to produce more to protect the guy who did it."

Both men took a moment to contemplate the current case, each one as determined as the other to see Agent Night cleared of any and all charges.

"Once we have this part of the case dealt with, I suggest we start to look for evidence to prove Agent Night is, in reality, innocent." Summer put the empty mug down on his desk.

"I'll go see how pathology is coming along."

"Thanks."

* * *

Heero's fingers flew over the keyboard, the computer humming away as it searched for the information Heero was looking for. There wasn't a lot to be found. As they had thought, the concept of a Firecell was pretty much just that - an idea.

Heero brought up every page he could find, reading through and adding notes to a slowly growing pile of information.

Wufei was in a similar situation. He'd not found all that much either. Whilst Heero was looking into the idea of creating such a program, Wufei was looking at the effects it could have.

And it wasn't looking good.

Should one succeed in writing a program then the possibilities and the many areas it could affect were boundless. He paused in his research for a moment as the computer beeped to let him know he had email. Bringing up his email program, he scanned the in box and spotted a secure mail from one of the Preventer sub branches. Opening it, he read through the contents, eyes widening a little. Having read the mail, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment, his brain working overtime. Slowly but surely, it all came together. He thought about what Barton and Winner had found so far in their investigation into the contents on the senators' hard drives, he thought about the bank account set in Barton's name, the invoices, equipment purchased and where it had gone to.

Steadily it was all starting to form a bigger, clearer picture. Yes, there were still a few holes there, but they were slowly closing.

Heero suddenly got lucky.

After following many links, one link took him to exactly what he was looking for.

It was a published paper, one from a Professor James Hawkins, an expert in the field of computer software, programming, viruses and so on. He was the leading researcher into the Firecell concept.

Heero pounced on the information, eyes devouring the words as his brain digested the information.

"Yuy?"

Heero paused in his perusal, grunting softly and turning slightly annoyed eyes to his boss. "Hai?"

"I've had an email from the British branch looking into invoices."

"And?" Heero quirked an eyebrow.

"All equipment purchased was sent to L2."

Heero frowned. "Can you find out exactly where on L2?"

Wufei gave an evil grin. "Oh yes. The pilot of one of these shuttles is currently being brought in to the British base for questioning. I expect to have a report from them soon."

"Hn." Heero leaned back in his chair to let his protesting muscles have a break. "If we can find out exactly which shuttle port the equipment was taken to, we might be able to trace it from there to where it was delivered on L2."

"My thoughts exactly." Wufei scratched his neck. "How are you doing with the Firecell? I've had a bit of success."

"How so?"

"From my reading so far, and remember this is all speculation, should a Firecell program actually manage to be created, it has the ability, in theory, to bring all transport to a halt. Shuttles, aircraft, trains and the like by sending the radar systems haywire. Then there are the power grids. All solar, hydro, wind and gas generated electricity can be shut down simply by pushing a button and sending the program into the computers controlling them. Then we have communications. All phone lines would be rendered useless, Satellites would also be affected and once they are knocked out there goes the rest of the communications. Without the satellites, the earth and colonies are pretty much brought to a standstill."

The full implications of such a program hit the two agents hard.

"What have you found?" asked Wufei.

"I think I may have hit the jackpot."

"You have?" Wufei's eyes widened.

"I've come across a paper written by a Professor James Hawkins. He is the leading man in the concept of the Firecell."

"I see."

"I'm going to speak with Une. We need to bring this professor in and speak with him. If Barton is planning on releasing a Firecell then we will need this guy to help us stop him."

"Where does he live?" Wufei questioned, watching the other agent as Heero picked up the phone.

"Lucky for us, he's here in California." Heero turned his attention to the phone, speaking with the Commander and getting the clearance he needed to bring the professor in. Hanging up, he turned back to Wufei. "Une has sent a couple of agents out to fetch him."

"Good. We'd best get back to this then."

"Hn."

* * *

"Commander Une? This is Agent Dust."

"Ah. Dust, have you found the professor?"

"Commander, we have a slight problem."

"And what is it?"

"The professor. He's not here."

"What do you mean, he's not there?"

"We went to his residence and there was no reply to our knocking at the door. A neighbor told us the professor quite often spends days at a time at the University campus. We've checked his lecture rooms, office and spoken with staff and students alike."

Une felt the dread building in her stomach.

"The professor hasn't been seen for over a week."

~ * ~

tbc...


	65. Chapter 65

**Many thanks to all of you who are reading and a special thanks to those who have left review. I appreciate your comments. ^_^**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 65

Duo spent a restless night, tossing and turning, his mind constantly running in circles in an effort to figure out some way of stopping Barton's plan. Despite the clues he'd left for Heero and the others, he knew it would be difficult for them to trace his whereabouts and he wasn't about to hold his breath waiting for the cavalry to arrive.

No, he had to do something about this situation.

Question was; what?

"You look like shit."

"Thanks. So do you," Duo replied.

Duric ran his fingers through his hair that poked out in all directions. "Seriously, you don't look too good."

"I'm fine," Duo snapped. In all honesty, he wasn't feeling too well. He managed to drag himself from the bunk and into the small bathroom. Closing the door, he looked in the mirror. "Maxwell, he's right, you _do_ look like shit," he muttered as he took in his reflection.

There was bruising still evident on his face from the interrogation he'd suffered at Zaheer's fists, his ribs still ached and his ankle throbbed from time to time. Looking closer he could see the dark circles under his eyes, his skin appeared a little sallow, or maybe that was the lighting? Turning the faucet on, he splashed the cold water on his face and then looked in the mirror again. The reflection hadn't changed.

With a sigh, he flipped the lid to the toilet and began to relieve himself. Finished, he flushed the toilet and washed his hands. He felt a little queasy in the stomach, but that was probably because he was in space again. It had been a while since he'd been out to the colonies, and even though he was on a satellite of sorts, the gravity still wasn't like that of earth.

"You're becoming soft, Maxwell," he growled to himself. "Suck it up and get on with stopping Barton." Pep talk over with, he straightened himself up and stepped back out to the small room.

"Breakfast is here," Duric said as Duo appeared. He handed over a bowl.

Duo took one look at the bowl, spun on his heel and charged back into the bathroom.

"Are you okay?" Duric asked from the doorway.

"Uh," Duo grunted and then heaved again.

Duric waited and watched as the other man continued to worship the toilet. When it became evident that Duo had finished, he handed over a glass of water.

"Thanks." Duo took the glass and rinsed out his mouth. "Dunno what happened there," he began as he pushed the sweaty bangs away from his forehead.

"I said you didn't look good."

"I'll be okay,'" Duo grunted, "But I think I'll skip breakfast." Just the thought of the porridge sitting in that bowl was enough to have him dry retching again.

"Maybe you should see the medic? They're bound to have one somewhere here."

"No!"

"No need to snap my head off," Duric snarled.

"I don't need to see a medic. I'll be fine." Duo turned and climbed back onto his bunk, arm wrapped gently around his stomach. His conversation with Nurse Brown a week ago infiltrated his mind and as much as he didn't want to think about it, he knew he had to. It was a very distinct possibility he was pregnant again.

He gave a sigh and rolled over. This was the last thing he needed right now.

* * *

"Have you decided what you are going to do with the two prisoners yet?" Zaheer asked.

Dekim Barton looked up from his computer, folded his hands under his chin and thought for a moment. "One can be used to help train the troops. The other one, the one that used to be a Gundam pilot, I have a use for his skills in the mobile suit section."

"Is that wise? You plan on letting an ex Gundam pilot loose with mobile suits?" Zaheer asked, his tone implying that Barton needed his head read.

"You dare to question me and my decisions?!" Barton thundered.

"No, of course not, sir," Zaheer apologized, making sure to keep his voice sounding humble.

"Good. Let's keep it that way. Have the ex pilot taken to the hangar, I'll meet with you there in an hour."

"Yes, sir." Zaheer turned and left the room.

Barton watched him go, eyes narrowed. "Just remember your place, Zaheer," he said under his breath. "Even you are not irreplaceable."

* * *

The door to their cell opened and Young stood on the threshold, gun in hand. "You, come with me," he said and waved the gun at Duric.

"Where are we going?" asked Duric as he stood up.

"You'll find out soon enough," Young snapped.

Duo watched from where he was still lying on the bunk.

"What about him?" Duric asked and jerked a thumb in Duo's direction.

"Someone will be along for him shortly, now move!" Young waved the gun to indicate Duric had better start walking. With a backward glance, Duric stepped out of the cell.

The door closed and Duo was left by himself to contemplate what awaited him.

* * *

"Yuy, I think you should take a look at this."

Heero looked up from the screen and frowned at Wufei. "What is it?"

"I have the report from the British base in relation to the delivery of equipment."

Heero was out of his seat and standing beside Wufei in a second. "What does it say?"

"Read it." Chang moved aside slightly for Heero to read the screen.

The Japanese man gave a low whistle. "Isn't that the same shuttle port on L2 that Duo was seen in?"

"Yes."

"We need to access their log then, trace the incoming shuttles, deliveries and such."

"I'll let the commander know." Wufei grabbed the phone. "How is it going with the information you found?"

"There's quite lot there, but there's also a lot missing. Given the possibilities, I'd say the professor didn't publish all his findings for this very reason; the fact that someone just might try to put the theory into practice."

"What do you suggest we do?"

"I'm hoping the professor is on his way in and I can question him."

Wufei turned away from his fellow agent to speak in the phone. "Commander Une, please. It's Agent Fire."

After a moment, the commander came on the line and Wufei explained their findings in relation to the cargo deliveries.

"I see. Chang, I need you and Yuy in my office now. Bring Air and Space with you. There's more information we need to discuss."

"On our way, Commander." Wufei hung up and turned to Yuy. "Une's office, now, there's new information and we need to pick up Barton and Winner on the way."

Heero nodded, saved what he was working on and closed the computer down.

* * *

Trowa gave a wide yawn and scratched his belly. He glanced across to Quatre and smiled to himself. The blonde appeared to be nodding off at the computer. Getting up from his chair, he stretched and walked over to his lover. "Any luck?"

Quatre turned his sleepy eyes to his husband. "Not a freaking thing."

Trowa's eyes widened a touch at the words and he let go a small snicker.

"I don't know if you've had any luck, but all I can find is he disappeared after the start of the war, no one seemed to know where he went or what he was up to," Quatre sighed.

"I've managed to track him a little bit further than that. Once the war of AC195 was underway and it became obvious we were not sticking to his original plan for Operation Meteor, he went to ground on L3. From what I've dug up, he took the Serpent mobile suit from Oz and then completely vanished."

"Well, that's little more than what I found," Quatre said looking impressed. "I wonder if he still has the Serpent, and if so, what does he plan on doing with it?"

"Those are questions we need to find answers for." Before Trowa could continue, there was a knock at the door and Wufei stuck his head in. "Barton, Winner, we're required in Une's office now."

Trowa nodded,saved his information to disc and shut down the computer he was working on. Quatre did the same.

"What does Une want?" Quatre asked as they walked down the corridor.

"She said she had more information for us," Wufei replied.

"How are you two getting on with the Firecell theory?"

"Better than we thought," Heero stated. "I'll give you both all the run down when we speak with Une."

"Okay."

* * *

"The agents are here as you requested, ma'am," Felicity advised via the intercom system.

"Thanks, send them in, please."

Four agents entered the commander's office and took seats facing the desk, expectant looks on their faces.

"Gentlemen, I have some further news and I'm afraid it's not good." Une looked at Yuy specifically as she took a breath and then continued. "I sent Agent Dust out to bring Professor Hawkins in for questioning. The professor cannot be found."

Yuy's brows furrowed, Chang looked slightly stunned whilst Winner and Barton simply blinked and looked confused.

"What do you mean, he can't be found?" Heero questioned.

"Agent Dust went to the professor's recorded address, there was no one home. The neighbors were questioned and said that it was not uncommon for the professor to be away for days at a time. Dust went to the University and spoke with the professor's students and fellow professors. No one has seen him in over a week."

"Is he out on a field study or something?" Wufei asked.

"I have Dust checking into all that as we speak."

"Um, could anyone explain who this professor is and what relevance he is to this case?" Quatre questioned.

"During my research into the Firecell theory I came across a paper by a professor who is the leading expert in this field. The commander sent out a couple of agents to bring him in for me to talk to in regards to the Firecell theory," Heero informed the other two.

"Only he can't be found." Trowa stated. "That figures."

"Seems that for every minor breakthrough we get, there's another whopping great brick wall following it," muttered Quatre.

"It would seem that way," Chang agreed.

"Then I suggest we get out the pick axe and break through that wall," Une stated with a glare.

"Commander, I seriously doubt that Dust will find the professor. Either he is away on a field trip or away for some other reason. I'd like permission to confiscate all paperwork, hardware and software belonging to the professor that may be of relevance to this case."

Une raised and eyebrow.

"I'm hoping that the professor's notes will help me to find a weakness in this Firecell theory."

"I'll get the appropriate paperwork drawn up immediately and advise Agent Dust to bring it all in."

"Thank you, Commander."

Une turned her attention to Wufei. "I have an agent on L2 acquiring the logs from the shuttle port Agent Night was seen at. We should have the information through at some stage in the next twenty-four hours."

"Thank you." Wufei paused for a moment. "If I am correct in my thinking, these parts, circuits and such that have been purchased using the Barton account are most likely being used to set up a computer and program capable of running this Firecell. A lot of it is specialized and specific electronics, not the normal, run of the mill stuff one would usually purchase when building a computer for general use."

Quatre suddenly sat bolt upright in his seat and gave a soft gasp. Everyone in the room turned to look at him.

"You okay, Quatre?" Trowa asked, his concern evident in his tone.

"Trowa, cast your mind back to the hard drives on the senators' computers," Quatre said.

Trowa did just that ad frowned. Then his eyes lit up with a measure of understanding. "You think?"

"I'm positive."

"Excuse me, but would you two care to share whatever it is that has you all excited?" asked Une with a touch of sarcasm.

Oh, sorry Commander. I just remembered that when we were going through the files and such on the computers brought in from the senators' offices we found some information there that didn't make much sense,' began Quatre.

"You're not making a whole lot of sense now," growled Wufei.

"Let me finish," Quatre snipped.

"Please, enlighten us," sniffed Wufei.

Ignoring the Chinese man, Quatre continued. "As I was saying, we came across some information that didn't appear right. It seemed the senators were researching various systems."

"Systems?" questioned Heero. "What sort of systems?"

"Things like communications, transport, energy supplies," Trowa said. "I found quite a bit of stuff on Wainright's hard drive to that effect."

"Both Wainright and Richardson are missing," Quatre mused.

"As are the police chief and inspector," Wufei added.

"Now the professor is missing too," Trowa tossed in.

"My gut is telling me all this is tied in together; and Duo is caught in the middle of it all," Heero finished.

"Well, this is just fucking wonderful."

Four eyes widened and looked to their commander.

Une shrugged. "It's the stress of the job," she offered by way of apology.

Before anyone could say anything further, the intercom buzzed.

"Yes, Felicity?"

"I have Agent Summer on the line, ma'am."

* * *

Summer finished looking over the paperwork and smiled at his team. "Well done everyone. You all put in a tremendous effort on this case and I appreciate all your efforts as I'm sure the commander will too. Now, all of you, go home and have a well deserved rest."

The team all murmured their thanks, a little uncomfortable with all the unexpected praise from their team leader, but pleased none the less.

Picking up the folder with the reports safely inside, Summer went for the phone and placed his call to the commander.

"Summer, you have something for me?" Commander Une's voice came down the line.

"Yes, Commander. We have finished our investigation into the house the body was discovered at."

"Summer, can you please bring your findings to my office. I have the other agents that are working on this case here now and I'd like them to hear what you have found and answer any questions they might have."

"As you wish, Commander. I'll be there shortly." Summer hung up and grabbing the folder, left the Forensics labs for the commander's office.

Une turned to look at the four agents. "That was Agent Summer, the head of forensics. They have completed their investigation into the house that the body was found in. He's on his way here with the report."

"I take it that Sally was the one to do the autopsy on the body that was found?" asked Wufei.

"Yes, she was and she's given me her report. The man was killed by a gunshot wound to the head. He had evidence of other gunshot wounds which were inflicted earlier and had started to become infected."

"Any ID?" Wufei questioned.

"Yes. He was identified as Paul Murphy."

Heero looked up sharply. "Wasn't he one of the people identified by fingerprints as being at the place Duo, Keitaro and Nurse Brown were being held?"

"Yes."

A knock sounded at the door and Une bade the person to enter. Summer stepped inside the room and nodded to the agents.

"What have you got, Summer?"

Summer took a seat and opened the folder. Picking up a sheaf of papers, he began to read aloud the teams' findings.

"Evidence collected from the scene shows there were a total of thirteen people in the house at any given time. From fingerprints and DNA collected from the scene we have managed to establish who those people were."

When the war had ended and a fragile peace established, the ESUN in its wisdom had taken to creating a data base that contained the fingerprints and or the DNA of every person alive in the earth sphere and colonies. Whilst many had objected to such a data base being compiled, it had gone ahead anyway and had proven its worth many times over. Only certain government bodies were allowed access to the data base, and even then it was strictly controlled. Fortunately, Preventer was one organization that did have access when the occasion was warranted.

"Thirteen people?" Heero growled.

"Yes, thirteen."

"But there were only five seen at the shuttle port," Wufei stated.

"Agents, please let Summer finish," Une interrupted.

Wufei and Heero bit their tongues and nodded for the agent to continue.

"Those people are as follows. Paul Murphy, who we know is deceased. Andrew Duric, Colin Farrow and Agent Night. Those four were also at the previous residence where the child and the nanny were located. We then have some new individuals. David Young, Kevin Tewson, Shane Peterson, Frank Matthews and a Zaheer." Summer paused for a moment. "Then it gets really interesting."

"How so?" asked Une.

"Well, I got the team to double check as I wasn't sure myself to start with, but the facts came back the same. The remaining four people were Senator Wainright, Senator Richards, a Detective White and one Inspector Carrol."

"I fucking knew those cops were in on something corrupt," snarled Wufei.

"That just proves what we suspected about the senators too," Heero added.

"Then it seems they are all working for Dekim Barton," Trowa said.

"It would make sense," Quatre began as his mind ticked over. "I have a theory here," he stated and looked to Une.

"Please explain, I'm most interested to hear it," Une replied. Her own mind was scrambling and figuring things out but as yet she hadn't connected all the dots.

"We know that the senators were siphoning off funds from L2. We also know they were researching into the various systems such as communications, transport and such. Then there's the bank account the money was transferred into belonging to Dekim Barton. We also know that money was used to purchase equipment that is associated with building computer drives and such. Then add the message from Duo about Barton and a Firecell to the mix."

"But what about the kidnapping of Duo, Keitaro and Nurse Brown?" asked Wufei.

"And the murders of the two ambassadors and Jefferies?" added Summer.

"Gentlemen, I think the kidnapping and the murders were part of a separate group, one that somehow posed a threat to Dekim Barton's plan," Quatre mused.

"So you're theorizing that Duo and the others were kidnapped by one group and it was that group that ordered the assassinations of the ambassadors and Jefferies. They were somehow getting into Barton's way and so he's moved in and eliminated the threat by murdering and kidnapping the first group plus Duo," Heero reiterated. "It makes sense to me."

"I have to admit, it does explain quite a bit," Summer admitted. "And if this theory turns out to be fact, then I'm sure we will be able to acquit Agent Night of any charges of murder that may be brought against him."

"That might well be, everyone; but there were only five of these people seen at the L2 shuttle port. Where are the others? And more importantly, where is Dekim Barton?" Une questioned

"Oh, fuck." Trowa dropped his head.

"Trowa?" Quatre questioned.

"Wufei, when you were investigating the bank account of Barton and the invoices for items purchased, didn't you say there were armaments amongst the purchases?" Trowa asked.

Wufei frowned and thought back. "Actually, yes. Now that I recall, there were armaments also on those invoices. Why?"

"Shit!"

"Agent Air, what is going on in that head of yours?" Une demanded.

Trowa looked to his husband and Quatre paled as he suddenly remembered what Trowa had said earlier.

"Ma'am, during our investigation into where Dekim might be, where he went after the war broke out, I found something that could now make more sense."

"What is it?"

"Once Dekim found out we were not continuing with Operation Meteor as planned, he went to ground on L3. He also took with him a Serpent Mobile suit."

~ * ~

tbc...


	66. Chapter 66

**Many thanks to all who are reading and snugs for the reviews!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 66

Duo looked up as the door opened a few minutes after Young had taken Duric. A gun was leveled on him and the voice of Mathews spoke up.

"You're to come with me and don't try anything funny or I will shoot."

"Fine," snarled Duo as he levered himself up from the bunk and dropped to the floor. "Where are we going?"

"Just shut up and move," Mathews snapped and stepped back to allow Duo to exit the small room. "Down that way."

Duo began to walk in the direction indicated, keeping his mouth shut but his eyes wide open.

After traversing several corridors and passing many closed doors, they finally arrived at their destination. A large door whooshed open and Duo was pushed to step inside. He went to snarl at the man, but froze in shock as his brain tried to scramble what his eyes were telling him.

"Keep moving," snapped Mathews and poked the gun in the small of Duo's back.

Resisting the urge to spin and deck the man, Duo moved forward again.

"Down there," Mathews said and nodded to a set of stairs leading from the catwalk they were currently standing on to the lower floor.

Walking along the catwalk, Duo did his best to take in as much information as he could. From what he could see, they were in a large hangar of sorts, and lined up were row upon row of mobile suits. Scanning through his memory, Duo couldn't recall ever having seen this type of mobile suit before. It was similar to the Serpent that Oz had had during the war, but it was clear these were a more superior suit than the Serpent.

"In there," snapped Mathews

Duo dragged his eyes away from the suits and spotted a doorway. The doorway led into a large, control type room, perspex windows allowed those inside to see out onto the main hangar floor. Duo entered the room and stood just inside, eyes never still as his mind cataloged everything he saw.

"Is this the guy that Barton was talking about?"

Duo turned his head to see who was speaking. To the side, a man in army fatigues stood, his piercing brown eyes fixed firmly on Duo.

"Yeah. Barton will be along shortly," Mathews replied. "Keep an eye on him though; he's not to be trusted."

The other man nodded. "Sit him over there until Barton gets here."

Duo once more found himself being shoved along.

* * *

"Barton took with him a mobile suit?" Une questioned. "Where the hell would he hide one of those? And more to the point, what did he want with it?"

"That, I don't know, Commander. I've not been able to find anything else on him as yet," Trowa replied.

All five agents were silent as their minds digested the information and theories. Une broke the silence a few seconds later.

"Gentlemen," she began as she pulled herself upright in her chair and squared her shoulders. "Given all this information and the theory Agent Space put forward, there are two things here of utmost priority. The first is to continue our investigations into this Firecell and do all we can to prevent it from happening. The second is to locate Dekim Barton and bring an end to whatever it is he has planned."

All agents nodded in agreement.

"Fire and Day; you two are given full, top clearance to investigate this Firecell. I don't care what you do, what resources you use, but find a way to stop it. Space and Air; I want you two to take over Fire's investigation into the shipments, the shuttles delivering those shipments and where they are now. I have a hunch that wherever those shipments have gone, we will find Dekim and Agent Night." Seeing Yuy about to protest, she cut him off quick. "Agent Day, I do realize that it is your partner out there, but I need your expertise on this Firecell. You're the best we have and I'm relying on you to find a way to prevent it from happening."

Swallowing his words, Heero nodded in acceptance. He knew Une was right, but it didn't mean he had to like it.

"Summer?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"I know your area is forensics, but I'd like you to assist these agents in any way you can."

"Of course, Commander."

"Good. All of you get to it, and good luck. Keep me informed of anything you find. Dismissed."

The agents stood and left the commander's office to continue in their investigation.

* * *

"Where is he?" Dekim demanded as he entered the control room.

"Over there," came a reply.

Dekim looked to where the tech had pointed and spotted Duo and Mathews. He strode over and stopped in front of the pair. Looking Duo up and down, he gave a smirk. "You want to know what you're doing here? You also want to know what all these are for?" he said and swept an arm in the direction of the mobile suits out in the hangar.

"The thought had crossed my mind," Duo replied with a touch of sarcasm.

"Well, I guess you should take a really good look at these suits. I'm sure that being an ex Gundam pilot you would recognize the basics?"

"They look very similar to the Serpent suit," Duo replied.

"Correct. What you see out there in the hangar is an improvement on the Serpent. These, my friend, are the latest in Mobile suit technology. They are a hybrid, capable of being both a Mobile Doll and pilot operated. Mr. Maxwell, you are looking at the new age of Mobile Suit - the Orion."

The reality of Dekim's words began to sink in. Suits that could be either piloted or operated from a home base. Deciding to play it cool, Duo shrugged. "Seen one mobile suit and you've seen them all."

"Maybe, maybe not. The Orion is different. It will have superior programming."

Duo quirked an eyebrow, he wasn't sure he was liking the look in Dekim's eye. "How so?"

"Because you will be the one to program them."

"No!"

"Ah, but you have no choice in the matter. You've already agreed to be a part of my operation. Refuse and you will be eliminated.

Duo slumped in his chair. He really didn't have a choice, not if he wished to protect his unborn child. He looked up at Dekim. "I thought you intended to release this Firecell to take over? Why do you need these Dolls if you're so sure your Firecell will work? Or am I correct in assuming the Firecell is still just a theory?"

"Believe me, the Firecell is no theory, its very much real. No, the Suits are my enforcement. Once I have control of the Earth and the Colonies I will use the Suits to maintain my rule."

"Violence yet again," Duo muttered. "When will mankind learn that you can't win with violence?"

"I don't intend to use violence, I've already told you that. My army and the Suits will be used to back up my rule. Should everyone play nice then there won't be any need to use them. Didn't you listen earlier when I spoke of my plans!?" Dekim snapped.

"You rambled on about a lot of things," Duo returned. That comment got him a hard slap across the cheek.

"You will be the one to program the Dolls, you will do exactly what you're told and you won't question any order given to you. Put one foot out of line and I promise you, you will be eliminated." Dekim turned and faced his head technician. "Put him to work programming the Dolls. Keep him covered at all times."

"Yes, sir!" the tech replied.

"I'll be back later." Dekim strode from the room.

"You heard the boss you're to program these Dolls. Come over here and I'll show you what to do."

Duo declined to say anything, but rose from his seat and followed the tech.

* * *

Wufei handed over all the information he'd gathered so far in relation to the purchases, deliveries and movements of shuttles. Quatre immediately set about tracking down all the other companies Wufei had dug up that had supplied items to the 'Barton fund' as they had dubbed it. He contacted as many as he could, others were still being investigated by other Preventer branches and Quatre even contacted them to see what they had found.

Whilst Quatre was busy tracking orders, Trowa was putting all the pieces together and a picture was starting to emerge. So engrossed in his work he jumped a foot out of his seat when the 'phone rang.

"Air here," he said, mind still on the task at hand.

"Agent Air, it's Captain Johnston from the L2 Preventer branch. I've had my team speaking with the guy from the shuttle port, Harold, who recognized Agent Night."

Trowa's full attention suddenly switched to Johnston. "You have something for me?"

"Actually, I think this may help you out a bit. This Harold said the group was wearing coveralls from some company and the security footage confirms that. The company name on the coveralls we did a trace on; it doesn't exist."

"Why am I not surprised?" muttered Trowa.

"That rang a few alarm bells so we confiscated all shuttle records from the port and have traced each of the outgoing shuttles. We found several shuttles registered under this company name, no set pattern to their departures though."

"You wouldn't by chance know where they were going?" Trowa asked and waited with baited breath.

"We also confiscated the flight plan records from flight control and checked them all against all shuttles leaving the port. What we found proved to be very interesting indeed."

"Captain Johnston, what exactly did you discover and can I have a copy of your findings sent through to me ASAP at this secure email address?" Trowa quickly sent the address through.

"It would take too long to explain it all so I'll just email the findings through now and you can read them at your leisure."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. If you need anything further, please call me and the team will do all it can."

"The assistance is appreciated, Captain. Ah, the email is here now. Air out."

Cutting the call, Trowa clicked on the email program and brought it back up on the screen. He opened it and began to read. As he scanned down the report, the smile on his face began to widen. Across the room, Quatre had heard Trowa's side of the conversation and was intrigued to know just what was going on.

"Trowa? What have you got?"

"I think you should take a look at this too. It looks like it might be the breakthrough we've been chasing."

Quatre was out of his chair and beside his husband before Trowa could blink.

"Captain Johnston sent it through. It's a report on the findings from the shuttle movements at the L2 space port Duo was last seen at."

Scanning through the report, Quatre's eyes gleamed. "Well, stuff me. You could be right."

"This shows the reported, intended flight plans for all shuttles leaving L2. Take a look though. All the shuttles carrying the bogus company name have submitted the same flight plan."

"Then all we have to do is check the maps to see where the destination is," Quatre beamed.

"Um, Quatre."

"Yes?"

"It's not quite that simple. Here, look deeper at the log from the flight control."

"Shit!" Quatre cursed.

"The shuttles all kept in touch with the L2 control, all heading to the same destination. Once reached radar and communications limits with L2, they were supposed to switch over and be in contact with the flight control center on mining satellite XRS 14. Here's the log from XRS 14's flight control." Trowa skimmed down the email a touch.

"They have no record of them..."

* * *

"Just how does Une expect us to stop this Firecell?" grumbled Wufei as he rubbed his tired eyes.

"I wish I knew," replied Heero with a sigh. "There's not much here to really go on." Heero had continued to scan through the Professor's report, and whilst he had a lot of information on the workings of the Firecell, he was no closer to learning how to stop it from happening.

"Surely there has to be something simple we are missing," continued Wufei.

"If only I could speak with this professor, once I have the missing pieces it would be a bit easier to follow exactly how the program is designed to work and then I can figure out the way to stop it."

"Unless Agent Dust can produce him out of thin air, I'm afraid we don't have that luxury."

"I know."

The pair continued to work away for another fifteen minutes before the phone rang. Wufei answered it.

"Yuy, I think you should take this," Wufei said and passed over the phone.

"Agent Day speaking."

"Agent Day, it's Agent Dust reporting in."

"Dust, what have you got for me?"

"I'm afraid there's some bad news and some good news. The professor cannot be located. He's not at the University and he's not away on a field trip either. No one has seen or heard from him in over a week. I'm afraid we don't know where he is, he seems to have vanished completely."

"I see." Heero bit his lip, this was going rapidly downhill.

"I have been back to the professor's apartment with the intent on confiscating any and all materials we could locate that may pertain to this case of yours. Unfortunately, there wasn't much there to pick up. Most of the professor's files, as you would be aware, are on disc. We were unable to locate any discs."

"Agent Dust, did you manage to find anything at all?"

"There was a laptop that we now have in our possession."

"I see."

"I went back to the University though and the Dean kindly allowed me into the Professor's office. I did a bit better there. I have a computer hard drive, several discs and also some hand written files I thought might interest you."

Heero brightened a bit with that information. "Thank you. Could you bring them directly to my office when you get back to headquarters, please?"

"We're on our way back now, Agent Day. ETA about fifty minutes."

"Thank you."

"No problem."

Heero hung up the phone and turned to Wufei. Pausing for a brief moment to gather his thoughts, Heero filled the other agent in on the conversation.

"That's better than nothing," Wufei said upon hearing the news.

"Every little bit helps right now."

"Come on, Yuy. It's time for a break. I'll take you to the cafeteria and buy you lunch."

Heero looked to the other man. "No, thank you."

"But, Yuy, you have to eat!"

"I know I do, but I refuse to eat at the cafeteria. They don't serve what is commonly known as food there. Even Duo is wary about eating the cafeteria stuff and you know Duo will eat pretty much anything." Heero's voice faltered a touch as he spoke of his missing husband. A warm hand on his shoulder snapped him from his misery.

"We will get him back, Yuy."

Cobalt met with obsidian.

"You know I keep my promises." Wufei's gaze was sincere.

Heero nodded.

"There's a small, Italian place around the corner. Let's go there."

Heero followed the other agent from the office.

* * *

Duo found himself sitting in front of a computer terminal, Mathews still with him. The tech picked up the keyboard and typed in a few commands before settling it back down in front of Duo.

"I take it you know something about mobile suits?"

"You could say that," Duo replied.

"Good. This terminal connects with the others that are all responsible for the programming of the suits. In the data banks you will find all the suit specs..." The tech continued to drone on, explaining the set up to Duo and what he expected the man to do in relation to the programming. Duo listened with half an ear, his mind thinking of any way in which he could add a little of his own 'extras' into the programming without being detected.

True, he was good with a computer. He'd hacked into many during the war; but this was a bit trickier. Right now he could have done with a little of Heero's expertise.

The tech finished explaining what was required of Duo and he left the man to get on with it, promising to return in a while to check on his progress.

Knowing that his babysitter was going to remain with him, Duo had no choice but to comply. With a heavy heart he brought up the suit specs and began to look them over.

* * *

"If there are no records of communication, arrival or departure of the shuttles to XRS 14, then where the hell did they go?"

"That is something we need to find out," Trowa replied. A glint appeared in the one visible, green eye and Trowa cracked his knuckles. "Time to get to work."

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Not right now, but I will probably need your assistance soon," Trowa replied.

"No problem." Quatre knew that when Trowa was like this it was best to leave him to it. He returned to his own investigation of the parts purchased by the stolen funds.

An hour passed and during that time, Quatre made some progress with his investigations. He now had in his possession all the invoices for purchases made through the Barton account. He'd gone through them all and separated them into armaments and electronics.

There was quite a sizable amount of both.

All invoices had been double checked and the companies they'd been delivered to also checked in relation to shipment of those parts. All had been sent to the same company based on L2.

The company that didn't exist.

Going back through the inventory of all the parts, Quatre could determine there was enough there to build several computers. The armaments were another story. From what Quatre could tell, there was more than enough shipped out to create a small army of mobile suits; with one exception.

The larger parts required to build the suits were not showing up on any of the invoices at all. Quatre puzzled over that for a while. They knew that Barton had taken a Serpent suit with him when he disappeared, but if he was planning to use that as a blue print to build other suits, he would need the larger parts. There were plenty of circuit boards, hydraulics, gyros and the other, smaller pieces that made up a suit; but the more solid parts, those that would be the armor, plating and such simply did not show up anywhere.

Surely if Barton was planning on building suits he would need the larger, framework materials too? Quatre frowned as he ran that information over and over in his mind. Where would the man have gotten those parts from, assuming he was building suits? Then a thought hit him.

Excitedly, Quatre began to type in commands to the computer.

During the war there would have been a lot of scrap floating around in space and also a lot left on earth. He knew that Hilde and Duo had worked the scrap yard on L2 after the war and quite often had suit parts salvaged come through the yard. If they did then what was to say that other salvage companies had too? Someone had to have been out there during the war and salvaging a lot of the space junk, even if it was only to keep the shipping lanes open.

After several minutes of scanning, tracing, back tracking and double checking, Quatre hit the jackpot.

His face lit up into a feral grin as he found what he was looking for. Hacking further into the records, he confirmed his theory.

Trowa was hard at work on his own computer. Figuring that the shuttles had obviously deviated from their planned course, he checked the shuttle port records for fueling, calculating how much fuel was given to each shuttle.

Taking those figures, he then looked at the flight plan and noted where the communications with L2 ceased and the ones with XRS 14 were to take over. The radar from L2 would lose tracking of the shuttles so many kilometers out into space and there was a small distance of a couple hundred kilometers before the radar and radio communications of XRS 14 would pick up and track the shuttles.

Whilst it wasn't a lot of distance when talking in terms of space travel, there was a small window of opportunity there, big enough for a shuttle to divert off course.

Calculating how much fuel would be used in getting from L2 to the place where communication ceased, Trowa figured out how much fuel would be left. He then converted that to distance and had a more accurate idea of how far the shuttles could have gone.

Armed with that result, it would be a case of pulling up the stellar maps and seeing what satellites lay within that radius.

The excitement was starting to build, knowing he had something more to work with now and he was eager to pin point where those shuttles could have gone. He raised his head to call his lover over to assist and paused. Quatre was typing feverishly at the keyboard; obviously something was going right for him.

"Quatre?"

The blonde looked up. "Trowa, I've made a pretty good discovery here."

"I've had a bit of success with this myself," Trowa returned. "Fill me in on your findings."

Quatre proceeded to let his husband know of the questions he'd raised regarding the mobile suits. "With there being plenty of smaller parts for building suits, it seemed obvious they would need the larger parts too, but there's nothing on any of the invoices in relation to the plating and such. If that is Barton's intention, then he would need to get the larger parts from somewhere. There are no records of mobile suit parts being purchased in any quantities large enough to match with the smaller parts to build suits."

"How many suits would you be looking at?"

"Given the amount of smaller parts, I'd say there would be enough small parts to build around two to three hundred suits."

"Shit!"

"I've checked all the salvage yards that deal in large, mobile suit parts and none would have enough parts available to build that number of suits, and haven't had that quantity for over five years." Quatre's smile turned evil. "I checked back further, going as far back to when the war was being fought. Several companies were responsible for clearing away the debris – most of it being from mobile suits."

"And?"

"A large portion of it seems to have been snapped up by one scrap company. It was all taken to a mining satellite for smelting. Trowa, there was enough scrap purchased to build the parts for over three hundred mobile suits."

~ * ~

tbc...


	67. Chapter 67

**Many thanks for the kind reviews and apologies for the delay in getting this chapter out. Seems that lately everyone wants a piece of me and I haven't had any time to write.**

**A little closer now to locating Duo.**

**Enjoy...**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 67

"Three hundred suits?" Trowa whispered.

Quatre bit his lip as he nodded.

"Shit! That's not good, not good at all."

"I know. Have you managed to find out anything more?"

"Actually, yes." Trowa explained his findings, the calculations of fuel and such and how much fuel would be left for travel once out of L2's radar and communications. "All I need now is the stellar maps and we should be able to narrow down the possibilities."

"I'll get them."

"Thank you. I'll get coffee whilst you're fetching the maps."

* * *

Wufei and Heero returned to the office after a light lunch. Every mouthful he'd taken tasted like sawdust, but Heero had managed to eat enough to keep Chang off his back.

Both men settled at their computers again and had been hard at work for a good ten minutes when Agent Dust appeared at the door to the office.

Heero looked up. "Agent Dust?"

"Yes."

"I'm Day and this is Fire," Heero said, introducing himself and Wufei. "What have you got for me?"

Dust entered the office, another agent behind him. Both men were carrying items of interest they'd managed to confiscate from the University and the professor's home. Heero cleared a space on the spare desk in the office for the agents to put everything.

"That's the lot," said Dust as he placed the laptop on the desk. "That's the hard drive from the university along with the discs. The folder contains all the hand written stuff we could find in the professor's office. The laptop is from the professor's home. I hope you can find whatever it is you're looking for in that lot somewhere. Either way, good luck."

"Thank you, Dust. If we need anything further, we will contact you," Wufei replied on behalf of them both. Heero had completely forgotten the agent's presence as he was too involved in looking through the folder.

Chang saw the other agents out and turned back to his current 'partner'. "Shall I get us some beverages?"

Heero didn't even look up, too engrossed in his reading.

"Yes, Wufei. I think that would be a good idea," Wufei replied to himself, his tone carrying a touch of sarcasm.

"You say something?" Heero questioned, his brain finally registering there was another voice speaking in the room.

"I'll fetch us something to drink," sighed Wufei and left. Heero returned to his reading.

* * *

Quatre spread out the maps on the desk and turned to his husband who joined him, coffees in hand.

"Here's L2," Quatre pointed on the map. "Here's the satellite the flight plan said they were destined for."

"Here is roughly where communications and radar drop out from L2," Trowa said as he pointed to a square of longitude and latitude on the map. "Given the amount of fuel left on board, they would be able to reach anything within this radius." Trowa drew a pencil line on the map, indicating where the shuttles could have traveled to.

"That does narrow it down a touch," Quatre mused as he looked over the area. "From what I can see, there's, eight, no, make that twelve possible targets."

Trowa's eyes scanned over the map, noting the possible points the shuttles could have gone to. "From what I can recall, at least three of those are abandoned mining satellites."

"Here, note them down and I'll search the data base for more up to date information on them," said Quatre as he pushed a pen and paper under Trowa's nose.

Grunting softly, Trowa took the offered paper and pen, set his coffee to the side and began to note down the possible targets. Notes duly made, Trowa handed over the paper to his lover who proceeded to search for any information on them he could find.

* * *

Wufei returned with two cups of green tea and found his partner still engrossed in the folder. Setting one down by Heero's hand, he took a look over the other agent's shoulder. "Shit! That's pretty in depth stuff."

Heero automatically reached for the cup and he took a swallow before replying. "Hai, it is. It's also very interesting. I think we might find information in here that could help in relation to stopping this Firecell."

"What about those?" Wufei inclined his head in the direction of the computers and discs.

"I haven't gotten to those yet."

"I'll start on them if you like?"

"Thank you, Chang, that would be most appreciated."

With a grunt, Wufei took himself over to the laptop and booted it up. The hard drive tower he moved to one side, disconnected his own computer and connected the professor's up. With the laptop now ready, Chang set about getting into the system.

Ten minutes later he still hadn't managed to get past the security. With a sigh, he turned to Heero. "Yuy? Can you spare a moment please?"

"What's up?"

As loathe as he was to admit it, he was defeated. "I can't get into the laptop. The professor has security measures in place I'm not at all familiar with and nothing I've tried so far has worked."

Putting the folder down for the moment, Heero moved across to the laptop and took a look. He frowned and then dragged a chair over. "Whilst I work on this, see if you can get the discs to open their information."

"I'll need to use your computer, mine has got the professor's tower hooked up to it and from what I can tell, it has the same security on it as the laptop."

"Fine."

Leaving Heero to hack his way into the laptop, Wufei took the discs to Heero's computer and set to work.

The ticking of the clock and the sound of tapping keys was the only noise in the office for a good fifteen minutes.

"I'm in," Heero said softly.

Wufei looked up. "Good. Can you hack the other computer too?"

"No problem." Heero moved across to the other computer and began to hack his way in. It was much quicker this time as he already knew what to do. "Done," he said after a few minutes.

"Thank you. I'll come back to these discs shortly." Wufei moved back to the laptop and began the process of going through all the professor's files.

Returning to the folder, Heero resumed his search for further information.

* * *

Duo sank onto the bunk mattress and gave a groan. His shoulders ached, his neck was stiff and he felt a headache tugging at the fringes of his mind. His ankle throbbed and his ribs were still sore as well, but he wasn't about to ask for any medical assistance. Knowing his probable pregnant state, Duo didn't want to be taking any sort of drugs and if his captors knew he needed treatment he would arouse suspicion were he to refuse any treatment; and that could lead to the possible discovery of his unique makeup.

No, far better to suffer in silence.

He tilted his head as he heard the door open and watched as Duric entered. The man looked okay and walked over to his bunk. Once the door was closed though, Duric collapsed onto the bunk with a groan of his own.

Unable to hold his curiosity, Duo had to ask the question. "What have they had you doing?"

Rolling to his back, Duric replied. "Training troops. What about you?"

"Programming."

"I thought they took Farrow to do programming?"

"I'm programming mobile suits."

"Fuck!" Duric sat up. "Mobile suits? I didn't know they had any."

Swinging his feet around, Duo also sat up. "Neither did I until earlier. Barton has quite the hangar full," he replied in a quiet tone.

Duric rubbed his face. "What the hell have we gotten into?"

"I thought that was pretty obvious," replied Duo, his tone sarcastic. "Question is, what are we going to do about stopping it?"

"Fucked if I know. I'd say we're pretty much screwed. First it's this Firecell thing, then the private army. Now you're telling me he's got suits as well? How the hell do you expect two of us to stop something like that?"

Chewing on a nail, Duo contemplated the situation for a moment. "There's not really anything much we can do about the Firecell; Barton has that one well protected. No, we have to try and sabotage the suits and the army in some way."

"How?" Duric was becoming interested despite himself and his reservations.

"This army of his. I need you to do some recon on them. I need to know what sort of training it is you're doing with them, what training they've already had, any strengths and weaknesses, anything at all that could be used against them."

Duric grunted. "I guess I could do that. What about you? I'm not doing all the shitty work and running the risk of being caught."

"I'm going to see if I can't add a little 'extra' to the programming of these suits. It won't be easy though; they have me covered all the time and check everything I've done."

"I'm sure that someone with the expertise that you boast you have can sneak something past them; or is it all just talk?" Duric sneered.

Despite his injury recovering state, Duo moved fast. Before Duric could register what was happening, he found himself pinned against the wall, a hand closing around his throat and unable to free himself. Purple eyes flamed and Duric felt a knot of fear grow in his stomach.

"I'll do my part, asshole, don't you worry about that. You just make sure you do yours. And remember, I still owe you for the nanny and my son," Duo snarled. He tightened his grip a touch, pleased when he felt the other man begin to shake.

Unable to answer, Duric nodded his head and tried to draw air into his rapidly deprived lungs.

"Just watch your back, Duric, I have a long memory." Duo released the man and climbed back onto his bunk.

Duric slid down the wall, greedily sucking the air back into his chest. He eyed the other man warily and rubbed his abused throat, deciding it would be far more beneficial to his health if he were to cooperate with his roommate.

* * *

"I think we might have something here," Quatre said as he clicked on the screen a few times.

Trowa looked over the blonde's shoulder and began to read the information showing on the screen.

Quatre had managed to locate all twelve possible targets and pulled up information on each of them. Six were discounted as they were still operational mining sites and all their records checked out. Three others had been closed down from mining activities and were now used for production of other materials. The remaining three had also closed down and according to the records, were abandoned anywhere from ten to two years previous.

"I'd say our best bet lies with these six," Trowa said indicating the three closed satellites and the three that were currently producing other materials,

"I agree," confirmed Quatre. "I'll leave you to do a little more investigating on those whilst I continue on looking into these suit parts."

"No problem." Trowa retook his seat as Quatre vacated and proceeded to look further into the records of the three satellites currently producing materials.

Returning to his own computer, Quatre continued in his search for the larger, mobile suit parts. Having located a company that had salvaged a lot of the debris during the war, he was keen to locate where exactly those parts had been taken, who had smelted them down and what had been done with the liquid metal. If his hunch was correct, he also needed to know who had purchased the metal afterwards, whether it be in suit parts or cast into other items.

The first two satellites Trowa checked all came back clear. The materials they were producing were legitimate and the records confirmed the facts. The third satellite was proving to be a little more difficult. Leaving the program to continue its search for information, Trowa switched to the remaining three, abandoned satellites.

Quatre frowned and rubbed his eyes. This was getting frustrating. He'd run every check he could think of, scanned pages and pages of information and still came up against a brick wall. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find out anything further on the salvage company. It was as if all records had been wiped.

Trowa was having a little more luck.

The third satellite had finally given up its secrets and checked out as legitimate. That left the three, abandoned ones. The first was dismissed, it only being a mining site and the ores mined had run out a little over ten years earlier. The remaining two had not only yielded ores, but both had had processing plants built on them too. Trowa began to research those processing plants a little deeper.

Quatre switched tactics and began to look at what sort of equipment would have been needed to smelt the metals from the mobile suit parts. It was quite an involved process, so he discovered. With his brain running in circles, he decided to take a break and see how Trowa was getting on.

The blueprints to the plants on both abandoned satellites were up on the screen and Trowa was studying them intently. He wasn't all that clued up on this type of machinery, but he did have a basic knowledge. A soft gasp from his lover had him turning in his seat.

"What are those blueprints of?" asked Quatre.

"The two abandoned satellites in the region where those shuttles could have gone. These are the layout plans for the machinery and such."

"Minimize that one and bring that one into full frame," Quatre ordered.

Trowa was a little taken aback by the shortness of the blonde's tone, but he did as requested.

"Bring that bit there up a bit bigger," Quatre said and pointed to a section of the blueprints.

Hovering the mouse over the requested section, Trowa brought it closer.

"Are those furnaces?"

Trowa studied the print. "I think so."

Moving closer, Quatre's face scrunched as he studied the layout and machinery. "Keep it there," he demanded and shot back to his own desk to scan over the information he'd discovered.

Green eyes watched that lithe body as it moved. Trowa was still puzzled as to what it was Quatre was up to, but he trusted the blonde. Moments later, Quatre was back beside him, a printout in his hand.

"Those furnaces, what were they used for?" asked Quatre.

Clicking on another 'window', Trowa brought up the information on the satellite he was currently investigating. "According to these records, they mined ores on the satellite. The ore was contained in the rock which was then crushed and smelted in the furnaces. The ore liquefied and separated from the rock where it was then skimmed off and either processed into usable materials, or shipped out in a raw form to whatever company purchased it," Trowa recited from the information he had.

"Trowa? I have a hunch."

Turning completely in his seat, Trowa gave the blonde his undivided attention.

"This scrap from the suits destroyed in the war was collected by a company and then smelted down. I cannot find anything further on the company in relation to where the metal was processed or what happened to that metal. It could have been sold off in raw material form, it could have been recast into something else; or it could have been used to make parts for more mobile suits."

"You think this satellite could be related?"

"They would have needed somewhere to smelt it down and my gut instinct is telling me this could be the place for it to have occurred. The set up on those blueprints is exactly what would be needed for an operation of this type. Plus the place was closed down six years ago. The war finished a little over five years ago so the time frame would fit. The equipment left behind wouldn't have had a chance to deteriorate much in the twelve months before the war ended. It would be the ideal location to drop off the scrap and do whatever it was the company did with it."

"I think we need to take this to Une. There has to be some way we can check out that satellite, look for evidence that what you're theorizing could be true."

"I agree." Quatre looked at the clock. "Come on, we have about half an hour before knock off time."

"I'll just save all this information to disc," replied Trowa.

* * *

Wufei glanced up from the screen to where Heero was sitting and gave a slight frown. Heero was still scanning through the folders and jotting things down from time to time. Judging by the look on Yuy's face, it would appear he was on to something. Wufei wasn't sure whether he should interrupt the other agent or not.

Heero made the decision for him.

"Chang?"

"Yes?"

"Have you managed to find out anything from the computers or discs?"

"Not much in relation to the Firecell. Most of it is related to the professor's teachings at the university. I haven't had a chance to look properly into the discs as yet so there might be something on those," Wufei replied. "Why? Have you found something yourself?"

"I think I might have a way to do something to assist in stopping this Firecell."

"You do? What is it?"

"I want to look at the professor's computers first, then I'll have more of an idea."

"Okay."

Heero moved to sit behind Wufei's desk and type in commands to the computer. Wufei moved position and stood behind the other man.

"Would you like me to start with the laptop?"

"If you could," replied Heero.

"Anything in particular I'm looking for?" asked Chang as he sat and brought the laptop to face him.

"Programming codes. Codes required for programming anything from weather stations to public transport, financial, communications; anything at all that would require a code to function."

"Ah." Wufei couldn't make heads or tails of why, but he bent to the task.

An hour later, Wufei was starting to go cross eyed and still hadn't found anything on the hard drive.

"That's it!"

Wufei looked up sharply. "You have something?"

"Hai. I'm pretty sure I do." Heero frowned. "Although it's going to take a miracle to pull off."

"Yuy? Care to explain this to me?" Wufei was getting a little irritated with the lack of information.

"Call Une, she needs to know about this and I can explain it to both of you at the same time."

"Okay." Knowing he wouldn't be getting anything further from the agent, Wufei contacted Une's secretary and was informed the Commander would see them as soon as they got to her office.

Mind still swirling with thoughts, Heero grabbed his notes and headed for the Commander's office, not waiting to see if Wufei was following him.

* * *

The elevator doors opened and Heero stepped inside, his eyes widened a touch when he saw the other occupants of the car. "Trowa, Quatre," he greeted.

Chang managed to get inside before the doors closed and turned to the other two. "How is your side of the investigation going?"

"Quite well. I think we have a breakthrough," Quatre replied, his tone a touch excited. "How are you doing with the Firecell theory?"

"I think I might be able to do something about it," Heero replied.

"About time we had some good news," muttered Trowa.

"We're on our way to speak with Une about it," Heero continued, ignoring Trowa's comment.

"Same here,' said Quatre.

"That's good then. Maybe we can all be brought up to speed with things," Wufei stated.

The elevator slowed and jerked to a stop, doors opening a moment later. The four agents stepped out and began to walk along the corridor that would take them to Une's office.

This time it was Fiona that greeted them. Une had three secretaries, each worked an eight hour shift as Preventer was a twenty-four seven operation. Felicity had done the morning shift and had left, Fiona coming in for the afternoon stint. "Ah, agents. Please, go right in, Commander Une is expecting you."

Heero nodded and strode past, knocking and then opening the doors to Une's office. Trowa, Wufei and Quatre followed in behind him.

Motioning for the agents to take a seat, Une finished the papers she was currently signing and shoved them to the side. "Agents, you have something for me?"

The four nodded in unison.

"Good. Barton, Winner, if you would please explain what it is you have found?"

"Yes, Commander." Quatre placed a couple of pages on the Commander's desk. "Commander, we think we may have found where the shuttles were headed to..."

~ * ~

tbc...


	68. Chapter 68

**Thank you for your patience in waiting for this chapter, RL is seriously eating into my writing time. *sigh* Thanks to all who are reading and the kind reviews are much appreciated.**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 68

Quatre explained all his research and findings, including the scrap collection from during the war and theory on that. Trowa added his part to the explanation, his investigation into where the shuttles may have disappeared to after losing contact with the L2 shuttle control.

"Given all the various parts that have been purchased by Barton, the large amount of scrap collected from the war and the disappearance of the shuttles, I think they are all tied in together. It's my theory that Barton has purchased the scrap metal, had it smelted down and recast into the larger parts necessary for building a mobile suit. With the remainder of the items shipped out there would be enough materials to build around three hundred mobile suits. We also know that Barton disappeared with a Serpent suit which gives a strong support to the theory of building these suits. He could be using the Serpent as a blueprint." Quatre finished his speech and looked to the commander.

"If what Quatre theorizes is true, I'm pretty certain that these shuttles with their parts have been going to the abandoned mining satellite known as XRB 23. It's a pretty wild guess, but Barton is hiding out somewhere and with all the evidence we have, whilst circumstantial, you have to admit is possible that this is where Barton is. Either that or he could be on L2."

Une frowned as she took in all the details presented to her. "It does sound possible and all the information you've dug up certainly points more to the satellite than L2."

"There's only one way to be sure," Quatre said quietly and looked to the commander. "We need to send a team out to that satellite and investigate."

"I see your point, but I'll need to think on that a little more before deciding on a course of action," Une replied and before Quatre could protest, she turned her attention to Yuy. "What have you and Chang managed to discover?"

"It's been pretty tough going, it would be much easier if we could talk to the professor, but having gone through what I can of his files and the information on the computers and discs, I think I may have found a way to stop this Firecell," Heero said softly.

Une's eyes lit up a little. "You can stop it?"

"In theory, yes. In practice..." Heero swallowed. "In practice it will take quite a bit of time, more than I think we have."

"What is it you propose?"

Four people eagerly looked to Heero.

"This Firecell in theory works by infiltrating the many computer systems and taking over the programming. I'm not sure if you're at all familiar with the codes used when programming systems?" Heero looked around at the faces.

"Not really,' Quatre offered as no one else was speaking.

"Okay, I'll try to explain it in as simple terms as I can. Computers run on programs, these programs consist of a binary code; doesn't matter whether it's simple email, the home computer, transport grids or even the telecommunications network, the basis for the computer is the binary code. This code uses a file system; predominantly the NTFS file system, although there are others too, such as the FAT and FAT 32 files."

"All systems use this code and file type?" Une asked.

"Yes, they do. If what the professor has researched is correct, a person, if they're smart enough, can program a virus which when downloaded into the system will change the basic, file system to respond only to the command of the person who has released the virus; in effect, taking over control of everything."

"Then we're pretty much screwed," Trowa said.

"Not entirely."

"Agent Day, explain yourself, please," ordered Une.

"In a nutshell, the Firecell virus will convert all the NTFS, FAT, and FAT 32 files to one master code, a code only _it_ will be able to control."

"But you said you think you have a way to stop it, correct?" Wufei questioned.

"Hai. If the computers aren't using a NTFS file or one of the other two file systems, then the virus will have no effect on it."

"And this will help us how?" asked Une.

"We need to reprogram with a different file system."

"What sort of system? And is there one?" Trowa questioned.

"Actually, yes, there is another system. It's not well known, in fact, it's only just starting to be tested. It's called the EXD 4 file system and according to theory, it is completely immune to viruses." Heero glanced around to see how his words and information was being accepted.

Everyone was looking a little confused.

"Let me see if I can explain the theory. This EXD 4 file system is not cluster based like the other file systems, it also uses a very in depth encryption. When it codes, each singular item, letter or number is encrypted 256 different ways. It would take a very long time to hack, infect and take control of that sort of deep encryption."

"Agent Day, this information is all well and good, but you yourself said this file system is only being tested at this stage. How do we know it will work?" Une asked.

Heero lowered his eyes. "We don't know for sure that it will work, but I'm afraid we're out of options. If we don't try it then Barton will surely succeed with his Firecell. If we do try it and it doesn't work then we're still in the same position; but if it does work..."

"I see your point." Une rubbed her temples. "You can do this reprogramming?"

Heero nodded. "I can, but..."

"I don't think I like the sound of that 'but'," Quatre muttered.

"But, just think of all the systems in the earth and colonies. There are thousands of them, some are the same, others completely different and many have variations. It's not as simple as just typing in a new files system, files have to be converted, information and programs altered. It would take quite some time to accomplish."

"How much time?" Une's eyes narrowed.

"We would be talking months to change all the systems over."

"Shit!"

"Like I said, we're pretty much screwed," Trowa repeated.

"What I'd like permission to do, commander, is to change the Preventer system over. If I can reprogram the Preventer system then at least _we_ will still be able to function, the Firecell shouldn't infect our systems."

"Providing this new system works,' Une added.

"Hai."

Une thought about Heero's words and had to conclude that they really had nothing to lose. If it didn't work then they were still in the same situation - but if it did...

"Agent Day, you have permission to reprogram, I'll clear it with the main frame for you to have complete access and cooperation of all programmers. I'll also inform my superiors of what is going on."

"Arigato."

"When can you start?"

"I'll get on to it first thing in the morning. I'll need to take some of the information from the professor's computers and the files home with me to fully prepare if that is okay?"

"Take whatever you need. I also expect you to keep me fully informed of your progress."

"Of course."

What about this satellite and the shuttles?" Quatre asked.

"I agree with you that it does warrant investigation." Une paused, locked in thought for a moment before continuing. "Agents, all three of you be prepared to move out tomorrow. I'll take this further and brief you in the morning. Yuy, you're to remain here and reprogram," she added when she saw the look appearing on Heero's face. "Now, gentlemen, I suggest you pack up and go home, it's past knock off time and you all have a lot to do before tomorrow. All four of you report to me at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. Dismissed." Une turned her attention away from the agents, clearly letting them know she wasn't going to discuss the matter any further.

Heero stood up and followed the others from the office, clearly not happy with the turn of events.

* * *

Duo spent a restless night, his mind constantly running in circles trying to figure out what he could possibly do to sabotage the mobile suit program. Whatever he did, it would have to be small and untraceable.

It wasn't going to be easy to slip a little something into the programming without the knowledge of those around him.

Hearing Duric beginning to stir, Duo rubbed wearily at his eyes and sat up.

"Fuck. We're still here," Duric muttered as he sat up in his bunk.

"Where else did you think we would be," Duo responded, the sarcasm evident in his voice.

"I had hoped it was all a bad dream." Duric ignored his cell mate and got up to go to the bathroom.

With Duric in the bathroom, Duo got up himself and grabbed his clothes from the day before. They hadn't given them anything fresh to change into so Duo pulled on the jeans and did them up. He frowned as he noticed they were a little snug – and not in the places where he liked them snug. Undoing the braid of hair, he quickly brushed it out and re-plaited it before pulling the t-shirt over his head.

Duric exited the bathroom and Duo took his turn. His stomach was feeling a little queasy, but nothing he couldn't handle – providing they didn't bring breakfast around in the next few minutes.

Stepping out of the bathroom, Duo found he was out of luck. The breakfast tray had arrived whilst he'd been busy relieving himself. Warily he approached the tray on his bunk and gave a soft sigh when he spotted a couple of slices of toast and cup of black tea. Their hosts didn't stretch to milk and sugar by the looks of it.

"It won't bite you," Duric sneered as he watched Duo surveying his breakfast.

Duo snorted and ignored the jibe. He picked up the cup and took a sip of the tea, hoping it would settle his stomach. It was a touch bitter but did slide down easy enough. Duo opted to sip the rest of it before attempting the toast.

Seemed that today was going to be a bit better than before and he managed to nibble at one slice of toast and keep it down.

"You going to eat that other piece?"

Duo shook his head.

"Mind if I have it then?" Duric reached out and Duo passed him the slice of uneaten toast. "What's up with your appetite?" asked Duric.

"Nothing, I'm just not all that hungry right now," Duo replied. It was a white lie, he knew, but he couldn't risk his condition being found out. "You remember what I said about recon on the troops?" he questioned, changing the subject.

Duric glared. "Yes, I do. Don't forget your side of it either."

"Don't worry about me, I'll come up with something."

Conversation was cut then as the door opened and their captors came to take them to their respective areas.

* * *

"Heero, is there any further word on Duo?" Nurse Brown asked as she greeted the tired agent at the door to the mansion.

"No, there isn't. We have had a couple of breakthroughs in the case itself though and we may be a step closer to locating him," Heero replied. "Where is Keitaro?"

"He's in his playpen in the lounge," replied the nurse.

Heero nodded and headed for the lounge room and his son.

"Have you managed to cope okay?" Quatre asked politely as he followed Heero inside, Trowa and Wufei behind him.

"Not too badly," the nurse replied honestly. "I've had to ask Siska for help on a couple of occasions, but generally I've done all right by myself."

"I'm sure she wouldn't have minded, she does love children," said Quatre with a smile.

"I'll go through to the kitchen and start cooking dinner," Trowa said and disappeared in that direction.

"What are the breakthroughs?" Margaret asked the remaining two agents.

"We will fill you in over dinner if you don't mind waiting. I really need a shower," said Wufei and walked towards the stairs and the suite he was using whilst currently staying at the mansion.

"That's fine," Margaret replied.

"Don't worry, we are getting closer to finding Duo and getting him back," Quatre informed the nurse. "We will let you know all we've learned so far over dinner. Now, I'm going to pay a visit to my nephew and then take a shower myself. We have a lot to do tonight." With those words, Quatre left the nurse in the hall to try to figure out what was going on.

Keitaro gurgled and held out his arms when he saw his father enter the lounge room. Heero's face lit up with a soft smile as he reached into the playpen and lifted his son out to cuddle him in his arms.

"Have you been a good boy, Keitaro?" he asked the child.

Keitaro giggled and did his best to grab a handful of Heero's hair. Heero managed to keep his head clear of the child's questing fingers and reached up to tickle the small ribs. Keitaro let fly with a loud laugh and brought his hands up to try and push Heero's fingers away. They continued in their game for a minute or two before Heero felt his hip getting a little damp beneath where he rested the child.

"I think someone needs a diaper change," he told the child.

Still chuckling, Keitaro managed to grab one of Heero's fingers and held on tightly, curling his own hand around the digit and trying to bring it to his mouth.

"Oh, yuk, you don't want to chew on that," Quatre teased as he stepped into the room from where he'd been watching the pair. "You don't know where it's been, Keitaro. Uncle Trowa is cooking you something far better tasting than that dirty finger."

"I'll have you know my hands are perfectly clean," Heero snipped. "I most certainly wouldn't put my child at risk by practicing unhygienic habits."

"I know, Heero. I'm only teasing." Quatre shook his head.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you," Heero apologized.

"It's okay, Heero. I know you're under a lot of stress with Duo missing; but we will get him back. I know we will."

"How can you be so sure?" sighed Heero.

"I can feel it, in here." Quatre touched his heart. "Now, why don't you go change him whilst I have my shower? I'll watch him then so you can take yours and by that time Trowa should have dinner on the table and we can discuss what we are doing tomorrow."

"Okay."

* * *

Trowa had once again managed to conjure up a delicious meal from the basic ingredients he found in the 'fridge and had hoped he could get Heero to eat at least half of his serving. Unfortunately, Heero simply picked at his food, opting to feed Keitaro instead. No one bothered to berate the man, they all knew how empty and hollow Heero was feeling without Duo; hell, they all felt lost without the braided man in their midst!

"What is this breakthrough you've been saying you've had?" asked Nurse Brown as she took in the solemn faces around the dining table.

Quatre and Trowa took the conversation over and gave the nanny a brief, yet concise run down on what they had discovered and the hunch they had. Wufei then took over and explained as best he could what Heero had found and what he proposed to do.

"Well, I must say that sounds like a large leap forward," stated Margaret. "If anyone can locate that missing ball of energy I know it will be all of you." She tried to lighten the mood a little, but it wasn't successful. "What is the next step from here then?"

"Heero will remain at Preventer HQ for the moment and try to reprogram the system with this new one in an attempt to prevent this Firecell from getting into the Preventer database and taking it over," Wufei answered.

"What about you three?"

"We plan on going out to this satellite and check it out, see if the theory we have is correct and it was used for the production of parts from war scrap. We also need to see if it has been in use at all lately; it's one of three possible satellites that the shuttles and their contraband could have gone to," Quatre informed her.

Nurse Brown chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. She was worried, concerned for the four men here and their roles in this saga; but she was also worried for Duo and his probable, pregnant state. "I sincerely hope you find what you're looking for evidence wise and that it does lead you to where Duo is. I know I don't have to remind you all that time is not on your side." In fact, the nurse thought to herself, time was of the utmost importance. If Duo was pregnant again then he would be into roughly his fourteenth week; and that meant he would be starting to gain weight and his belly would enlarge. Once that started to happen it wouldn't take long for someone to notice and then it would all be over for Duo.

* * *

"Are you planning on going to bed any time soon?" Wufei asked as he placed a coffee mug at Heero's elbow.

"Hn. I've almost finished here," Heero replied and absently picked up the mug and took a sip. "Arigato."

"What are you doing exactly?"

"I've finished with the basic program run for converting the files and I've just set it to convert everything on my system."

"Ah, a sort of test run?"

"Hai. I'll know soon if the program works in converting all the files to the new system." Heero sat back in his chair and rubbed his weary eyes. He wanted to sleep, needed to, but it just wouldn't happen for him.

Seeming to know that Heero was having difficulty sleeping, Wufei lowered his voice a little when he next spoke. "I can ask Sally to give you something to help you to sleep if you wish."

Heero looked up sharply. "I'm fine," he snapped.

"No, you're not," sighed Wufei. "You're not sleeping properly, barely eating and pushing yourself to the limit. This is not the war anymore, Yuy. You need to eat to keep your strength up and you need to sleep to keep yourself alert and functioning at maximum level. You're going to need to be in good shape when we find Maxwell and like this you will be no good at all to anyone."

"I can't," Heero whispered so softly that Wufei almost missed the words.

"Heero, it's not a weakness to admit you need help. I quite understand the reasons for your not sleeping or eating, but you need to get over that so you can function properly. Let your friends in, let us help you so that when we do find Maxwell you will be there and ready to bring him home."

Sighing in defeat, Heero nodded. "I know, but it's so hard, Wufei. I miss him so much."

"We all do." In a rare display of emotion, Wufei put his arm around Heero's shoulders and gave him a hug. "I will speak with Sally first thing in the morning."

"Arigato."

"Now, Agent day. Off to bed and that is an order."

Wearily, Heero shut down the computer and made his way to his bedroom, Chang having offered to set the security system and check the mansion was locked.

* * *

Duo rolled his shoulders to try and ease a little of the ache in them. Spending several hours just sitting in a chair, hunched over a keyboard soon made him aware of those tired muscles.

"What's up with you?"

Duo glanced up to see Tewson hovering over him. "Sore muscles. I need a break," Duo replied.

Tewson grunted and looked at his watch. "I guess you can take an hour off for lunch."

"I need to pee too."

"Again?!" Tewson looked at the man in disbelief. "You've already had four bathroom breaks in the past three hours."

Duo shrugged. "I have a weak bladder?" he offered.

"Just shut the fuck up and move it," Tewson growled.

Duo got to his feet and with his babysitter, made his way to the now familiar bathroom. Tewson decided to wait outside. Stepping inside, Duo noted that one stall was occupied, so he stepped into the other one.

Resisting the urge to growl at his bladder for the tiny trickle it passed, Duo zipped himself up, pushed the flush button and exited the stall. As he washed his hands so a flush sounded, the other stall door opened and a tall man stepped out. Duo glanced sideways at the other person, he didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the people on this satellite. For one he looked to be far more educated and cultured. Curiosity getting the better of him, Duo finished washing his hands and cleared his throat.

"Excuse me?"

The other man looked up and Duo could read the resignation in the pale blue eyes. "Yes?"

The voice screamed 'education' and Duo was even more convinced this man didn't belong here. "Um, sorry to bother you, but what part of this project are you involved in?"

Frowning, the man thought for a moment. "I'm not supposed to talk about it, it's classified."

Duo could hear the hesitation in the voice, read the fear in the body language and so he pushed on. "Yeah, I guess so, but we all seem to be working towards the same goal. I'm involved with the programming of mobile suits. You look to be more of the intellectual type so I'd hazard a guess you're involved in the computer side of things?"

"I suppose you could say that."

"You don't sound very enthusiastic. " Duo lowered his voice to a whisper. "I think I would be correct in the assumption that you're not here of your own free will?"

The man remained silent.

That gave Duo his answer. "If it's any consolation, neither am I."

"You were forced here too?"

"Yeah. They have me programming mobile suits; another guy was taken to computers. I think he's supposed to be working on this Firecell thing of Barton's."

The man's eyes widened. "You know about the Firecell?"

"Sort of. Barton did mention it to me, but I'm not completely clued up on all the intricacies, I just know it's not a good thing."

"It isn't."

"Name's Duo, by the way. Duo Maxwell." Duo extended his hand.

The man took the hand and shook it firmly. "Hawkins, Professor James Hawkins. It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Maxwell."

~ * ~

tbc...

AN: Thanks go to my 'Mr Fix it' computer guy for letting me pick his brain in regards to the different file systems that computers use.


	69. Chapter 69

**Thank you to all who are reading and warm hugs for the kind reviews.**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 69

"Professor, if you don't mind me asking, how did you end up here?" Duo questioned.

"How do I know I can trust you?" the professor replied.

"Guess that's a fair question." Reading into the man's body language and going on what had already been confessed, Duo went with his gut feeling. "Look, I know you have no reason to trust me, but I can tell you I was kidnapped and brought here, not for ransom or anything like that, but because I used to be a Gundam Pilot. With this planned take over of the earth and colonies, Barton needs a back up force. That force consists of mobile suits and an army. He's forcing me to program those mobile suits. I'm now a Preventer Agent and it is my duty to try to stop this from happening. If they have you working on the Firecell thing then it's a safe bet that you are pretty clued up in the computer area of things. Professor, I could really use your help in stopping Barton."

The professor scratched at his chin and thought on Duo's words. The man seemed genuine enough, he also sported some fading bruises to support his claim he was not here by his own free will. Deciding to trust this man, the professor sighed. "I'll help you if I can."

"Thanks." Duo didn't get to say anything more as the bathroom door opened and Tewson stuck his head in, Duo and the professor quickly turning their backs to each other.

"You finished?" he growled at Duo.

"Just coming," Duo snapped.

The door closed again and Duo turned back to the professor. "I have to go but I'd like to talk to you some more in regards to how we can try to stop Barton form achieving his aim."

The professor nodded.

"How about we meet back here in the toilets in another three hours?"

"I'll try."

"Thanks, prof." Duo turned and exited the bathroom, Tewson shoving him none too gently from behind when he stepped out.

"Hurry up if you want that lunch," he ordered.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't get your knickers in a knot," Duo snipped and got another shove for his trouble.

* * *

"You're up early," Trowa said as he wandered into the kitchen to make himself a coffee.

Heero shrugged and picked up his mug of tea that he'd just made. "There's work to be done," he replied and left the kitchen, heading to the study and his computer.

Trowa watched him go and let a heavy sigh escape. For the umpteenth time he hoped and prayed that his and Quatre's hunch regarding the satellite would turn out to be what they suspected and that it would lead them to Duo. Trowa was beginning to seriously doubt that Heero would be able to continue to exist if they didn't find the braided man soon. Picking up the two coffee mugs, he carried them both back upstairs.

Heero checked his computer, the program he'd left running overnight to convert the file system had not long finished and Heero was eager to see if it had worked in converting everything and if it would stand up to a virus attack.

Tapping away on the keys, he was able to forget his troubles for the moment and let the complex system of the computer take over his mind. So involved in his task, he didn't hear Wufei enter the room and when the low voice spoke, he whirled around and only just managed to stop himself from pulling the trigger on the small hand gun he held.

"Shit, Wufei! Next time make some sort of noise or you just might find yourself dead," he muttered and turned back to the computer.

"I did knock," came the soft reply. Wufei was still a little pale after his up close and personal encounter with the barrel of Yuy's gun.

"Then knock louder."

Wufei forgave the short tone, Heero wasn't himself lately and Wufei could overlook the snappiness given the strain his friend was under. "My apologies."

Sighing, Heero turned to look at the Chinese man. "No, I'm sorry. It's not your fault, I shouldn't allow my defenses to drop like that."

"Yuy, you are not a machine; and this sort of thing is exactly what I was talking about last night. I will be speaking with Sally today in regards to your sleeping habits and general health."

Heero scowled. He really didn't want Sally to intervene, especially as she would most likely have to inform Une of his current state of health, both mental and physical and that could be detrimental to his finding of Duo.

Sensing where Heero's thoughts were most likely going, Wufei was quick to reassure the man. "I will ask Sally not to mention anything to Une."

Cobalt eyes widened and Wufei gave a smirk.

"Contrary to belief, I do have a heart,"

"Thank you, Chang."

"You can thank me by keeping yourself fit and healthy so that when we need you, you can respond professionally. Now, did that program work?"

Heero smiled inwardly and turned his attention back to the computer. "Hai, it has converted all the files."

* * *

Duo ate a lunch that consisted of slightly stale sandwiches and a glass of recycled water. He hoped and prayed his stomach would keep the contents down as he would need all the nutrition he could get for the possible baby growing inside; not to mention his own physical state. With the meager lunch finished, he was once again ensconced in front of a computer console and programming the mobile suits.

He kept one eye on the clock as he fiddled away, counting down the time to when he could meet with the professor again and possibly glean some information from the man. He hoped his bladder would hang on until then as he didn't want his toilet visits to become too noticeable.

His bladder decided to play nice for once and it had only started to let Duo know of its presence half an hour before the three hours were up. Duo managed to hang on for the remaining thirty minutes before informing Young of his need for the bathroom. Young had replaced Tewson just after lunch and the man was clearly bored, sitting not far from Duo and fiddling with a deck of cards.

"Um, I need a bathroom break," Duo announced.

Looking up from his game of Solitaire, Young frowned. "Can't you hold it?"

"And how do you propose I do that? Tie a knot in it?" Duo returned, his voice full of sarcasm.

Young grunted and reluctantly left his game of cards. "Come on then, hurry it up. I want to finish off my game," he snarled.

"Okay, okay. No need to get on your high horse," Duo muttered and got up.

The pair walked to the bathroom, Duo about to enter and realizing that Young was still right with him and looked like he had every intention of following Duo into the bathroom too.

"You gonna come in and hold it for me?" Duo asked as he paused at the door.

Young stopped and drew himself from his thoughts. He hadn't been paying attention and as Duo's words hit him, he realized where he was and what he was doing. "I think you're capable of holding it yourself," he snapped, trying to hide his embarrassment.

Chuckling to himself, Duo nodded in response. "I am, but you know how it is, some men seem to enjoy having someone else..."

"That's enough," growled Young. "Just hurry up and take your bathroom break. I'll wait out here."

Still snickering to himself, Duo entered the bathroom and noticed one of the stall doors was closed. He hoped it was the professor. He entered the remaining empty stall and closed the door. Lifting the seat he allowed his bladder the joy of relieving itself, annoyingly amused by the small amount that came out.

"That you, Duo?" came a whispered voice.

"Yeah. That you, Prof?"

"Yes."

There was a pregnant pause in the air and then the professor spoke again, keeping his voice low. "You said you were programming the mobile suits, correct?"

"Yeah. They want these suits to respond to pilot and also a main frame program."

"I see. How much do you know about computers?"

"A bit. Well, I used to have to do my own programming during the war on my Gundam, plus I've hacked a few systems in my time," Duo replied without going into too much detail.

"I'll try to keep this as brief and simple as I can. I take it you're using the standard form of programing in the suits? By that I mean the NTFS file system?"

"Well, yes, there isn't another that I'm aware of and that is usually how you program things."

"Good. Duo, this Firecell that Barton proposes to unleash, I'm the one who originally came up with the idea of it and I've been working on it for a while now, figuring out how it could work, how to implement it, what damage it would do, and so on. In a nutshell it will take control of all the computers in the Earth and colonies."

"I'm not completely in the dark, prof. I do know how the theory of the Firecell works, although not the more intricate details." Duo glanced at his watch. "We're gonna have to speed this up a bit or my babysitter will come in looking for me."

"Okay. Here's what I've thought of. We can't stop Barton from unleashing the Firecell, to do so would take more time and planning than we have. Once he unleashes it, then all the computer systems that run on the FAT, NTFS and such file systems will become controlled by him."

I understand that, prof. The mobile suits are all using the same file system and he'll be controlling them anyway so I don't get what it is you're proposing here." Duo was starting to become a little frustrated.

"Here." A small piece of paper was passed under the stall partition, Duo taking it and looking at it in curiosity.

"What's this?" he asked. The paper contained a sequence of numbers and symbols.

"Add that sequence of numbers and symbols to the main coding in the suit programs."

"Eh?"

"Trust me on this. That code won't be detected as it will appear to be a part of the necessary coding – which in one way, it is. Once Barton releases the Firecell and the virus comes through to the suits' computers, instead of allowing him complete control which he would have had without the Firecell anyway, that code will kick in and destroy all the programming that allows the suits to function on their own."

"You mean it will fry the circuits of the suits?"

"Pretty much."

"But, prof, there's going to be pilots in those suits too." Regardless of the fact that the pilots would be the enemy, Duo didn't want to see them left out there in space to die a lonely, painful death by asphyxiation. Space could be cold and cruel enough.

"Don't worry, it won't affect the life support systems, it will only destroy the programming that allows the suits to function as dolls. The pilots will still be able to fight and engage the enemy, only they will have to do it using their own skills and nothing else," replied the professor.

Duo's face lit up into a wide grin. "Prof, that's great."

The door to the bathroom opened and Young's voice cam in. "You finished yet?" he bellowed.

"Almost," Duo snapped back.

"Hurry up or I'll come in and drag you out," Young sneered. The door closed again.

"I gotta go, prof. Thanks for that and I sincerely hope we will meet again under better circumstances. Take care and stay alive." Duo pushed the flush button.

"Good luck to you too, Duo. I hope this will help in some way to stop Barton," replied the professor, careful to keep his doubts from his voice. He really couldn't see how one person could stop Barton, even with the code he'd passed over. Barton was too well organized and once the Firecell was deployed it would pretty much be the end of everything.

Duo had no such qualms though. He'd take every scrap of help he could get and do his level best to stop this madman.

* * *

Inside Duo's body, the miracle of life was steadily growing and developing. The tiny human was taking shape, bone, muscle and other tissue growing and taking on the form of what the blueprint in the DNA dictated it was to be.

The small, slightly deformed uterus that housed the precious bundle was doing its best to cope with the second pregnancy, along with Duo's other internal organs. It was a strain on them all, Duo's previous pregnancy having stretched his body to its limits, both figuratively and literally.

Somewhere, at some stage, something would have to give.

* * *

With Trowa and Quatre both now up and dressed, the four met in the kitchen for breakfast. Nurse Brown was busy bathing Keitaro, Siska assisting the nanny when she needed the help and they would join them soon.

Trowa made waffles for them all and Heero couldn't help the lump in his throat when he looked at his own plate.

Duo loved waffles.

"How did the computer conversion go?" Quatre asked, disturbing Heero's thoughts and bringing him back to the current plane.

"It worked on my system, all files have been converted."

"Then it should work on the Preventer system," said Quatre with utmost conviction.

"In theory. Don't forget though, there are a lot more files on the Preventer data base and it will take a while to convert all those."

"It will work, Heero. We all have faith in you." Quatre's eyes met with cobalt and told the Japanese man that Quatre, along with the others, all trusted him to make this work.

Heero gave a short nod and focused back on his waffles. He had to fuel his body.

"Is everyone packed?" asked Wufei.

"Yes. All done and ready to go," Trowa said.

"Good. Once breakfast is finished we need to get to headquarters and report in. Une will be waiting for us to brief us on the assignment." With there being nothing more to say, Wufei continued to eat.

The rest of the group followed suit, Heero amazing even himself by managing to force down just about all of his waffles. Nurse Brown appeared with Keitaro and sat the child in his high chair. Heero strapped his son in whilst the nurse fetched the baby's breakfast.

With the other three fetching their bags and preparing to leave, Heero assisted the nanny and fed his son. Keitaro thought it was great fun and gurgled his way happily through his cereal, some of it getting spat out with the child's chuckles. Heero managed to avoid getting any of the cereal on himself and once Keitaro was finished, he wiped the babe's mouth with a wash cloth and removed him from the high chair.

"Outusan has to go to work now," Heero told his son, "but I will be home later to check on you."

Keitaro pulled a funny face and tried to grab for Heero's hair as the Japanese man pressed a kiss to his son's forehead.

"You be good for Nurse Brown." Heero took the child through to the lounge room and placed him in his playpen, checking there were toys there to keep the child occupied.

Looking around himself, Keitaro ignored his toys and reached his arms out to his father. His face began to screw up and a soft wail made its way past his lips.

"Don't cry, Keitaro. I'll be home soon enough, but I have to go to work and try to stop this bad man from taking over; and find your other dad." Heero's heart was breaking with the soft whimpers of distress his son was making.

"He'll be fine, Heero."

Turning at the sound of the voice, Heero found an amused Nurse Brown standing behind him.

"He's getting to the stage now where he he wants to be the center of attention all the time. He knows you have to leave for a while and he's trying the guilt trip on you."

"Smart kid," Trowa said from where he'd appeared in the doorway.

"All children do it, although at this age they're not aware that they are trying to manipulate you," replied the nanny. "All they know is they want attention and if they scream, yell or cry, they usually get it."

"Kind of like Duo in a way," Wufei said, having joined Trowa in the doorway to find out what was keeping Heero.

Heero's eyes narrowed and he directed a glare in the Chinese man's direction.

Seeing there could very well be a verbal, if not physical sparring match about to start, Quatre intervened. "Ah, there you all are. Are you ready? Everything is in the car and we need to get going now unless we want to catch the sharp side of Une's tongue."

Both Heero and Wufei backed off, the thought of an irate commander overriding all other possible forms of violence. Heero turned to bid the nanny farewell and exited, trying not to let the child's sniffles affect him too much.

* * *

"The agents are here to see you."

"Thank you, send them in," Une replied and pushed the paperwork she was reading to the side. The four agents filed in and she motioned for them to take a seat. Once they were all comfortable, Une looked at each agent in turn, cleared her throat and then spoke.

"Agent Day, do you have all you need to convert the Preventer computer file systems over?"

"Hai, I do. I set up a program and ran it through my own computer last night as a test run and it worked. All my own files have been converted to the new system."

"Does everything still work okay?"

"Yes, yes it does, Commander. The entire system continues to operate exactly as it did before."

"Good. That was what I was hoping to hear. I spoke with the higher heads and they have agreed to having the entire Preventer system changed over, that was providing everything remained operational as before, which you have now assured me it will. If you would head to the main frame section on level sub three, I have other agents and technicians waiting to assist you in any way they can. I also request that you reprogram the Preventer shuttle fleet first."

Heero cocked an eyebrow in question.

"The second part of this inquiry will require these three agents being sent out to that abandoned satellite. I do not intend to lose any of them because of the computer system failing or being taken over whilst they are out there."

"Aa." Now Heero fully understood. How could he have forgotten his friends would be going out there and risking themselves to find Barton and Duo? "I will get onto that immediately."

"Thank you, Agent Day. You are free to leave."

Nodding again, Heero stood and before he left, he spoke to Chang. "Please, let me know before you board for the assignment."

"I will," came the reply.

"Good luck, Heero," Quatre whispered.

Without looking back, Heero left to get started on converting the file systems.

With Heero gone, Une turned to the rest of the group. "As soon as the shuttle is pronounced ready for flight, you three will leave. I have looked over all the data you have accrued in relation to this case and I have to agree with your findings. It does seem likely that this satellite could be where those shuttles disappeared to. It also has all the facilities to produce mobile suits. I want you three to check it out, look for any evidence of those shuttles being there, anything that might show mobile suit parts have been manufactured recently, and if so, where they may possibly have gone. It's a long shot, but Barton just might be there too. I have no need to let you know just how important it is that you are not detected in any way?"

"Of course, Commander."

"You are to report any and all findings immediately and await further instructions as to what procedure to deploy."

All three nodded.

"If you should come across Barton, do not engage the man. Observe and report those findings immediately to me. You will be informed as to the course of action to be taken in that instance. Does anyone have any questions?"

"What if we find Duo?" Quatre asked.

Une thought about that. "I will have to trust your judgment on that, make the decisions necessary based on the situation at hand, gentlemen. But!" she glared at all three agents. "I do not expect you to risk the success of the operation or put the lives of yourselves or Agent Night in jeopardy. Am I clear?"

"Crystal."

"Good. Chang, you are in charge of this assignment. Agents, move out to supplies where you will be given your basic operations field kit and anything else you may require to bring about a successful result."

"Thank you, Commander," Wufei replied and stood.

Trowa and Quatre also stood and picked up their duffel bags from the floor.

"Agents?"

They all turned to look at the Commander.

"Good luck and stay safe."

Two nods and a soft smile were returned and the agents left Une's office to finish their preparations for their trip to the satellite.

* * *

Duo returned to his console and took up his programming where he'd left off. Young had gone back to his unfinished game of Solitaire and only glanced at Duo from time to time. The piece of paper in his pocket felt like it was burning a hole there. Keeping one eye on the computer, Duo did his best to check out everyone else in the room and see who exactly was watching him.

After the course of an hour or two, Duo did notice that the surveillance of him did start to dwindle. That caused him to grin.

He let things go for a little while longer and then noting Young completely absorbed in his game and no one else within the room paying him any attention, Duo slipped the paper out of his pocket, brought up the section in the computer's files he would need and began to type in the code.

The computer accepted the code, transferring it to all the on-board computers of the mobile suits.

With the deed done, there wasn't anything more Duo could do to assist the cause of bringing Barton down. He would just have to hope that what the professor had given him would be enough.

~ * ~

tbc...


	70. Chapter 70

**Many thanks to all of you who have left a review - your feedback is very much appreciated!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 70

"Anything else you need, Agent Day?" asked the tech.

"Iie. Thank you," replied Heero and adjusted his seat before bringing up the main frame data base.

"I'll leave you to it then. If you need anything at all, just call out, I'll be over the other side." The tech left Heero to continue in peace.

Having brought up the main frame on the screen, Heero typed in the passwords he'd been given and delved deeper into the data base that was the Preventer network. He located the shuttle programs and noted they were all fed through the main frame. That would make his job a little easier. Picking up the disc, he slotted it into the driver on the computer and typed away, isolating the shuttle program and setting the disc and its program to work in converting the files. Whilst the program was running, Heero spoke with the other two techs that had been assigned to him and briefed them on what he planned to do.

Leaving the two techs to keep an eye on the main frame program, Heero took the other disc and left the room, aiming for the shuttle command center.

The head of shuttle control greeted him, having already been briefed on the situation, and directed Heero straight to the waiting console. Heero was pleased to note the entire shuttle fleets' file systems were opened and waiting for him. Thanking the control head, Heero slipped the disc into the slot and and prepared to start downloading to convert all the on board computer files.

"Which shuttle will Agent Fire be using?" Heero questioned.

The head of control picked up his clipboard and checked down the list. "Agent Fire will be using the latest shuttle; PA 221." he replied. "It's got all the latest features on it including stealth mode."

Heero quirked an eyebrow at that information. "Stealth Mode?"

"Yes. We are in the process of converting all the other shuttles to carry the same, but this one is a new shuttle and comes with it built in."

"Hn." Heero didn't bother to ask where the shuttle had come from. He already knew that Howard and the rest of the sweepers were branching off into craft building, the world of scrap dealing starting to dry up somewhat. The sweepers were a versatile bunch and with Howard's knowledge of space craft, whether they be Gundams, shuttles or larger, space cruisers, it seemed natural for the group to go in for the building of such craft. Preventer had put in an order for three of the newer type shuttles, ones that Howard had designed himself and it would seem that the first of the three was finished and delivered for use. Heero made a mental note to let Howard know to convert all the file systems in the on board computers of all craft as soon as possible too.

Typing in a few commands, Heero pulled up the shuttle he needed, isolated it from the others and set to converting the system himself. Whilst he was busy doing that, he set the disc he'd loaded earlier to begin converting the files on all the other shuttles.

* * *

"Anything else you need, sir?"

"No, I think that will be all," replied Wufei as he checked the pack. Turning to the other two, he questioned, "You got everything?"

"Yes," stated Trowa as he zipped up his pack.

"Mine is fine," added Quatre, stuffing the last couple of emergency ration bars into the side pocket of his pack.

"Then let us head for the locker rooms and get suited up." Heaving the pack to his shoulder, Wufei led the way through the building to the locker rooms.

"Kind of reminds me of the war days," muttered Quatre as he pulled the tightly fitting suit up his legs.

"I agree with you there," commented Trowa, sliding his arms through the tight fabric and then zipping it up.

"The view is just as nice though."

Trowa blushed. "These damn suits always were too revealing," he muttered.

"Oh, I don't know," came his husband's cheeky reply. "I always did kinda like those tight jeans you wore, these suits only put things into a better proportion." He added a leer at Trowa's groin for good measure.

"If you two have finished discussing the nature of these suits, I suggest we start moving," Wufei interrupted.

"By all means," replied Quatre. "Let's be on our way, the back view is just as nice as the front."

Wufei gave a shake of his head, Trowa rolled his visible eye and picked up his pack and duffel, making sure that Quatre was beside him and not behind.

"The shuttles are this way," Wufei snipped and proceeded to lead the way, Quatre and Trowa falling into step with him.

* * *

"That's enough for today."

Duo gave a soft sigh and rolled his aching shoulders. He shut down the console and stood up, Young motioning for him to move ahead and back to his 'prison'. It wasn't a long walk and soon Duo found himself back within the same four, metallic walls. There was no sign of Duric and someone had left a change of clothes on the bunk Duo noticed.

The door closed behind him and once he knew he was alone, Duo let his shoulders slump. He rubbed his tired eyes and shuffled over to the pile of clothing. Rummaging through it, he managed to find a pair of pants that looked like they might fit and a washed out t-shirt. With the items in hand, he went through to the small bathroom and took a quick shower.

Despite the water being recycled and carrying a rather strong chemical smell, Duo felt the relief that only a shower could bring. Not only did it wash away the dirt and grime, but it seemed to cleanse his soul as well. He just wished he could wash his hair – it did need it. Unfortunately, water was at a premium and rationed. Showers only lasted a bare couple of minutes at best and then the water slowed to a trickle. Certainly nowhere near long enough for him to clean the mane properly. He sighed. It would just have to wait until he got out of here.

That was the first thing he promised himself. Once he was free of the satellite, Barton and this 'prison', once all had been taken care of, he fully intended to take a long soak in the hot tub back at the mansion and indulge in washing his hair.

That and find himself a large, juicy orange to enjoy.

His lips quirked up slightly with that thought. His hand automatically strayed to his belly and he caressed it gently. He was pretty certain that Nurse Brown was correct when she'd voiced her concern that Duo was possibly pregnant again. When he cast his mind back to his pregnancy with Keitaro, the similarities were just too close for him to dismiss.

His bladder and the frequent trips to the toilet, the craving for something; this time oranges, the fact that he hadn't bled in a while, the nausea in the morning and the settling effect the tea appeared to have on it – it all added up to his carrying a child again.

That worried him.

He knew how risky carrying Keitaro had been, and he'd had constant supervision during those months. Sally had warned him that getting pregnant again so soon after delivering Keitaro was something to be avoided. His body had only just started to feel like his again, the muscle tone returning along with his normal, trim figure. The scars from the previous pregnancy were still fresh, still too unstable to risk another so soon.

He frowned as he wondered exactly how he could have fallen pregnant again. Well, he knew _how_, but they had been using protection when Heero had topped and Duo usually took Heero when he was around the risky time of his cycle. Despite all his searching his memory, he couldn't come up with anything.

Duo was aware of the consequences this pregnancy could possibly have on his body, and even his life, but right now there wasn't a great deal he could do about it.

He knew in his heart that Heero would be pretty much tearing apart the earth and colonies to find him, all he had to do was wait, be patient, stay alive and hope the clues he'd left behind would assist his husband in finding him. All that and do his level best to stop Barton.

Not much at all, really.

"Hey, munchkin," Duo said softly as he continued to caress the soft swell of his abdomen. "It's just you and me, kid, for the moment. Guess we will need to try and get along if we wish to stay alive."

The sound of the outer door opening told him that Duric was probably back and Duo quickly finished drying himself off and got dressed. Stepping out of the small bathroom, he noted the other man lying on his bunk, exhaustion lines around the eyes and mouth. "Tough day?"

"You could say that," replied Duric with a grunt. "You finished in there?"

"Yeah."

Duric grabbed what remained of the clothing and pushed past Duo into the small bathroom, closing the door firmly behind him. "Wonder what crawled up his ass and died," Duo muttered to his stomach.

By the time Duric had finished his ablutions, dinner had arrived. Duo sat on his bunk, picking at the meal of what was supposed to be beef stew. It consisted mainly of a watery gravy with a few bits of vegetable floating around and the odd piece of what Duo thought must be the beef. At least they had a couple of stale, bread rolls to go with it. Whilst not the most appetizing of meals, Duo forced his down as he needed any and all nutrition he could get. He just hoped he didn't get sick from it.

Once the dishes had been collected, Duo knew they would have an hour before the lights would go out and the night cycle would commence. He decided to try and get some information from Duric in regards to the troops.

"You found out much about the troops?" Nothing like the direct approach.

Duric snorted. "You call them troops? I've seen better coordination amongst a group of kindergarten kids!"

"Ah."

"You done anything about your side yet?" Duric snapped, unwilling to give up any information if he wasn't getting anything in return.

"As a matter of fact, I have." Duo was doing some quick thinking. He didn't want to let Duric in on the professor if he could help it.

"What?"

"You gonna fill me in on the troops?" Duo's eyes glinted in the artificial light.

Duric swallowed, his memory reminding him of the unholy look and lightning reflexes of the other man. "Okay. This army appears to be mostly made up of the scum from L2. All those that I've spoken to are either ex servicemen from the war or have some sort of criminal background on L2."

When Duo raised an eyebrow, Duric continued. "There are drug runners, arms smugglers, gang leaders - all that type of person; you should know the type, coming from L2 yourself."

Duo did. It would appear that Barton had surrounded himself with the scum all right. Quite the clever move Duo had to admit. "Smart man."

"Eh? Smart man? How the fuck can you say that?!"

"These sorts of people are out to make a quick buck, the promise of money and the chance to escape the poverty cycle of L2 would have been a wonderful enticement. Barton, by having these people as his army is in fact, quite smart. They don't give a shit who they kill, who they take down, just as long as the price is right."

Duric had to think about that. Then he snickered. "Well, all I can say is they're totally useless as an army."

"How so?" Duo demanded.

"They don't react like soldiers do. You can pick out the ones that have had previous military training, this lot is taking their sweet time in learning to obey orders."

Duo shifted suddenly. "That could be it," he exclaimed.

"Could be what?"

"That could be where Barton lets himself down." Duo faced Duric and looked the other man directly in the eye. "How many would you say are ex servicemen?"

"Out of the entire force; about twenty percent."

"Ha."

"You care to let me in on what is going through that skull of yours?"

With a gleam in his eye, Duo told Duric exactly what he thought would happen. "Once these guys find themselves in a combat situation, they will revert back to their old ways, regardless of what they've been taught. When the bullets start flying it will be each man for himself and not the organized, watching each others backs, that you do when soldier trained. These guys will instinctively look out for themselves."

"How do you know that?"

"Having lived on the streets, you get to see this sort of thing all the time. When it comes down to the wire, these guys don't give a shit for anything other than their own skin." Duo thought for a moment. "When you're training them, are you training all of them, some of them, the ex servicemen or just the crims?"

"I'm mostly training the crims with the assistance of some of the ex servicemen; why?"

"Do me a favor?"

"What?" Duric snarled as his eyes narrowed.

"Nothing hard, just plant a few seeds of doubt in their minds. You know, sort of let it slip in idle conversation that there could be a shoot out at some stage down the track, put them into situations in their training that would test their loyalty to each other and let me know what happens?"

"I suppose I could do that," Duric grunted. "It wouldn't look suspicious."

"No, it wouldn't. If what you say about them is correct, and going on my own experiences from the past, I'd say when the shit does hit the fan these blokes will be running for cover and not worrying too much about fighting back or looking after each other."

"What about you? You said you were doing something on your side."

"I have. I've uploaded a code into the mobile dolls that when Barton releases his Firecell will see the code activate and the systems for the mobile dolls will short circuit."

"The dolls won't be operational?"

"They won't be able to be controlled by someone back here at base, they will only be able to be operated manually – that means the pilots will have to rely on their own skills and abilities," replied Duo.

"Why couldn't you fry them completely? Lousy bastards deserve all they get."

"Unlike you, I don't enjoy killing people, did far too much of that during the war. I'd much rather talk to them first, if that fails I prefer to take out my targets by disabling them, not killing them." Seeing the look in Duric's eye, Duo lowered his voice a touch. "But that doesn't mean I won't kill; especially if someone has harmed what is mine."

Fortunately for Duric, the lights went out at that point, although he could swear a pair of violet eyes with a demon flame in them watched him all night.

* * *

"All finished," said Heero and removed the disc from the drive.

"Only about another half hour on these and they will be done too," commented the tech who had been brought in to assist Heero in the shuttle file conversions.

Heero took a moment to check the status of the conversion and gave a satisfied grunt. Settling back in front of his own terminal again, he ran a check through the shuttle, scanning all files and was pleased to note they all came back clean and converted to the new system.

"Is the shuttle all finished and ready to go?" asked the head of the department. "I have the agents all ready and standing by to board once you give the all clear."

Heero turned around. "Yes, everything is done. I'll just go down and speak with the agents before they board."

The head nodded and turned back to his clipboard, Heero exited and made his way through the corridors to the flight room where the shuttle pilots, crew and agents would muster to board. Entering, he noted the three agents all kitted out and ready to go.

"Yuy," Chang acknowledged.

"Heero, did you manage to sort out the shuttle?" asked Quatre politely.

"Hai, I did. All files are converted to the new system. Heero walked over to where Wufei was checking over his pack. "Chang?"

"Yuy?"

"Could I have a moment please?"

Wufei stopped his current task, exited the room into the small corridor that led to the shuttle and gave the other agent his full attention.

"All the files have been converted over in the on board computer. Presuming the theory is correct, when the Firecell is activated it shouldn't affect the shuttle computer at all, you should still have access to all programs."

"But?" questioned Wufei. He knew Heero well enough by now to know the agent hadn't taken him aside to simply explain what he was already aware of. No, Yuy had something more to add or his name wasn't Chang Wufei.

"If for any reason the theory is wrong and the Firecell does affect the files and cause the computer to crash, I have a back up plan. On the main console type in the code; Y1M2=K3. That code will turn the computer circuits off, and I mean completely off. It will wipe the hard drive and there will be no computer at all. The shuttle will still be fine to fly, but you will have to do it all manually. The navigation equipment and all flight data will no longer be available as they are computer based; in fact, anything that relies on the computer will cease to function. Those instruments that can function without a computer will still remain available to you, but you will be right back to the basics."

"Ah. I see," replied Wufei. "I'll be sure to check we have all available stellar maps on board then as an added precaution." Wufei raised his hand to Heero's shoulder and squeezed. "Thank you, my friend. I knew you wouldn't let us out there without some form of back up.

"You can thank me by finding Duo and bringing him home safe to me," replied Heero in a whisper.

"That will be one promise I fully intend to keep."

"Stay safe and god speed."

Wufei nodded, picked up his pack and made his way to the shuttle. Heero stepped back inside the flight room where Trowa and Quatre were shouldering their packs and preparing to board the shuttle.

"Good luck," Heero said.

"We will do our best to find Duo whilst we're out there checking the satellite," replied Trowa.

"Thank you."

Quatre wasn't having any of the handshaking thing, he pulled Heero in for a tight hug. "Take care of yourself, Heero. We will find Duo, I know we will."

Feeling the heat of tears forming in his eyes, Heero was quick to blink them away. "I know you will do everything you can to try and locate Duo. It should be me though that is out there looking for him, not you three risking your lives."

"He's our family, just as you are, Heero. This is what we do for family. I know you want to be out there too, right now though, your skills are required here to prevent the loss of innocent lives." Quatre did his best to comfort the agent.

Giving a loud sigh, Heero admitted defeat. "Take care, all of you." With a nod to back his words, Heero spun on his heel and left the three to finish off their pre-takeoff flight check.

Trowa joined Wufei in the cockpit of the shuttle once he'd finished stowing his gear. Quatre slipped into the navigators seat a couple of minutes after Trowa and commenced checking that the course plan had been entered into the computer. Reaching for a clipboard, Quatre double checked that the plan on the computer screen was the same as the clipboard.

Wufei finished the pre-flight check and stuck the clipboard back into the holder. "Preventer control, this is shuttle PA 221 requesting clearance to take off."

"Shuttle PA 221, this is Preventer control. You are cleared for take off on launch ramp three. Proceed to launch ramp and await final clearance."

"Roger that, control. Proceeding to launch ramp three." Wufei pushed a few buttons and felt the slight jarring as the shuttle connected with the small, 'tow' vehicle that would take them out to the launch area. Ten minutes later, the shuttle was in position, the chain attached to the underbelly and the shuttle pulled backwards into launch position. The ramp was long and curved so that the shuttle would pick up maximum thrust with minimal power and be able to shoot off into the air and evade the pull of earth gravity without wasting valuable fuel.

It was a large improvement on the shuttle launches from pre-colony days.

"This is shuttle PA 221 to control. We are in position and awaiting final clearance."

"Shuttle PA 221, this is Preventer control. Commence engine start up."

Trowa flipped a couple of switches and depressed the button, the engines fired up with an impressive roar and then settled to a loud hum.

"Control, this is shuttle PA 221. Engines are fired and ready."

"Shuttle PA 221, this is control. Build engine power to three thousand, hold at that rate and confirm."

"Roger that, control. Building engine power now." Wufei eased the lever forward and watched the gauges as the engine revolutions began to build. Beside him Trowa counted down the build up.

"One thousand, one thousand five hundred, two thousand. Two thousand five hundred, three thousand."

"Preventer control, shuttle PA 221 is at three thousand revs and holding."

"Roger that. Slingshot mechanism is connecting now."

The group on board felt the shuttle vibrate and a loud 'clang' as the slingshot mechanism that would assist in shooting them off the end of the ramp and into space, connected with the base of the shuttle.

"Slingshot mechanism locked in place," Wufei reported.

"Shuttle PA 221, prepare for take off. Ten... nine... eight..."

Everyone inside the shuttle double checked their harnesses were strapped tight. Each had different thoughts swirling in their heads, but they were all aiming for the same end result.

"Three... two... one. Slingshot engaged. Good luck, agents."

The shuttle shuddered for a moment, the engines increased their whine and then they were hurtling down the ramp, speed building at a rapid pace. They hit the bottom and began to curve upwards, the mechanism disengaging as they reached the end of the ramp and shot off into the earth's atmosphere and then out into space.

* * *

Heero watched the tiny shuttle as it shot down the ramp, up the other side and then off the end and on its journey. His gut still twisted, dearly wanting to be on that shuttle and finding his husband, Barton and the rest of this group. But he had another job to do first. With a heavy sigh, he returned to the tech that had been helping him with the reprogramming of the shuttles.

With the files on the shuttle program all converted, Heero made his way back to the main frame department and called the commander to bring her up to speed on his progress so far.

"Thank you, Agent Day. When you commence the change over of the files on the data base, please start with the communications section."

"Roger that."

"From there progress through the remaining files until all are converted."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Agent Day?"

"Hai?"

"Good luck."

"Hn." Heero knew they would need more than just luck; they were going to need that miracle.

~ * ~

tbc...


	71. Chapter 71

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 71

Barton rubbed his hands together and smiled at those sitting at the table with him. "Gentlemen, I have some good news."

Wainright, Richards, Sampson and Zaheer all turned to look at the older man.

"Everything is going to plan with the Firecell and we should be able to release it in the next couple of days. I would have preferred to have stuck to our original time frame, but outside interference dictated it was not to be."

The four at the table all recalled the sudden speeding up of their plans due to another rebel group. At least that group was now out of the picture.

Barton looked to Zaheer. "Have all the suits been completed?"

"Most are finished. There's a couple that still require the plating to be bolted on and about five require their hydraulics or other systems checking. Other than that they should be ready for the pilots to use within a few days," replied Zaheer.

"What about the programming?"

"Almost complete."

"And the pilots?"

"Their training is progressing. I expect them to be perfectly capable pilots by the end of the week."

"Good." Barton turned to Sampson. "How is the army coming along?"

"As well as can be expected. It would be better if we could have stuck to the original time frame, but they will be ready enough when the time comes."

"They had better be," Barton growled. "I shouldn't need to remind you just how much is depending on everything being operative and fully functional."

Sampson nodded. "Don't worry everything will go off perfectly fine."

Zaheer decided to try and change the subject. "What are we going to do about the three extras?"

"I've not made up my mind yet. The computer one has been only too willing to assist and join the cause so I might keep him. He's proving to be okay with the programming amongst other things."

"But the other two?" asked Zaheer with a raised eyebrow. He'd dearly love to have a few moments alone with either one of them, especially the long haired one. He had more than a little anger to work out of his system.

"I'll decide on them later. The one that is assisting to train the troops might be persuaded to continue to work for us easily enough. The other one..." Barton frowned. "I could certainly use his skills with the pilots and mobile suits. I just might have to see if we can't persuade him to see things from our perspective. It would be a shame to lose a talent such as he has."

"And if they refuse?"

"Then you will get your chance, Zaheer."

Zaheer smiled to himself. He had no doubt now that he would get his wish. He simply couldn't see that long haired man joining Barton and his forces, despite anything that Barton might offer him. He began to plan out in his mind exactly what he would do to that long haired shit.

And none of it was pleasant.

With Zaheer contemplating the demise of Duo and Duric, Barton turned to the two senators. "You both know what you are doing?"

"Yes," replied Wainright on behalf of them both.

"Fine. I'll let you know once the Firecell is deployed. From there it will depend on what the ESUN decides to do, either way they will be fucked so it's just a matter of time before we move in and take over."

Wainright rubbed his hands together and smirked. He was looking forward to taking over the ESUN and running it how it should be run.

"Anyone have any questions?" asked Barton, looking over his group.

No one did and the meeting came to an end with everyone leaving and going their respective ways.

* * *

"Preventer Control, this is shuttle PA 221. Launch successful. All systems on line."

"Shuttle PA 221 this is Preventer Control. Will continue to track whilst you are in range. All systems here are a go for your mission. Good luck, agents."

"This is shuttle 221, thanks control. Switching to automatic pilot now. Will see you when we return. Shuttle 221, out."

"Preventer Control, out."

Wufei removed the small head set, pushed a few buttons on the console and then leaned back in his seat. He closed his eyes and took a moment to center himself.

Trowa similarly removed his head set and checked the console, a nod of satisfaction his way of letting anyone who was watching know he was pleased with the results he saw.

Checking over the flight plan and comparing it to the computer plan, Quatre was happy with the navigation system. He also removed his head set and turned to look at his husband and friend. "Guess all we can do now is wait."

"It will take us roughly twenty-eight hours to reach the satellite," Wufei informed. "We will need to keep a constant check on the computer system just in case the Firecell is deployed whilst we are en route."

"I hope that Heero's theory is correct and the file conversion works if Barton does let that thing loose." Quatre shuddered at the thought of being stranded in space with no communication, no power; in fact, not much of anything. It would be a cold and lonely death.

"Do you honestly think that Yuy would have let us leave and go on this mission without back up of some sort?" Wufei questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Actually, I was kind of hoping you would say something like that," Quatre replied. "If I know Heero, he has something up his sleeve."

"That he does." Wufei explained to the pair what Heero had discussed with him prior to their departure.

"Well, I must say that does make me feel a whole lot better, although I'm sure that Heero's on the right track with this converting of the file systems."

"Only time will tell on that," Wufei stated.

"Yes, and that's one thing we don't have a lot of right now," Trowa stated. "Wufei, we need to discuss how and where we will approach the satellite."

Wufei nodded. "We also need to go over the blueprints again and work out our strategy."

"Ah, strategy." The blonde rubbed his hands together. "Shall we adjourn to the mess and talk about this further over some lunch?"

"I think that might be a good idea."

* * *

"Are you okay?"

Duo retched again, eyes closed as his body spasmed, stomach muscles working overtime to expel anything and everything contained within. Duo could have sworn his stomach was also trying to leave his body. When the heaving slowed and stopped, he grabbed the toilet roll and tore several sheets off. Wiping his mouth, he pushed the flush button and moved on wobbly legs to the sink to rinse his mouth out. He'd loved to have cleaned his teeth, but they hadn't been given the luxury of a toothbrush or paste.

He glanced in the mirror and winced at his reflection.

"I think I should call for a medic."

"No!" Duo spat out and looked at Duric through the reflection in the mirror. "I'm fine."

"Doesn't sound or look like it," Duric snapped.

"It's that breakfast crap. It doesn't agree with my stomach," Duo replied. It wasn't really a lie, just a slight stretching of the truth.

"I can sympathize with you there," Duric said. "I don't think it can even be classified as food."

Duo splashed some cold water over his face and felt a little better. Trusting that his insides were going to remain that way – inside - he dried his face and hands on the towel and turned to leave the bathroom. Duric moved aside, allowing Duo to pass and lie on his bunk.

"You sure you're okay? I'm betting they would have a medic of some sort on this floating tin can."

"I said, I'm fine," Duo growled. "There is no need to call a medic or anyone else for that matter. You say one word to anyone and the food is the last thing you will need to worry about killing you. Understand?"

Duric swallowed hard, hearing the promise in the cold tone. "I understand."

"Good."

Five minutes later the door opened to reveal their escorts. Duric left with his, Duo leaving seconds behind him with Tewson as his babysitter.

With a deep sigh, Duo sat down at his console and brought the mobile suit program up on the screen. The senior tech came across and entered the pass codes, allowing Duo access to the system so he could work. Duo didn't bother to let the tech know he'd figured out the pass codes already.

With the program on screen, Duo did his best to ignore his now hungry stomach and set to work.

* * *

Rubbing at his tired eyes, Heero scowled at the computer. "This is going to take ages," he muttered.

He'd been working on the file conversion for six hours straight, not including the four hours he'd spent converting the basic shuttle fleet files. He was tired, cranky, hungry and wanted his husband back; not necessarily in that order either. He lifted up the mug of coffee and drank the last of the liquid down.

The doors to the data room opened and Heero didn't bother to look up.

"Ah, Une said I'd find you here."

Weary cobalt turned to look up as the woman spoke and approached. "Sally," Heero acknowledged.

Sally pulled over a chair and sat down, dropping a paper packet to the desk top. Eying the packet, Heero frowned and then looked to Sally for an explanation.

"I spoke with Chang this morning. He said you were having trouble sleeping."

Heero's face darkened.

"Don't look at me like that, it doesn't work," Sally scolded. "Wufei was right in coming to me. He's concerned for you, Heero. Look, what I'm doing isn't completely against Preventer policy, but I'm still sticking my neck out for you here. By rights I should be informing Une of what I'm prescribing and also dragging you into my office for a full medical assessment as your commanding officer is concerned for your health. However, I'm well aware of the circumstances surrounding your current state and if you promise me you will take the pills to get some decent sleep and try to eat more, I promise not to inform Une of the prescription."

Heero weighed up the doctor's words. He really didn't have much of a choice in the matter. "Okay, I'll take the damn pills."

"Good. Heero, this is for your own good you know. Once Duo is located you are going to need to be at full capacity; if you keep going the way you are, when the time comes you won't be an asset but a liability."

"I know, it's just that it's..." Heero broke off, the words choking him.

"I know it's hard, Heero. I'm worried too, we all are. You already know there is every possibility that he could be pregnant again and I don't need to tell you what a risk that is. Aside from the very real danger to his health, there is also the risk of his unusual make up being discovered, and we both know how devastating that would be."

"I just want him back, Sally. Safe and sound in my arms," Heero whispered.

"So do I, Heero. So do I."

The pair sat in silence for a while, Heero checking on the status of the conversion and Sally simply letting herself try to relax and not think about all the things that could go wrong with Duo's pregnancy this time. There was one question niggling at the back of her mind though and she knew she would have to ask it sooner or later. She decided that now was probably as good a time as any. "Heero?"

"Hai?"

"This is a very personal question, but I do need to try and get an answer for it."

Heero raised an eyebrow. "I will try to answer if I can."

"It's regarding Duo's possible pregnancy. I'm sure that you both fully understood the risks involved with Duo falling pregnant again so soon after having had Keitaro?"

"Hai, we did."

"Then aside from the obvious, how the hell would he have managed to get pregnant again?"

Heero closed his eyes momentarily and thought long and hard. Opening his eyes, he fixed his gaze on the doctor. "I have no answer for that, Sally. We did do everything you told us to. When we knew it was possible that Duo could be... Ummm... fertile, we either switched roles or used protection."

Knowing the man was uncomfortable with the conversation, Sally did her best to make it as easy as she could for him. "I'm sorry to be asking, Heero, but I need to know so I can figure out just how far along Duo would be if he is pregnant." She didn't dare mention all the other concerns she had to go with that.

Sighing, Heero did his best to squash his embarrassment. "I do understand why you are doing this and I appreciate your concerns. It's like I said, we either switched roles or used protection."

"What sort of protection did you use?" Heero's cheeks had started to pink up and Sally felt a twinge of pain in her heart for putting him through this.

"Aa. We used condoms," Heero replied, his cheeks feeling awfully warm.

"I see." Sally frowned. It would appear that the guys had listened to her and done the right thing, following her advice; but it still didn't change the fact there was a very real possibility that Agent Night was out there, being held hostage and unaware of his condition.

"I still have a couple of the condoms in the box at home if you wish for me to bring them in for you to check," Heero said, his voice sarcastic and breaking into Sally's thoughts.

Still preoccupied with her thoughts, Sally missed the sarcasm. "Okay, you can do that although I really don't think it's going to make all that much difference," she said. "Heero, how long until Wufei and the others reach the satellite they're investigating?" Whilst she wasn't an agent as such, Sally was still the head of the medical wing and as her position dictated, she was kept informed of all missions taking place so should she be needed she could respond quickly with the appropriate medical assistance.

It also helped that one of the agents - Wufei to be precise - just happened to be her boyfriend. Not that the agent would give her much in the way of details as a rule. This time though, Wufei had kept Sally up to speed on the investigation, feeling the woman deserved to know as she was not just Duo's doctor, but a close friend as well. Sally knew of Duo's missing status as she'd assisted in the early stages of this investigation to try and track him down. Unfortunately with no luck

"They should be closing in on it around evening tomorrow," Heero replied. "The shuttle they are using is a new one and capable of moving pretty fast."

"I see. How much longer do you intend to stay here?"

Heero glanced at the clock. "I guess I should be going home." Although it was a good couple of hours past his usual finish time, Heero wasn't looking forward to going home. Yes he did want to see his son and spend some time with the child, but it was afterward, once Keitaro was asleep that the true impact of Duo's absence really hit home. There was no idle chatter, no sunny smile or loud laughter and only a cold, empty bed to crawl into.

"Go home, Heero. Eat something, take a shower and see your son. Take the pills with you and take two tonight when you retire. I've checked them against your resistance and they should work okay. They won't completely knock you out, but they will make you drowsy enough that you should fall asleep by yourself."

"Okay. I'll need to finish setting this up though to continue with the conversions during the night."

"I'll go get my stuff and wait for you. You can walk me to the car park."

Heero was too tired to argue.

* * *

"Your daddy's home," Nurse Brown told the infant as she picked up the last of the toys and put them into the toy box.

Closing the door behind him, Heero tossed his keys to the small table in the hallway and picking up his briefcase, walked towards the lounge room where he could hear his son gurgling away. A soft smile graced his lips as he spotted the child attempting to crawl across the floor, the nurse watching intently.

"Any news?" asked Nurse Brown, turning for a moment to make eye contact before once again concentrating on the child.

"Nothing new," Heero replied and then stepped into the room properly. Keitaro heard his father's voice and immediately changed his crawling direction. Heero bent to pick the infant up and cradle him close to his chest. Taking a seat and sitting the child on his knees, Heero spoke quietly. "Wufei, Trowa and Quatre are on their way to the suspect satellite to check it out."

"I see. I sincerely hope they find some trace of that husband of yours. He needs to be found as soon as possible," the nurse said with a frown.

"You don't have to tell me that," replied Heero.

"I'm sure they will be able to locate him soon. There has to be a clue somewhere."

"There's probably a ton of clues, we just haven't found them yet," Heero sighed.

"You will," said Nurse Brown with more conviction than she felt. "Now, how about some dinner?"

* * *

"Everything okay?" Trowa asked as he entered the cockpit of the shuttle and sat in the copilot's chair.

"So far, so good," Wufei replied and placed the clipboard back in its holder.

The pair stared out through the window at the inky blackness surrounding them, lost to the deadly beauty of space.

"You okay with the plans?"

"Yes. It all seems logical to me," replied Wufei.

Silence reigned again, each thinking about their discussion and decisions from earlier. They had a pretty clear plan of what they were going to do, well, at least for the most part anyway.

As they drew nearer to the satellite they would engage the cloaking device and adopt complete radio silence. It was agreed to scope out the satellite from the air first, look for any outward signs of activity and also select an appropriate place to land. Once they were down they would suit up, playing it safe until they knew what the life support systems were like, and set out to scour the satellite for any signs at all of anyone's presence.

They would carry a palm top with them in which the satellite's blueprints had been downloaded. That way they could search the multiple levels as quickly and efficiently as possible.

"What do you think we will find there?" Wufei asked.

"I'm pretty sure we will find some evidence that people have been there recently. Whether it was to deliver goods, process materials or something else. If they are still there, it will be a bonus."

"And Maxwell?"

"All I can do is hope my hunch is correct in regards to the materials; and given the other evidence we have, If the materials were there or are still there, then I think we will find more leads to where Duo is."

Wufei returned his gaze to the black void, speaking quietly as he did so. "I sincerely hope you are right, my friend."

* * *

"Well done," said the head tech as he checked Duo's work on the mobile suit programming.

Duo opted to say nothing.

"Excellent work. The programming is almost finished. I'd say one more day and the program will be completed which should work out perfectly for the pilots."

"He finished then?" asked Young with an incline of his head in Duo's direction.

"Yes, yes. He's finished for today. Take him back if you wish. I'll need to find Barton and let him know we should be ready for the pilots to take the suits for their test runs and see how the suit programming holds up somewhere late tomorrow afternoon."

"Move it," Young snapped and shoved Duo in the back.

Whirling around on instinct, Duo's arm and fist was moving before he registered it. The blow caught Young in the solar plexus, knocking the wind completely out of him. Immediately Duo was surrounded by guards, guns aimed at his head. Lowering his head, Duo backed off a touch, the snarl still on his face.

"You'll pay for that," Young growled and aimed a blow for Duo's midsection.

Somehow, Duo managed to twist slightly and the blow caught him on his side, just above his hip. It was followed by another to the face and Duo tasted the metallic flavor of blood.

"Now, fucking move!" Young hissed and aimed a gun at Duo's head.

With nothing left to do but obey, Duo shuffled away from the console and back to his prison.

~ * ~

tbc...


	72. Chapter 72

**Many thanks for the kind reviews!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 72

[Preventer Shuttle 221]

There wasn't a whole lot to do on a shuttle when flying through space. The auto pilot had everything under control and all systems were working perfectly fine. The three had discussed their options several times over, studied the blue prints of the satellite and still agreed on their original course of action.

Wufei had programmed the computer to alert them when they came just short of radar detection of the satellite, that way they could engage the cloaking device and avoid being detected should there prove to be anyone present on the satellite.

It was a shame they couldn't cloak themselves Quatre had commented.

Trowa wondered how long it would be before technology caught up enough to actually do that. Many things that had seemed impossible several years ago were now proving to be the opposite. Technology was advancing all the time and Trowa was unsure if that was a good thing or not.

With the rations aboard the shuttle, Trowa had done a wonderful job and created a dinner that was not only edible, but delicious too.

"You should seriously consider sacking your chef and replacing him with Trowa," Wufei had commented again.

"We've already had that conversation, Wufei and I do not plan on letting Andre` go. Trowa has already made it perfectly clear he does not wish to be doing all the cooking," Quatre replied. "Although there are times when I wish he would reconsider." The blonde's eyes closed a touch as he savored the taste of the sauce on his tongue.

"If you ask me, Barton is wasted as a temporary agent or business aide," huffed Wufei.

"I'm flattered and honored, Wufei, but as Quatre said, I have no desire to remain chained to a stove for the foreseeable future."

"Such a waste."

"I can still cook whenever I feel the urge," Trowa defended.

"Then I sincerely hope you get the urge at every mealtime whilst on this mission." Wufei declined to say anything more, concentrating on finishing his meal.

Once dinner was over and done with, the dishes cleaned and put away, Wufei checked their course again and then returned to the mess to find his partners engaged in a game of cards.

"Care for a game before we retire for the evening?" asked Quatre.

"As long as we're not playing 'snap'," came the reply.

Quatre chuckled. "Actually, what about poker?"

"Fine with me."

"Are we playing for money or chocolates?" asked Trowa as he checked the depleted state of the packet of chocolate M & M's he'd brought with him. "Forget that question, I think we'd better play for cash, I'm just about out of chocolate."

"That's okay with me. What about you, Wufei?" asked Quatre, shuffling the cards.

"No problem."

Three hours later...

"Three kings and a pair of twos," smirked Trowa and swept his hand around the cash in the center of the table.

Wufei groaned. "How the fuck did he do that? I'm all cleaned out." He looked to where a couple of dollar bills remained at his side and then to Winner who wasn't in much of a better state, having roughly five dollars left in his 'kitty'.

Trowa felt quite smug; he'd scored roughly sixty dollars from the pair.

"Think yourself lucky you weren't playing strip poker with him," muttered Quatre.

Wufei's eyes widened a touch and he swallowed. "I think I will retire for the evening. I'll just go and put in a call to HQ first and check on the navigation and auto pilot." Chang bowed as he stood and then left the pair alone to finish cleaning up.

"You had a lucky streak tonight," remarked Quatre as he packed the cards away.

Trowa shrugged and continued to put the bills away in his wallet. He didn't dare tell his lover that the perspex behind where Wufei and Quatre had been sitting had acted just like a mirror and allowed him to see what cards the pair had been dealt. It wasn't cheating - just taking advantage of a situation.

"Come on, let's go to bed."

With another smirk, Trowa followed his husband out of the mess and along to where the sleeping quarters were.

"Preventer HQ this is Agent Fire." Wufei waited patiently for a reply as Preventer would be running on skeleton staff considering it was the evening back on earth. His patience was soon rewarded when a crackling came down the line followed by a voice.

"Agent Fire, this is Agent Oak. We read you loud and clear."

Wufei gave a soft sigh of relief and then spoke with the other agent, confirming they were still on course and all was going according to plan so far. He inquired after Heero and the file conversion, being informed that Agent Day was still in the process of changing the files systems. No further information in relation to their current case was available so Wufei closed the call after confirming they would make contact again at 09:00 hours earth time the following morning unless something unexpected were to happen in the meantime.

The auto pilot was still running perfectly, the navigation system spot on and a quick run down of the computer system showed that all was operating normally. Having set the alarms to alert them should anything at all change, Wufei retired for the evening.

* * *

[Mansion]

Tucking the blanket firmly around his son, Heero wound up the small mobile and left the child to sleep. He pulled the door partially closed and after one last peek into the room, walked down the hall and stairs to the kitchen to make a cup of tea.

With his mug in hand, Heero walked towards the back door, Miracle right behind him. She wasn't letting Heero out of her sight. Opening the door and stepping outside, Heero smiled at the dog. "It's okay, Miracle. Go do your business and I'll wait right here."

Since Duo's disappearance, Miracle had been rather clingy towards Heero, not that he could blame the dog. Not knowing if her master was coming back any time soon she was reluctant to lose sight of Heero just in case he vanished too!

Whilst he waited for the dog, Heero sipped at his tea and glanced skywards. The night sky was clear of clouds, letting the stars shine through and they twinkled like tiny diamonds. His practiced eye soon picked up on the slowly moving object know as L2 and tracked its slow progress across the evening landscape. A soft whine and wet nose pushing at his hand brought him back to reality.

"What is it, girl?" Heero asked as he fondled the dog's ears.

Miracle looked at him with liquid eyes.

Placing his mug on the small patio table, Heero crouched beside the dog and wrapped his arms around her neck, Miracle whining softly and licking along the side of his face. Burying his face in the warm fur, Heero let the sob escape.

"Oh, god, Miracle. What am I going to do if I can't find him? I miss him so much, I don't think I could live without him."

Miracle whimpered quietly and pushed closer to her human. She knew something was terribly wrong and she could sense it was to do with her missing master; but she didn't know how she could fix it. All she could do was offer her companionship.

Heero held onto the warm comfort of the dog for a little while longer, letting the storm of emotions rise and fall, and then settle once more. Feeling a little calmer, he released the dog and scrubbed at his face with his hands. Turning his sad, blue eyes to the heavens, he whispered, "Where are you, Duo?"

* * *

[Satellite XRB 23]

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Duo did his best to control the nausea that wanted to surface. He was dreading the arrival of the breakfast tray. So far he'd managed to avoid Duric's questions, pretending there was nothing wrong and he wasn't going to ruin the show if he could help it.

He really didn't need Duric insisting he see a medic; that would pose too many problems.

He'd narrowly avoided Duric calling the medic the previous evening when he'd returned. Unfortunately for Duo, Duric was already 'home' when he arrived. The other man had waited until their captors had left before letting fly with the questions. Ignoring the other man, Duo had shuffled into the bathroom to take a look at the damage himself.

His cheek bone was swollen and starting to turn a few interesting shades of black and purple. Blood lay spattered across the front of his t-shirt from the split in his lip, but that wasn't what concerned Duo the most. Gingerly he lifted the hem of the shirt and let his fingers explore his abdomen. He winced as he made contact with a sore spot just to the side of his hip bone. He swallowed hard, realizing just how close Young had come to actually landing the blow to his gut.

There would be bruising, but Duo could cope with that. He was just grateful that Young hadn't connected with his midsection. If any harm had come to the fetus he suspected he was carrying, there would be more than a blood bath on this floating piece of tin.

Having flat out refused Duric calling a medic, Duo had reluctantly allowed the other man to help him clean his face up a little bit. He'd not mentioned the blow to his hip area – and had no intention of doing so either.

The door to the room opened and a tray was shoved inside, the door closing quickly. With Duric still in the bathroom, Duo got up and picked up the breakfast tray. Placing it on the bed, he took a quick look at what was on offer, making sure to hold his breath and avoid inhaling the aroma as that usually set his stomach off.

This time he was lucky.

There was only toast, (a little burnt), a small packet of butter and jam on the tray along with two cups of watery tea. Duo wondered if they'd used the same tea bag in both cups. So far his stomach was behaving so Duo decided to take a chance and sipped at the tea.

It did have a soothing effect despite the soreness of his lip and after a few more swallows he felt up to trying a piece of toast. Just a thin scraping of butter went on and Duo brought it to his mouth, chewing and swallowing as best he could around the soreness of his lip and cheek. He waited for the food to hit his stomach. Aside from a slight queasiness that he managed to suppress, he felt okay.

"I see breakfast has arrived," Duric noted, stepping out from the bathroom. "What has the gourmet chef sent us today?"

"Bread, a-la well done," Duo replied and held up a piece of the slightly black toast.

"Better than the rubber balls they tried to pass off as boiled eggs," Duric muttered and took a slice. He slathered the butter and jam on as thickly as he could to disguise the burnt taste. "Iced tea?" he questioned as he lifted the mug to his lips and took a drink.

"It was warm when it arrived," Duo replied and drained the remaining tea from his own mug and finishing off his toast.

"How's the lip and cheek?"

"Fine," Duo scowled.

Noting the look on Duo's face, Duric changed topics. "I don't think it will be much longer before Barton is ready to make his move."

"How is it coming with the army?"

"Hopeless lot. I'm pretty much guessing that what you said about them is true. They don't appear to want to work together. Oh, they give the appearance of cooperating, but seriously, when the pressure is on I'm betting they will be out to look after number one."

"Good. At least then it will be easier to pick them off."

"What about your side?"

"Programing is all complete. I think I recall something being said about the pilots taking the suits out for a test run or something today." Duo shrugged his shoulders.

Duric scratched his chin for a moment, locked in thought. Moments later he spoke again. "Supposing you do manage to screw up this guy's mobile suits, and supposing the army falls apart, Barton will still have released his Firecell thing with catastrophic results. Even if you do manage to stop him, what will happen in regards to that Firecell? Can its consequences be reversed? Will the entire populace, earth and colonies be returned to the stone age as you put it?"

Duo paused and thought long and hard on that. He'd not really thought much at all beyond stopping Barton. If the Firecell was deployed, would they be able to reverse the damage, return everything to the way it was before? He frowned. "I hadn't really thought about it," he confessed. "I'd kind of hoped to stop Barton before it's released."

"Well, I've got news for you, buddy. It's becoming a very real fact that this Firecell will probably be deployed before you can stop it and someone seriously needs to consider what the fuck is going to happen afterward."

Duric did have a point, Duo conceded, although what exactly could be done about it was anyone's guess. He really didn't know a whole lot about the intricacies of the whole Firecell thing to be able to predict what could happen when Barton was stopped. That's presuming they could still stop him.

Duo longed for some way to be able to contact Heero or Preventer. Unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen any time soon. For now, Duo would have to be content to bide his time, do all he could from his end to stop Barton and hope to hell Heero had managed to get some of his clues. And if he had, that Preventer was doing something from their end to stop Barton too.

Yeah, and his chances of winning the lottery were probably better.

The door opened bringing an end to any further conversation or thoughts.

Duric disappeared one way and Duo found himself with Peterson as his babysitter. They exited the room, Peterson looking curiously at Duo's multi-colored cheek but declining to say anything, and that suited Duo just fine. They walked down familiar corridors for a short while before Peterson stopped.

"Down here," he said and gestured to the right.

"That's not the way to the programming room," Duo stated.

"We're not going there," snapped Peterson. "Move!"

Reluctantly, Duo walked down the indicated corridor, following Peterson's directions. Within moments they arrived at their destination.

"What the fuck?" Duo stopped dead in his tracks and stared. They had entered a small room and then stepped out onto a sort of gangway that went all the way around a larger, open area. The gangway was roughly three quarters the way up and in the center of the open space stood a simulator.

A mobile suit simulator.

"Ah, Mr Maxwell. So kind of you to join us."

Duo's head turned sharply to the left. Approaching him were Barton and that Zaheer guy. His eyes narrowed. The skin on the back of his neck began to prickle and Duo knew that whatever it was that was coming, he wasn't going to like it.

* * *

[Preventer Shuttle 221]

"Morning, Wufei," Quatre greeted as the dark haired agent stepped into the small mess area. "I have tea brewed if you would like some?"

"Good morning and thank you," replied Wufei and sat himself down. A cup of steaming tea was set in front of him and Wufei sniffed the aroma, his eyes sliding shut with appreciation.

"Did you sleep well?"

"As well as can be expected. And you?"

"Fine, thank you; although I had thought the gravity might have been an issue." Quatre placed his mug on the table.

"It doesn't take long for your body to adjust to the slight difference between the earth gravity and the slightly less gravitation of the shuttle," replied Wufei.

"Once a spacer, always a spacer I guess," chuckled Quatre. "I'm glad you said you would leave the gravitational field on though, makes everything a bit easier, especially eating and drinking."

"Where is Barton?"

"He's in the cockpit checking that everything is still programmed and functioning."

"Ah. I'll go check also. I need to contact HQ too and see if there have been any new developments." Wufei stood and picked up his cup to take with him.

"I'll see what I can find and make breakfast." Quatre moved from the mess into the small galley and began his quest for said breakfast as the Chinese agent headed for the cockpit.

A shadow darkened the doorway and Trowa looked up from his perusal of the gauges and dials to see who was there. Noting Wufei's presence, he turned his attention back to the instrument panel.

Stepping in and taking up residence in the pilot's seat, Wufei began his own perusal of the instrument panel and the log book that held all the information on their flight plan, how far they'd come and how the shuttle was performing. Finding nothing amiss, he left Trowa to continue working out their estimated time of arrival at the satellite and put in his call to HQ.

"Preventer HQ, this is shuttle 221, do you read?"

There were several bursts of static down the line and Wufei had to repeat himself anther three times before a voice came back through the headset.

"Preventer shuttle 221, this is Agent Forest. We read you."

Wufei exchanged the necessary information with communications, giving them a readout on their current location, speed and all other relevant data before asking if there had been any further developments. Forest couldn't give him anything new, nothing had changed since their departure and after a few more words, Wufei disconnected.

Trowa glanced up at the agent and raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing new to report," Wufei replied to the unasked question. "Winner is getting breakfast, I suggest we go eat and after we need to check the suits for any signs of wear. I don't want to be caught on a satellite that doesn't have life support working and find I have a couple of busted stitches."

Emerald eyes widened. "Shit!"

"Did you forget about the suits?" Wufei asked. It was unusual for Barton not to think of checking their space suits, it was one of the first things drummed into them.

"No, not the suits. You said Quatre was getting breakfast."

"That's right."

"Crap. Trust me, Wufei. If Quatre's cooking breakfast then a couple of busted stitches will be the least of your worries."

"Surely he's not that bad."

"He's the only person I know that can burn water. He's a disaster in the kitchen. You'll be needing life support of a different kind."

Wufei swallowed. "Maybe we should go and intervene?"

"I think that could be beneficial to the pair of us."

Both Trowa and Wufei bolted from the cockpit and headed for the galley.

"They must be hungrier than I thought," Quatre muttered to himself as he heard the rapidly approaching footsteps. He turned just as the pair entered the mess, aiming directly for the door to the galley. "Umm... Hi guys. Breakfast is just about ready."

Trowa shot through the door looking wildly around. Wufei grabbed the fire extinguisher off the mess bulkhead to back up the other agent

"Err... Guys? What's wrong?"

Coming to a halt, both men looked around, Trowa fully expecting to find the galley a complete disaster area. Wufei wasn't sure what to expect.

"Wufei said you were cooking breakfast," Trowa stated, eyes still scanning around.

"I said I would get breakfast ready," Quatre returned and then waved his hand in the direction of the table in the mess.

Upon the table sat three bowls, a jug of milk and a box of cereal.

"Ah."

* * *

[Satellite XRB 23]

Staring wide eyed at the simulator, Duo swallowed and then shifted his gaze to Barton.

"As you can see, it is a mobile suit simulator."

"I'm not blind!" snapped Duo.

"Watch your mouth," Zaheer snarled and gave Duo a glare that promised pain.

Duo took no notice; he'd survived Heero's glares.

"You are no doubt wondering what this simulator could possibly have to do with you." Barton stated and watched Duo's reaction.

Keeping his face neutral, Duo declined to answer. He was worried though and _had_ been thinking exactly that.

"Let me enlighten you." Barton moved towards a series of consoles, Peterson pushing Duo in the back to get him to move and follow. It was your standard set up for a simulator.

"The programing that you have done for the mobile suits needs to be tested. I'm not about to send my pilots out there into space in suits that could possibly be faulty should you have managed to slip anything past the programmers."

Duo snorted. "How could anyone have done anything at all to the program, let alone myself with everyone breathing down my neck?"

"Then this shouldn't worry you in the least," Barton smirked.

"What shouldn't?"

"Mr Maxwell, you will enter the simulator and run the suit and program through all the situations that will be presented to you. Part of the simulation will require you to use your own skills, other parts the doll will take over." Barton turned back to the console and pushed a few buttons. The hatch on the simulator opened.

"And if I refuse?" Duo questioned.

Zaheer pulled out a gun and leveled it at Duo's forehead.

"I don't think you have any choice," stated Barton. "Zaheer, assist Peterson to take Mr. Maxwell and strap him in the simulator."

Duo found himself being shoved once again and with a growl, he walked along the catwalk and down the stairs to the floor of the room. With Zaheer's gun still trained on him, he entered the simulator and strapped himself in. The cockpit door closed and he found himself in a world of darkness for a moment before the circuit boards began to hum and the fire up sequence started.

Back at the control console, Barton pushed several buttons and typed in commands to the computer. The simulator fired up along with the small screens that would allow those operating the console to see the same scenario as the pilot in the simulator.

"Now we will see just how well this program can perform." Barton typed in the command and the program began to run.

~ * ~

tbc...


	73. Chapter 73

**Many thanks to all of you who are reading and warm hugs for the kind reviews.**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 73

[Mansion]

Nurse Brown looked up as Heero walked into the kitchen and frowned at the state of the young man. There were still shadows beneath his eyes and his cheeks were beginning to take on a gaunt look. His unruly hair was even more unkempt if that were possible and he'd also lost a lot of weight.

"How did you sleep?" Margaret asked as she fetched a mug of coffee for the young man.

"Okay," Heero replied. "Sally gave me some sleeping pills to take to try and help."

"And did they?" The coffee was placed before Heero who wearily took it and began to sip at the hot liquid.

"A little," he replied honestly.

"What you need is a good meal inside you," Margaret announced and proceeded to shuffle about the kitchen.

Heero didn't dare argue. He sat at the table and watched the woman potter about. Even though she only had minimal use of her left hand, she was pretty skilled at working around that problem. Within the space of a few minutes there was a plate of bacon, eggs and pancakes in front of him.

"Eat," commanded the nurse. "I want to see that plate clean." Sitting back down, Margaret resumed her own breakfast.

Heero really didn't feel like eating what the nurse had cooked up for him; not that there was anything wrong with her cooking. He simply didn't feel he could stomach much. But the thought of the nurse's wrath was a far stronger deterrent so reluctantly, Heero picked up his knife and fork and began to eat.

Margaret smiled to herself. Whilst Heero obviously didn't really want to eat, his body needed to and he seemed to be more worried about her than forcing the food down. Finishing her own breakfast, she carried the plate to the sink. "I'll go check on Keitaro," she said. "I'll be back shortly." Fixing Heero with her steely gaze, she added. "And don't think about slipping any of the food to Miracle either. Barney is watching."

"I wouldn't do that," Heero replied in a shocked tone, although his cheeks did tinge pink a touch as he had thought about it, but the nurse didn't need to know that.

"Barney want a cracker!" demanded the bird from his perch on the back of one of the kitchen chairs.

"Keep an eye on him, Barney," Margaret said and then left the kitchen.

Barney ruffled his feathers and fixed Heero with his beady eyes. "Pretty boy, give us a kiss."

Miracle sat at Heero's side and gave a soft whine. Heero dropped a hand to the dog's head and stroked her ears.

"Naughty boy, naughty boy," Barney sang.

"I haven't _done_ anything!" Heero snapped in defense.

"Ohh, tetchy,"

Heero aimed one of his best glares at the bird.

Barney wasn't bothered in the least. "Fuck off," he chirped.

"No more peanuts for you," Heero countered.

Barney fluffed his feathers then flew across the kitchen to sit on Heero's shoulder. He snuggled up against Heero's ear and began to nibble lightly on it. "Pretty boy," he chirruped.

"I've got news for you, Barney. That won't work on me."

The weiro seemed to huff, but stopped nibbling at Heero's ear and contented himself with sitting on Heero's shoulder and watching everything from there. Heero resumed his breakfast and did sneak a couple of bits to Miracle, much to the dog's delight.

He'd almost finished when Nurse Brown stepped back into the kitchen, Keitaro in her arms. Heero's face lit up at the sight of his son and leaving his breakfast, he reached for the infant and set him in his high chair after sharing a cuddle whilst the nurse fixed Keitaro's breakfast.

Resuming the last of his meal, Heero watched as Nurse Brown fed Keitaro his baby cereal.

"Are you back at headquarters today?" Margaret asked.

"Hai. I've still got several systems to convert," replied Heero.

"When will you hear anything from the other three?"

"I'm not sure. They should reach the satellite sometime this evening our time." Heero knew he could discuss this with Nurse Brown and it wouldn't go any further. Despite it being classified, the nurse was a part of it all and she deserved to know. Besides, Heero knew if he didn't keep the nurse updated she would get her information from Sally anyway.

"Please keep me informed as to what is happening?" Margaret requested.

"I'll be sure to let you know once the other three call in and I have something to pass on."

"Thank you."

Heero finished the remainder of his breakfast and despite it being an effort to get the food down, he did feel better for it. Collecting his briefcase and jacket, Heero kissed his son goodbye and left for work.

* * *

[Satellite XRB 23]

The screen before him lit up and the machine hummed to life. Duo gripped the controls, felt for and found the foot pedals just as the program began to run. He wasn't a stranger to simulators, having spent quite a bit of time in them during his training for piloting Deathscythe. He knew it would be tough and stressful on his body; all he could do though was try to keep the simulator as smooth as possible, hope his body could take it and pray to any god listening that the code he'd put in from the professor would continue to remain silent.

Alarms began to ring and he focused on the screens. Suits were coming at him from every angle, weapons drawn and ready to strike. A quick inventory showed he had a thermal sword and a buster rifle. No where near the size of the one Wing Zero had used, but it would be enough for him.

He snorted when the thermal sword flared to life. "More like a damn toothpick," he muttered and swung to defend himself.

The suits on screen were swarming around him, weapons slicing through the air as they pressed their attack.

Duo took a deep breath and centered himself. A glint appeared in his eye as he let the darkness within surface. His head shot up, hands gripped the controls tight and his mouth opened in a feral scream. "Come on you bastards! Lets see what you've got!" he roared and then threw himself into the battle.

"Fucking hell!" swore Peterson from where he stood watching with the other two.

"He wasn't a Gundam Pilot for nothing," Barton smirked.

Zaheer watched intently and felt a knot of fear spark in his gut. The look on the young pilot's face was nothing short of unholy.

"Now you see why I want to keep him. He would be very useful in training the pilots once we have the earth and colonies under our control. With suit pilots trained by him, we will have the ultimate deterrent should anyone think about rebelling."

Neither of the two men could argue with that.

The three continued to watch the simulator battle, Duo ducking, weaving and twirling about as he wielded his weapons and took out the attacking suits.

"Now let's see what happens when the doll program kicks in," Barton said and typed a few commands into the console.

Inside the simulator, Duo was breathing harshly. It had been some time since he'd piloted a suit and whilst he was in reasonable shape, he wasn't fit for this kind of exertion. He still wasn't back to his usual level of fitness since having carried and delivered Keitaro, a fact that was becoming painfully evident to him now.

He felt the machine take over and as much as his instincts screamed at him not to, he relinquished the control. He sent a silent prayer that the hidden code would remain hidden. With the doll now doing the fighting for him, he took the chance to assess his physical state and recover as best he could.

Right now his main priority was the small life he was sure he carried within. Doing his best to remain secure within the harness and not alert those he knew would be watching, Duo closed his eyes momentarily and breathed deep. He let his mind wander over his body, starting with his feet and working upwards. Aside from the soreness there wasn't any major concerns that he could determine at this stage. His abdomen was fairly well protected, the harness not pressing on it in any way but keeping him from being jolted around too much.

He didn't get a chance to dwell any longer though as the doll program cut out and the manual kicked back in.

"Here we go again," he muttered and took a firm hold of the control sticks, pivoting and then firing off his rifle.

After observing for a few more minutes, Barton gave a smirk. "I think that will be enough. The program is obviously running well enough and no flaws or extras that I can see. I think it would be safe to allow the pilots to take the suits out and give them a test run in space."

Turning away from his companions, Barton typed in his commands and the simulator came to a halt, the program stopped and the shut down sequence began.

"Fetch him," Barton commanded, Peterson jumping to attention and moving to the simulator to do as asked.

Releasing the hatch, he gave Duo a hand to release the harness and then assisted the man out of the machine.

Duo was grateful to be out and breathe the recycled air. He ached from head to toe and had the beginnings of a headache.

"Boss wants to see you," Peterson informed.

With a weary sigh, Duo walked towards the console where Barton and Zaheer waited.

"Nicely done," Barton congratulated. "After that performance I can see that the program is quite efficient."

Duo just snorted. "Now that you have what you wanted from me, any chance you can drop me off at a nearby colony? I'm sure I can make my way home from there."

"Who said I was finished with you?"

"I've done what you asked and programmed your dolls!"

"And as soon as I let you go you'll be running to the Preventers. I don't think so. Besides, I have another job for you. Your skills as a pilot are most impressive. You will assist in training my suit pilots."

Duo shook his head. "No."

The click of a safety being released sounded beside his left ear and Duo swallowed.

"That, Mr Maxwell, was an order. You _will_ train my pilots or Zaheer _will_ eliminate you. The choice is yours."

"Don't suppose I can sleep on it and give you an answer in the morning?"

Stars suddenly exploded in his skull as Zaheer clocked him one from behind with the butt of the gun.

"Your answer?" Barton prodded again.

"Haven't got much of a choice, have I?" Duo snarled.

"Good. I knew you would see things from my point of view. Take him back to his room," Barton said.

"Move," Peterson snapped and shoved Duo from behind.

"I'm fucking moving already," growled Duo and rubbed tenderly at the knot that was forming on the back of his head as his mind tried to find a way out of this nightmare.

Barton turned to Zaheer. "Let the pilots work with their suits this afternoon. Tomorrow I will release the Firecell."

* * *

[Preventer Shuttle 221]

A soft, persistent beeping drew Wufei from his meditation. As he rose up from deep within his meditative state, his mind registered the noise that had disturbed him and he frowned, trying to figure out what it was.

"We're coming within range of the satellite's radar," came the voice from the doorway.

Wufei looked up to see Barton standing there. "Ah. I will meet you in the cockpit in just a moment."

Nodding, Trowa left, collecting Quatre on his way.

After taking a moment to center himself, Wufei rose and made his way to the cockpit.

"I have HQ on the line," Quatre informed as Wufei stepped into the small area.

"Thank you." Wufei slipped on his head set. "This is Agent Fire. We are approaching the target and preparing to engage the cloaking device."

"Agent Fire, this is Agent Sun. Commander's orders are to proceed as planned. No new information for you at this point."

"Roger that, Sun. Will proceed as planned."

"Contact HQ once arrival is confirmed and report any and all findings."

"Our ETA is three hours given our current speed. Will advise when we have landed and then once we have exited the shuttle."

"Commander's orders are for you to report in within two hours of your deployment. Failure to contact within three hours and we will deem the mission compromised."

"Roger that. Anything else?"

"Yes. Good luck."

Behind him, Wufei could hear the soft chuckle that came from Winner. He also had a head set on and obviously had heard the conversation. "Thank you, Sun. Agent Fire, out."

"Preventer communications, out."

"Cloaking system is all fired up and ready to engage," Trowa informed Wufei.

"Engage device now."

"Engaging."

The shuttle gave a soft hum and the vibrations changed slightly, the only indications that the cloaking device was working. For anyone who may have been in the area to observe, one minute the shuttle was there, the next it shimmered and faded from view.

"Cloaking device engaged." Trowa sat back and let out a small puff of air.

"I suggest we prepare ourselves for the mission ahead," said Wufei and stood up. "Suits first, then all the equipment."

Trowa and Quatre silently followed the Chinese agent to the shuttle's hold.

* * *

[Preventer Headquarters]

"How is it coming along?"

Looking up from the console he was working at, Heero noted the commander standing there. Pushing back from the desk, Heero turned in his seat to fully face the woman. "It's taking time, but we are making some progress," he replied.

"Good. How much longer?"

"At least another forty-eight hours. I've got a back up program running right now along with the conversion program and that is slowing things a little."

"Why the back up program? The system automatically backs itself up each night," Une stated.

"I know, but it backs up into another file area on the main frame. The main frame is constantly running and if this Firecell is released then the back up system will also be affected. I don't have the time right now to convert all that too, so I'm putting in a temporary measure," Heero informed.

Une raised an eyebrow. "Elaborate," she requested.

"I'm backing up the entire system to a separate drive. It won't take too much longer and once complete I will disconnect it. Should the Firecell be deployed before I have a chance to completely convert the system, or should the new file system become corrupt under this Firecell, I will still have the entire Preventer files safe on this drive. Then once we figure out how to stop the Firecell I can reinstate the Preventer system."

Whilst there was more to it than that, Une got the basic picture of what Heero was saying. "Good move, Agent Day. I admit, I didn't think of that."

Heero shrugged.

"Agent Sun has been in contact with the shuttle."

Immediately Heero's attention focused fully on Une. "And?"

"They are about to engage the cloaking device and prepare to approach the satellite. ETA is in roughly three hours. Fire will contact us again once they have landed and are ready to commence their recon."

"I see."

"I will send someone to fetch you when it is getting closer to their expected contact."

"Arigato."

"Agent Day?"

"Hai?"

"I just want you to know that I am grateful for all of this."

"Hn."

* * *

[Satellite XRB 23]

"Not bad," Barton commented as he watched the suits being put through their paces by his pilots.

Zaheer grunted but declined to say anything right now.

"There is room for improvement and I daresay these pilots will improve once they get some tutoring from Maxwell," Barton continued.

It was quite obvious to those watching that the pilots were not as skilled as Duo had been in the simulator, but they weren't too bad either. When the suits switched over to doll mode there was a difference; the dolls moving more fluidly. Barton wasn't worried though, with the Firecell as his main 'weapon' and the mobile suits and army as his back up forces, he was confident he wouldn't have much in the way of opposition when he informed the earth and colonies that he was now their ruler.

Turning from the viewing screen, he scanned over the information being fed back to the main computer on the performance of the suits. All appeared to be working perfectly. He rubbed his hands together, feeling satisfied with the programing of the suits. "Let them spend another half hour out there and then call them in. I want a full diagnostics report on the suits later this evening."

"As you wish," Zaheer replied.

Without looking back, Barton left.

*

Having returned to his room, Duo found himself with nothing to do but brood over his situation – and that wasn't a good idea. His mind chased itself in circles, always coming back to the same conclusion. He was pretty much stuck for the moment.

If it was only himself to worry about he would have been out of here within minutes of being brought here. But that wasn't the case. He had another to consider, someone who was completely dependent on him for its very life and there was no way that Duo would put at risk the life of a child.

He couldn't just sit here and wait to be rescued like a damsel in distress either. He wasn't a damsel, dammit! He was a man – or most of him was at least. Slowly a thought began to form in his mind and the more he thought about it, the more logical it became; in fact, it was really quite simple. So simple he wondered why the hell he hadn't thought about it before.

"Maxwell, you're an idiot," he berated himself. Lying back on his bunk he allowed his mind to mull over the thought, carefully planning things out in his head. He would need a little more information before he would be able to execute his idea, that was if assuming what he thought would happen actually did happen. If it didn't, he was really screwed.

The door opened and a weary looking Duric staggered inside. Duo waited until they were alone before he spoke.

"Tough day?"

Duric fell face first on his bed and lay for a moment before turning his head to speak. "I swear that kindergarten kids are easier to teach."

Duo snorted.

"What about you?"

Shifting slightly, Duo's face darkened. "I've been in a mobile suit simulator. Barton wanted to make sure that I'd programmed the suits properly and not added anything."

Paling, Duric sat up. "He didn't..."

"No." Duo was quick to cut him off. "The program worked perfectly and the code is still embedded deep within. No one is any the wiser."

A loud sigh of relief left Duric's lips.

"When they take you out, where is it they take you to train these troops?" asked Duo.

Immediately on alert, Duric sat up straighter as his eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Just trying to get a mental blueprint of this satellite," replied Duo.

"You're up to something and I want to know what it is," snarled Duric as he moved to the edge of the bed.

"I'm not up to anything," Duo snapped back.

"You fucking well are and I'm not giving you anything more until you tell me what it is you're planning."

Duo decided it wouldn't hurt to let Duric know a little of his idea, especially since he had no intentions of leaving the bastard alive if he could help it. Rubbing a hand across his tired eyes, Duo let a puff of air escape. "Okay. I've had an idea..."

* * *

[Preventer Shuttle 221]

"Satellite is off the starboard bow," Trowa informed.

"Can we get a visual on it?" Wufei questioned.

"One moment." Trowa typed on the key board for a moment, the small screen on the console fuzzing and then clearing. "That's the best I can do for now."

Wufei leaned a little closer to better see the screen. "How long before we have a visual from the cockpit?"

"Another fifteen minutes," Quatre told him.

"Thank you. Once we are within actual visual range we will scope out the base site and confirm our intended landing point. We will also be able to get a rough idea if anything else has been on the site in the past few days."

"Roger that. I'll let you know once we are within range," Quatre replied and returned to his navigation, plotting the course to take them to the proposed landing point.

Trowa let the computer fly the shuttle, content to watch and observe all that was going on. His skills would be needed soon enough to land the shuttle, for now he fully intended to relax as much as possible.

Silence remained in the cockpit as each man monitored his own section. Several minutes passed by and then Quatre broke the silence.

"We are coming within visual range now."

"Thank you. Trowa, turn off the auto pilot and take us over the base, please."

"Auto pilot disengaging now." Trowa flicked a couple of switches and took a firm hold of the yoke.

All three men looked out of the shuttle windows to the satellite below.

It was a typical satellite. Completely barren of any form of vegetation, rocks and fine, powdery like dirt the only covering, it was quite similar to the moon surface. The base lay ahead, silvery blue metal structures rising from the surface looking completely alien on the surrounding landscape.

Trowa guided the shuttle towards the structures, eyes scanning around and picking out a couple of the more obvious sections. There was a landing area off to one side, a small 'runway' connecting it to what appeared to be a hangar. Beyond that lay several domed structures, Trowa assumed they housed the workings of the satellite and also the sleeping quarters for the crew that had once manned the place.

Having passed over the domes, Trowa circled the shuttle back to the runway and brought the craft a little lower. "I'll see if I can get us low enough to see if there has been any recent activity in regards to craft having landed or taken off."

"That would be appreciated," Wufei replied.

With Trowa piloting, Wufei and Quatre began a visual search of the ground below. As the shuttle swept past the hangar entrance, Quatre caught a glimpse of something out the corner of his eye.

"Wait!"

Trowa immediately brought the shuttle to a hover position. "What is it?"

"Back there, by the hangar entrance. I thought I saw something.

Trowa maneuvered the shuttle as close as he dared.

"In there. See it?" Quatre said excitedly.

Wufei and Trowa both strained their eyes into the dark bowels of the hangar.

"I could swear it's the wing tip of a shuttle."

~ * ~

tbc...


	74. Chapter 74

** Thank you all for the kind reviews! Things are starting to come to a head as the cavalry arrives.**

**Enjoy...**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 74

[Preventer Shuttle 221]

Trowa was unable to bring the shuttle in any closer to confirm Quatre's sighting without running the risk of being discovered. "I recommend we land as planned and then proceed with an investigation on foot," he said.

"Understood and agreed," Wufei replied. "I'll leave you in control to proceed whilst I contact headquarters and inform them of our suspicions and actions."

"The coordinates should be on screen for you now," Quatre stated as he finished typing into his navigational system.

"Thank you." Trowa's eyes constantly flicked between the monitor, gauges and the visual, checking he was on course for the predesignated landing spot. With a skill born of years of piloting, Trowa guided the shuttle in and made a perfect landing, hardly disturbing the dust on the satellite surface which was just as well. Should anyone have been outside the structures or monitoring the surface, it would have looked quite suspicious should a few 'puffs' of dirt and dust suddenly rise up from the surface with nothing visible to be making them.

Running through the shut down sequence, Trowa powered down the shuttle. Once all was secure, he left the pilot seat to join the other two who had already gone to get into their suits.

Whilst Trowa pulled his suit on, Wufei made contact with headquarters. "Preventer communications, this is Agent Fire, do you read?"

It took a few moments for the signal to reach the communications department, the line having a few bursts of static before a voice came back. "Agent Fire, this is Agent Sky. We read you."

"Sky, the team has landed safely on the target. We have suspicion that there are occupants present as what we suspect is a shuttle has been spotted. Team is about to leave shuttle to investigate further."

"Copy that Agent Fire. Team to perform recon as per mission specs and report any findings. Contact must be made within the two hour limit as previously informed."

"Roger that. Team is leaving the shuttle now. Please inform the Commander of current situation."

"Will pass on the information. Commander will no doubt be present when you next call in."

"Thank you, Sky. Fire out."

"Good luck, gentlemen. I will be constantly monitoring this frequency and awaiting your next call in. Sky out."

Wufei checked he had his small communicator on him and met up with the other two by the main hatch. "I have informed headquarters of our arrival and suspicions regarding what appears to be a shuttle in the hangar. We have two hours before we need to call in again. Synchronize watches."

The three checked their watches were all set the same then put their helmets on and checked the life support systems were working properly on their respective suits. Despite having done all the checks before, one could never have too many checks when space was concerned. It could mean the difference between life and death.

Satisfied that all was working properly, the last check was their communications system. Wufei was pleased to note that he could hear the other two quite clearly. "All set?"

Trowa checked his systems and nodded. Quatre similarly did a quick peruse of his systems and gave Wufei the nod.

With a copy of the blue prints of the satellite structures on a small palm top, Wufei opened the inner hatch door and stepped inside. Trowa and Quatre followed. The door was closed, Wufei allowing the pressure to equalize with that of the outside before opening the outer shuttle hatch. Taking a look around first and noting there was nothing at all to see, Wufei led the way down the ramp, pausing at the bottom to secure the hatch, retract the ramp and check he could pick up the shuttle on his palm top.

"We will head for the hangar first and check out that suspected shuttle. From there we will move into the domes, aiming for what was the mining crews' quarters and see what we can find. Everyone clear?"

Both Quatre and Trowa nodded.

"Then move out, agents."

* * *

[Satellite XRB 23]

"I don't know," Duric said and shook his head. "It all sounds too simple, too easy."

"Exactly why it will probably work. I'm betting that Barton hasn't even thought about this satellite and the effect the Firecell will have on it. At least, that's what I'm hoping. If the Firecell is released and does take control over all computer systems, then the computers on this satellite will also be affected."

"He wouldn't be that stupid not to realize his own systems will be screwed too."

"Chances are, he will have some measures in place, but I'm betting there will be a window of time in there between the Firecell crashing the systems and then taking them over."

"How much of a window?"

"That I don't know for sure. It will probably only be a slim chance, but it should be enough. We will need to move quickly to jam the door before the system kicks back in."

"And what if it doesn't affect it at all?"

Duo sighed. "Then we haven't lost anything, we will still be in the same position as we are now." Duo had thought it was a pretty clear idea and explanation. Once Barton released his Firecell all the computer systems would shut down briefly before the new system took over – at least he assumed Barton had a back up in place, either that or this satellite's systems had already been programmed to remain functional regardless of the Firecell. Once the system shut down, it would mean the door lock to their 'cell' would release and it was Duo's intention to jam the thing open before the system came back on again and relocked the door. It would be a slim time frame and no second chances.

"Assuming you are correct and the system does fry leaving the door open, what then? Barton has his men all over this satellite. Aside from that, should you be lucky enough to avoid detection, how the fuck are you going to get off this lump of rock?"

"Simple. These guys have to have some form of transport on this satellite. They brought us here by shuttle, they have to be getting their supplies brought in by shuttle so I'm betting there's a shuttle stashed somewhere."

"And you're just going to waltz right in there and take the shuttle out from under their noses without anyone being any the wiser," Duric sneered.

"No one said you had to come along."

"Well, excuse me for pointing out the logic," came the sarcastic reply. "Just what do you propose to do if there is no shuttle, or you can't get to it?"

"There's always the mobile suits."

"Sure. I can just see them allowing you to take one of them."

"Feel free to remain here and rot, I'm going to take my chances."

"And you're not leaving me behind."

Duo remained silent. He had no intention of taking Duric with him - or leaving him behind to rat him out.

* * *

[Satellite XRB 23 Surface]

The gravity on the satellite's surface wasn't a lot and the three agents were careful not to kick up too much dust or shoot themselves too far ahead. Slowly but surely they made their way to the hangar and slipped inside. Wufei scanned the area with a gadget that would locate any form of heat and alert them to the possibility of people being in the vicinity.

The sensor came back clear, Wufei turning to the other two and speaking softly. "According to the reading there are no life forms other than ourselves currently present."

"Roger that." Trowa moved slightly ahead, checking the immediate area. "Quatre, you were right. It is a shuttle."

The other two joined Trowa and stared ahead at the bulk of a shuttle. The hatch was covered by a sealed gangway, similar to those used in airports when boarding aircraft, the gangway connecting the shuttle to the main hangar area. The hangar floor was deserted as Wufei had been told by the sensor.

The three moved closer to the shuttle, remaining in the shadows where possible and blending in with the surroundings.

"You think this might be one of the shuttles that disappeared from communications with L2 control?" Quatre asked Trowa.

"Highly possible," Trowa replied. "Unable to confirm without contacting L2 and confirming the shuttle's registration number."

"Make a note of it. Preventer may be able to assist when we contact them," Wufei cut in.

"Roger that." Trowa managed to activate the small camera inside his helmet and took a picture of the shuttle's registration number.

"How do we get in?" Quatre asked.

Wufei brought up the blueprints on the palm top. "Over there," he said and pointed deeper into the hangar. "There should be a de-pressurization point on the right hand side of the dome wall."

The trio proceeded through the hangar and to the back, locating the door Wufei had spoken about. The immediate area was scanned with both sensor and eyes and deemed clear. The three entered the small room and closed the door, waiting for the pressure to equalize. Once it had, the door lock on the main entry released. The three looked at each other.

"Keep your weapons handy and do not remove your helmets until we have confirmed the viability of the life support systems," Wufei ordered and then stepped out into what appeared to be the main control room for the hangar.

A scan around showed no one in the immediate area. Wufei checked the sensors for life support and found it up and running efficiently. "All indications are that life support systems are fully functional," he informed the other two. "I will remove my helmet first."

The other two nodded and waited.

Carefully, Wufei released the catches a soft hiss of air escaping. Twisting the helmet, he removed it and took a shallow, tentative breath. "It's a little stale, but quite capable of sustaining life."

With Wufei giving the all clear, both Quatre and Trowa removed their respective helmets. Having adjusted to the stale air, Trowa found a safe spot to hide their helmets and also their air tanks. With weapons drawn and ready, they followed Wufei into the domes of the satellite.

* * *

[Preventer Headquarters]

"Agent Day?"

"Yes?" Heero growled.

"Ah, Commander Une asked me to tell you to report to her office."

Heero's head jerked up. "Why?"

The young agent looked rather nervous. "She didn't say why, sir. Just to tell you she requires your presence in her office as soon as possible."

"Fine. Just give me a moment." Heero turned back to the console and checked the program. It was still converting and would continue to run for some time yet. Satisfied he could leave the program for now, he got up and stretched his arms above his head, sighing when he felt his spine pop.

The agent turned and began to walk back through the section that housed the main computers for Preventers. From time to time he shot a glance from the corner of his eye at Heero who walked beside him. Heero noticed the shift of eyes and tried to ignore it. After suffering through it for several minutes, they stepped into the elevator and Heero lost his patience.

"Why do you keep glancing at me?" Heero asked in his blunt tone.

The agent swallowed nervously, obviously a touch upset that he'd been caught out. "I - I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to. I - is it true that you were once a Gundam Pilot? That you were the one that saved the earth from the falling piece of the Libra?"

Heero sighed inwardly and closed his eyes for a brief moment before replying. "Yes, it's true I was a Gundam Pilot. Yes, I shot the piece of Libra from the atmosphere, but I was not alone in that endeavor. There are another four who are just as responsible for achieving the peace as I am."

"Oh, wow." The agent looked a little 'star struck'.

Heero rolled his eyes. He hated this sort of hero worship - next thing the agent would be asking for his autograph.

"Could I have your autograph please?"

Heero resisted the urge to 'omae o korosu'.

*

"Ah, Agent Day. You may go right in, the Commander is expecting you," the secretary informed him as he entered Une's office.

The young agent had left him at the door and scampered off to wherever it was he was supposed to be. No doubt he would be showing off to his fellow agents and bragging about his meeting with the ex-Gundam Pilot. Nodding to the secretary, Heero knocked once and then opened the door to Une's office.

"Ah, Heero," Une greeted as the agent stepped inside. "Please, take a seat."

Heero scowled but did as requested. "You wished to see me?"

"Yes. Agent Sky has been in touch with the shuttle. The team has landed and were preparing to investigate the satellite. Agent Fire is due to contact us again within two hours of speaking with Sky. That two hours is almost up. I plan on being in the communications room when the contact is made and I assume you would also care to be present?"

Heero sat up a little straighter. "Hai, I would," Heero replied.

"Good. I suggest we leave now, just in case Fire calls in early." Une stood and made her way around the desk. Heero also stood and followed his commander out of the office and to the communications section.

* * *

[Satellite XRB 23]

The three agents had made their way deeper into the satellite's dome, managing to avoid detection so far. It was currently the night cycle on the satellite and therefore by the laws of averages, most people should be asleep. They had come across a few people and found a hiding place so they hadn't been spotted.

They hadn't learnt a whole lot either.

They had found the large, processing plant Trowa had informed them of back on earth in the earlier stages of their investigations. Upon inspection, they could see it had been in use very recently; strange when the satellite was supposed to have ceased function some time ago.

Further investigation had yielded a little more. Without full laboratory analysis they couldn't determine the exact composition of the metals that had been smelted down, but the majority would appear to be a type of steel, the type that had been used in mobile suit production.

At this stage though, they had yet to find any concrete evidence of the presence of mobile suits.

Continuing along another corridor, Wufei spotted a room which held several computers - a deserted room. After double checking that all was clear, the three slipped into the room.

"Barton, see if you can hack your way into the database and get some information. Winner, remain by the door and keep watch," Wufei ordered.

Both nodding, Quatre returned to the door whilst Trowa slipped into a seat and brought up the computer system.

"Let's see if we can find out what secrets you are keeping." Cracking his knuckles, Trowa set to work.

Whilst both agents were occupied with their tasks, Wufei scouted out the rest of the room, seeing if he could find anything at all to help them in their quest.

"I'm in," came Trowa's soft voice.

Wufei immediately went back to his side. "What's in there?"

Trowa began to sift through several filing systems. "How much time do we have?"

Checking his watch, Wufei replied, "Thirty minutes."

"Not enough to go through it all." Trowa grunted and shifted, eyes looking around.

"There's some sticks over there," Quatre said from his position at the door and pointed to a desk across from Trowa.

Wufei quickly retrieved a couple. "Here." He passed them to Trowa.

"Thanks." Trowa began to download all he could from the computer onto the first stick.

"How long?"

"About another five minutes."

It was the longest five minutes in all three agents' lives.

"Done." Trowa removed the stick and slipped it into one of the pockets in his suit. Powering down the computer, he erased all evidence of his being there and joined the other two at the door.

"All clear," Quatre announced and the three slipped back out into the corridor and began to make their way back to the shuttle hangar area and their suit helmets.

They made it back to the Preventer shuttle with ten minutes to spare.

Shucking out of his helmet, Wufei took in a deep lungful of air. "That's better," he said.

Pulling the sticks from his pocket, Trowa began to strip out of his suit. "I'm going to put this into the computer and see what I can find."

"I'll join you in a moment,' Wufei replied as he began to strip out of his suit.

"I guess I'll go put all these suits back and check them over," Quatre stated.

"Thank you, that would be appreciated," Wufei replied for them both as Trowa had already departed.

"No problem. I'll join you both shortly." Picking up the two suits, Quatre headed for the rear of the shuttle whilst Wufei aimed for the cockpit.

* * *

[Main Dome. Satellite XRB 23]

In what had once been the recreation area for the managers of the satellite when it was being mined, Barton sat back and twirled the stem of his wine glass. He admired the deep, red color of the wine before taking a sip and sighing in appreciation.

Sitting around him and similarly partaking of the wine were Wainright, Richards and Zaheer.

"By this time tomorrow we will be in control of the earth and all the colonies," Barton stated quietly.

"Serves them all right too," Wainright muttered.

Richards opted to remain silent.

"How do you plan to make them realize you are serious and can do what it is you say you can?" asked Wainright.

"That is the easy part," Barton smirked.

Zaheer grunted and sat back into the chair, a knowing smile on his face.

"I shall broadcast to them all, let them know who I am and what I want. Then I will release the Firecell. It should take about four or five minutes to fully invade all the systems and give me complete control."

"That's quick," stated Richards.

"Yes, it is; but it will have to be. Although there's nothing they can do about it anyway," Barton chuckled. "Once I have complete control I will show them all just how dependent on me they really are."

"You're not going to shut down the life support systems on the colonies, are you?" Richards asked, a small knot of fear growing in his stomach. He'd originally come from L3 and still had many friends living there.

"No, I'm not that cold hearted," Barton snapped. "No, something a little more subtle I think."

Richards breathed a small sigh of relief.

Barton drained his glass and set it down on the small table beside his seat. "I think I will retire for the evening. Gentlemen, I will see you all in the morning." Barton turned and left.

The other three remained for a few more minutes, each locked in their own thoughts before also finishing their wine and retiring for the night.

* * *

[Preventer Shuttle 221]

Plugging the stick into the shuttle's computer, Trowa began to search through the mass of data, files and programs, discarding most as he skimmed through. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he'd know when he found it.

Glancing up from underneath his bang, he grunted in acknowledgment as Wufei entered.

"Anything?"

"No. Nothing as yet."

"I'm putting the call through to headquarters." Wufei grabbed his head set and pushed a few buttons on the console. "Preventer headquarters, this is Agent Fire. Do you copy?"

The line was quiet for a moment, then a soft hum of white noise appeared in the background. Seconds later the line crackled and the tinny voice of an agent came down the line.

"This is Agent Sky of Preventer communications. We read you Fire."

"Agent Fire, this is Mother Earth, please report on your findings to date."

Both Wufei and Trowa quirked an eyebrow at each other. Trowa shrugged and returned to his perusal of the files.

"Ah, Mother Earth. Mission is going according to plan at present moment. We have landed without detection and remain cloaked. First infiltration has shown a shuttle in residence inside the hangar area. Unable to confirm at this point if the shuttle was one from the L2 port that disappeared from L2 control's radars and communications. Request that Preventer investigate on our behalf." Wufei paused and looked to Trowa.

"I have photographs of the registration number. I'll get Quatre to bring the camera back with him." Trowa reached for the internal comm switch and managed to contact Quatre who was still in the rear of the shuttle checking over the space suits. "He's bringing it up now."

"I'll have a team look into the shuttle. Do you have the registration number?" asked Une.

"Winner is bringing it now," Wufei confirmed.

"Chang?"

"Yuy?"

"Any sign of Duo?" Heero's voice held an edge to it, an edge of a man only barely hanging on to his sanity.

"Ah, not as of yet. We haven't infiltrated all that far yet."

Heero felt his heart drop out of his chest and turned away from the bench they were sat at with the Preventer equipment.

"What have you managed to find so far?" Une snapped, taking everyone's attention away from Heero and giving the man a few minutes to gather himself back together.

Wufei proceeded to give Une the run down on what they had located thus far. Yes, the satellite was occupied, yes it had been used very recently for what they suspected was production of mobile suit parts...

Quatre stepped in and gave the picture of the shuttle's number to Wufei who passed it on to Une. The commander promised to have it looked into and get back to them with the result as soon as possible.

A soft gasp from Trowa cut the conversation, both Wufei and Quatre turning to the green eyed man.

"What is it, Barton?" Wufei demanded.

Trowa couldn't quite believe what he was seeing and checked again. The figures hadn't changed. He gave a gasp and found himself the center of attention. Hearing Wufei's voice, he turned to look at the Chinese agent. "I think you should take a look."

"Excuse me one moment, Commander." Wufei shifted to look over Barton's shoulder. "By Nataku!"

"Oh, Allah."

"Ah, fuck."

"Agent Fire?! What the hell is going on?!"

Wufei quickly composed himself. "Sorry about that, Commander. Whilst we were infiltrating Barton downloaded all the files he could from one of the main computers and he's going through that data now. It would appear that an earlier assumption is now correct."

"Chang, quit talking in riddles. What has Agent Air discovered?" Une growled.

"Apologies, Commander. Agent Air has discovered that there are approximately two hundred and eighty-five mobile suits on this satellite."

"Could you repeat that?" Une's voice was a little hoarse.

"According to the files Agent Air has hacked, there are approximately two hundred and eighty-five mobile suits on this satellite," Wufei repeated.

"Chang?" Trowa's voice was soft yet demanded an immediate response.

"Yes?"

"I think I've located Duo..."

~ * ~

tbc...


	75. Chapter 75

**Many thanks or the kind reviews and continued support for this fic. All feedback is very much appreciated!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 75

[Preventer Shuttle 221]

"I think I've located Duo..." Trowa's voice was soft as he informed his commanding officer of his findings.

"Pardon?" Wufei whispered.

Quatre joined his husband, peering over the man's shoulder to look at the computer screen.

"I think I may have located Duo," Trowa repeated.

"Agent Fire?! What is going on? Did I just hear Air say he may have located Agent Night?" Une demanded.

"Duo?!" Heero called out. "They've found Duo?"

"Agent Day, sit down and be patient!" Une snapped.

But Heero wouldn't be seated. He moved to stand behind the Commander. "Barton, Chang! Confirm what you just said," Heero insisted.

"Ah, one moment, please," Wufei replied and then keeping his voice to a hushed whisper, he turned to Trowa. "Where?"

Typing as fast as he could Trowa scanned through the files he'd discovered, attempting to get as much information as possible. "If what the files say is correct, he's being held somewhere in what used to be the residential section of the main dome. I'll need more time to find exactly where."

Both Quatre and Wufei perused the information on the screen, Wufei returning to his conversation with Une moments later.

"Commander. From the information we have, it seems that Maxwell is being held in a secure location in the main dome. Request permission to infiltrate and confirm the presence of Agent Night."

"Agent Fire, request momentarily denied..."

"What?! You can't be serious, Une," Heero yelled. "If they've found Duo then he needs to be extricated as quickly as possible."

"Agent Day! Stand down," Une snapped and turned back to the comm link. "Fire, use what information you have at your disposal to work out the best plan to infiltrate and locate Agent Night. I also need as much information as you can get in relation to those mobile suits. I will contact you again in two hours. I expect you to have that information for me then and I will give you your next set of orders. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Commander."

Hearing the tone in Chang's voice, Une knew the agent was most likely planning something.

"Agent Fire, none of you are to leave that shuttle until given the instruction to do so. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal, Commander."

"Good. Do as I've requested and I will be in touch with you again in two hours. Une out."

"Agent Fire, out."

"What the hell does she mean we're to remain here and not go get Duo?!" Quatre fumed.

"I'm just as annoyed as you are over this, Winner," Wufei snarled. "But orders are orders and we have to do as the Commander has ordered."

"I'm sure the Commander has a good reason for refusing to allow us to go in and get Duo right now, and you have to admit, we need to look over the evidence and work out a viable plan to locate and extract Duo," Trowa said as he continued to work on the computer.

Quatre let a deep sigh escape. "I know, you're right. We can't go in there half cocked and try to rescue Duo, we do need a plan; but it doesn't make it any easier knowing he's so close and still so far."

"Winner, you were always good at strategy, work with Barton to figure out exactly where Maxwell is being held and the best way to infiltrate and get him out. I'll do a little more digging on those suits and see what I can find." Wufei brought up the other screen and hooked into the stick.

All three fell silent as they set to their respective tasks.

* * *

[Preventer Headquarters]

"You can't be serious, Une!" Heero snapped. "If Duo is in there we need to get him out as quickly as possible."

"Agent Day..."

"No! I will not stay here whilst my husband is in danger. You can either give me the transport and clearance to go to the satellite, or I will save you the trouble and resign now. Either way, I'm going to get my husband back!" Heero's eyes flashed dangerously as he delivered his ultimatum.

Une glared back with just as much ferocity. "Agent Day, back to my office; NOW!"

Agents Sky and Sun wisely kept their silence and did their best to occupy themselves with other tasks as the Commander and a very irate agent left the communications room.

Heero followed the Commander back to her office, his mind a turmoil of thoughts. Entering the office, Heero stood before the desk and opened his mouth ready to begin another round of arguing.

Seeing the agent about to start again, Une got in first. "Agent Day, sit down, shut up and _listen_ to me!"

Heero was momentarily stunned by the fierce tone and sat.

"Thank you. I have no intention of leaving Agent Night where he is, that's assuming he's still there. Right now though I have bigger problems to sort out and I will need your full cooperation for what I have in mind."

Swallowing, Heero glared at the Commander. "I'm listening."

"Before we can put any plan into action there's a couple of things I need to do. First up I need as much information on those mobile suits that are on that satellite as possible. The agents currently on the satellite will work out a viable plan for getting Agent Night out; I'm counting on Maxwell to be able to give us further Intel on Barton, the satellite and this Firecell thing once he's located and safely back in our territory."

Heero nodded.

"There's also another matter I need to attend to." Une turned away and pushed the com link on her desk. "I won't be a moment."

"Yes, Commander?"

"Felicity, please contact extension six, zero, six. Tell them to find the sheep - code red."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Thank you." Une let a gust of air escape her lungs.

"Six, zero, six? Find the sheep? Code red?" Heero questioned. He'd never come across that before.

"Patience, Agent Day."

* * *

[Satellite XRB 23]

Barton gave an evil smile as he strode down the corridor and entered the main computer room in the dome. He was feeling particularly good this morning. He nodded to a few of the technicians as he entered and took his place to the side of the main bank of computers.

The head technician came over, clipboard in hand. "Mr Barton," he greeted.

"Ah, Craven. I trust that everything is ready for today?"

"Yes, sir. We only have a couple of things to double check and all will be ready to go."

"Good." Barton looked around. "Where is Hawkins?"

"He will be with us shortly, sir."

Barton rubbed his hands together. "How long do you think?"

Craven looked at his watch and did some mental calculations. "I would say another three hours, sir. By that time the ESUN sector will be at mid morning, the colonies ranging from mid morning to late afternoon cycle."

"Excellent. The vid feeds are all set?"

"They are. Each feed is set to transmit to the main broadcasting stations on the earth and colonies," replied Craven.

"Perfect. Carry on, Craven." Barton sat back in his chair, a smile on his face as he thought about what was to come.

* * *

[Somewhere in the Earth Sphere]

The yellow light blinked rapidly and a soft buzzing noise alerted the occupant to the communication. A pale hand reached out and pushed a button.

"Six, zero, six?"

"This is six, zero, six."

"Commander says to find the sheep - code red."

"Code red. Affirmative. Inform the Commander, Bo Peep will bring the sheep home."

"Ah. Okay." Felicity scratched her head. She didn't have a clue what it all meant, but having shared the position of Une's secretary along with Shirley and Fiona for a while now, she'd learnt not to ask questions but do as requested.

"Six, zero, six, out."

The pale fingers drummed the top of the desk for a moment. Blue eyes narrowed and the lean body rose gracefully from the seat. "Une, what are you up to?" the husky voice said and glanced out the window. "Only one way to find out." The tall figure exited the room and disappeared down a hallway.

* * *

[Preventer Shuttle 221]

Hardly a word had been shared between the three agents as they worked away at their respective tasks. Trowa and Quatre spoke only in hushed whispers when necessary and Wufei was completely lost in his own world as he investigated the mobile suits.

After an hour and a half, Wufei was the first to lean back and admit he'd gone as far as he could. Glancing at his watch, he noted the Commander would be in touch again very soon and turned his attention to the other two agents. "Have you come up with anything?"

Releasing a loud sigh, Quatre turned to face the Chinese man. "Sort of."

Wufei raised an eyebrow. "Sort of?"

"Trowa, if you would?"

The tall man typed a few commands and with the mouse, brought up a secondary window on the screen. Wufei moved a little closer to see what Quatre was about to explain.

"From what we could determine from the files, Duo is being held in one of these rooms here." Quatre pointed to a section on the blueprints in the second window. We're not too sure how many, if any, of the other rooms are occupied, but they would have to visit the rooms at some stage to feed Duo. There are a couple of smaller rooms which appear to be closets or storage facilities in the same block. I propose we infiltrate this section, hide in these rooms and observe. Once we are sure which room Duo is in, we move in and get him out."

"That's it?" Wufei questioned.

"That's the basic idea," replied Quatre. "We can't plan a whole lot given there are so many variables in play."

"In other words, follow the basic plan and improvise where necessary," Trowa added.

"Once we have Duo, we get ourselves back here as quick as possible." Quatre looked to his lover for confirmation.

Trowa nodded.

"Okay." Wufei wasn't too sure but it was the best that they had right now.

"What about the suits? Did you find out much on them?"

"It would appear that what Barton said was correct. There are two hundred and ninety suits to be exact. They are currently being housed in a large hangar below the second dome. From what I recall of the inventories of the equipment purchased using the missing funds, the suits should be all armed with thermal swords, small beam cannons and several fitted with a smaller version of Heavyarms' type of gattling gun."

"What the hell would Barton want with suits?" Quatre wondered aloud.

"I'm sure we will find out soon enough," Wufei replied dryly.

"There's an incoming call from headquarters," Trowa informed them all.

All three slipped on their head sets and Wufei pushed the communications button.

* * *

[Preventer Headquarters]

Heero's fingers twitched as he did his best to stop himself from getting up and storming out of the Commander's office. His eyes tracked the Commander as she typed away on her computer. He jumped when the comm unit buzzed and glared at the small machine.

"Yes, Felicity?"

"I have a message for you, Commander."

"Go ahead, Felicity."

"The message is: Bo Peep will bring the sheep home."

"Thank you, Felicity." Une disconnected the comm and sat back in her chair for a second, then straightened up and looked squarely at Heero. "Do you have anyone that can continue with the file conversion?"

Heero thought for a moment before replying. "Agent Silver, Agent Lead or Agent Copper are all capable of continuing now that the program is on disc. All they need are the codes to input and the program will do the rest. Why?"

"You have ten minutes to get them organized. Report directly to supplies from the data room and collect your gear. I will notify supplies of what you will need and it will be waiting for you. Once you have it all, report back here to me. Dismissed."

Heero opened his mouth to protest, but shut it again when the Commander turned away from him making it clear she wasn't going to discuss anything further. With a scowl, he left the office and went back to the data room to brief the other agents.

* * *

[Somewhere in the Earth Sphere]

"All secure?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Clear the area."

The ground crew all scrambled to a safe distance. The tall man made his way to the cockpit of the large transport plane and settled himself into the pilot's seat. Checking the console instruments and the flight plan, he slipped on the head set and began the check sequence.

The engines roared to life, the metallic body thrumming with the raw power. Easing the joystick forward, the large transport began to lumber forward and taxi out to the end of the runway.

"Control, this is transport six zero. Ready for take off."

"Transport six zero, this is control. You are all clear for take off."

"Thank you, control. I will be in touch. Transport out."

"Good luck, transport. Control out."

The thrum of the engines increased as the power built. The machine fought against the barrier that was holding it in place, engines rising in pitch until the pilot deemed it ready. The joystick slipped forward and the plane surged forth.

Despite its size, the plane rumbled down the runway, speed increasing until it hit the necessary point and rose gracefully into the air.

* * *

[Preventer Headquarters]

Once Heero was on his way back to the data room, Une placed her call to supplies, requesting that all be ready for Day to collect within the hour. Another call was placed before Une headed back to the communications section and her contact with the agents on the satellite.

"Agent Fire, this is Commander Une. Update please."

"Commander, this is Fire," Wufei responded and went on to fill the Commander in on their current situation.

Hearing Wufei out, the Commander thought for a moment before replying. "Agent Fire, listen and listen carefully. I want all three of you to infiltrate and proceed as per Agent Space's plan. Once you have Agent Night in safe custody, return to the shuttle and report in. If Agent Night cannot be located, return to shuttle and report on situation and any findings. I do not need to remind you that this is to proceed as quietly as possible. We do not want the enemy to discover our presence until necessary."

"Understood, Commander."

"Do nothing about the mobile suits at the present moment. I have another shuttle that will be on its way to the satellite shortly and will rendezvous with you. When you report back in I will update you further in relation to the mobile suits and the back up team on the shuttle."

"Affirmative."

"Good luck, agents. Une out."

"Agent Fire, out."

Une placed the head set back on the desk top and rubbed her temples. "I'm getting too old for this," she muttered.

"Ma'am?"

Une looked up to where Sky stood with a mug of coffee in his hand.

"You look like you could use this," Sky said and passed the mug over.

"Sky, you're a life saver."

* * *

[Preventer headquarters]

Heero finished briefing the agents on the data conversion and wrote down the codes they would need to continue. Having answered any and all questions, he reluctantly left the agents to continue and headed for the supply section to collect the kit Une had said would be waiting for him.

Flashing his Preventer ID, Heero spoke to the supply officer. "The Commander said there would be a kit waiting for me to collect."

"Agent Day. Yes, the Commander did notify us of your mission and the kit is all ready for you. One moment and I'll get it."

"Thank you." Heero turned and drummed his fingers on the wooden desk as he waited.

Within five minutes the officer returned, carrying a medium sized duffel. "It's all in there, sir."

Checking the kit, Heero discovered the usual equipment such as comm unit, first aid kit, ration bars, firearm, extra clips and ammunition inside. Signing off on the kit, Heero handed the paperwork back, picked up the duffel and made his way back to Une's office. Felicity motioned for him to go on in and after knocking, Heero opened the door and stepped back inside.

"Agent Day. Have you organized for the data conversion to continue?"

"Hai. Agent Copper is overseeing the conversion assisted by Agent Silver."

"Good. You have your kit?"

"Hai."

"Then come with me, Agent."

Heero had no choice but to follow.

* * *

[Preventer Transport Station]

"Preventer control, this is Transport six zero requesting landing instruction."

"Transport six zero, this is Preventer control. Continue at current rate of descent and alter course to three six south, eighty two east."

"Roger that."

"Transport six zero, you are cleared for landing on runway zero four. Coordinates are being sent through now."

"Thank you, Control. I have the coordinates and will proceed to runway zero four."

The large transport dropped steadily from the sky, the computer taking over and bringing the craft down through the air safely. Once the runway was in sight, the pilot took back the joystick and brought the transport in for the approach and landing. The wheels touched down and immediately the pilot began to brake, the engines screaming as they were thrust into reverse with the flaps up and applying as much drag as possible to slow the craft down. Reluctantly the machine slowed and then taxied to the end of the runway.

"Transport six zero, proceed down taxiway three and bring the craft to bay fourteen."

"Roger that, Control."

"Control out."

"Transport six zero, out."

The large craft lumbered along the tarmac and turned off at bay fourteen. Rolling into the large space, the machine came to a halt and the pilot began the shut down sequence, putting the control panel into hibernation and shutting down the engines completely.

Removing the head set, the pilot ran his fingers through sweat dampened bangs and rubbed his tired eyes. Taking a moment to close those eyes he soaked up the silence, somehow knowing it would be the last he would get for some time.

With a sigh, he unbuckled the harness and pushed his long frame from the pilot's seat. He stretched, scratched his neck and then decided he'd better open the door and greet the welcoming party before they forced their way in.

*

Having stowed the kit in the trunk of the Preventer vehicle, Heero climbed into the passenger seat and buckled up. Une slipped behind the wheel, started the engine and drove them out of the Preventer garage and onto the busy road.

Watching the scenery, Heero puzzled over where they were going, and then decided it wasn't worth it. He already knew he was going to get his husband back, with or without Une's permission. Judging by the direction the woman was driving in, plus the kit in the trunk, Heero was pretty sure they were headed for the Preventer shuttle port.

Then Une took a left and tossed that idea right out of the window.

Clearing his throat, Heero turned to look at the Commander. "Where are we going?" he asked, tone clipped.

"The Preventer Transport base."

"Any particular reason why the transport base and not the shuttle port?"

"Patience, Agent Day."

"Fuck patience! My husband is out there on a satellite and I intend to go get him and bring him home where he belongs," Heero snapped.

To her credit, Une didn't flinch. "I will inform you of the mission as soon as we get to the transport base."

Heero glowered. He wasn't happy at all, but he figured he could let Une have her way, say her piece and then easily take one of the shuttles from the base and head off to get Duo.

Ten minutes later Une pulled up at the gates to the base and flashed her ID. The guard let her through and she continued on through another two check points before arriving at the base and parking the car. "Grab your kit," she ordered as she exited the vehicle.

Grabbing the bag from the trunk Heero followed the Commander into the building. A small buggy was waiting for them, the agent saluting.

"Commander Une. I was told to escort you directly to bay fourteen," the agent said.

"Thank you." Une slid into the set. "Day, get on," she ordered.

Still glaring, Heero obeyed and the buggy sped off down the wide 'road'.

"Transport six zero has just landed and should be in the bay when we get there," the agent informed.

"Good."

// Six zero... Six, zero, six... There was that number again, // Heero thought to himself as they bounced their way through the base.

The buggy began to slow and Heero looked ahead to see a large transport craft taking up the entire bay area.

Once the buggy came to a halt, Une got off and strode towards the craft. Heero grabbed his bag and followed, curiosity getting the better of him.

As they arrived at the base of the portable stairs, the door began to open. Heero looked up and then gave a soft gasp as a figure stepped into view.

"Zechs..."

~ * ~

tbc...


	76. Chapter 76

**Many thanks to all who are reading and thank you to those of you who have reviewed! And now, a little more twist to the plot and things are going to get very intense very quickly. **

**Enjoy...**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 76

[Preventer Transport Base]

Standing on the top of the small steps, Zechs took a deep lungful of air and glanced around him. He spotted Une and Heero at the base of the steps at the same time Heero whispered his name. Putting a smile on his face, Zechs quickly scaled the steps and stood before the Commander.

"Commander, Yuy," he greeted.

"Agent Wind. Thank you for responding so quickly," Une replied.

Heero was still in a state of shock and didn't say anything.

"Wind, if you will follow Day and myself, we have something of great urgency to discuss." Une turned and began to walk towards the building sitting beside the bay.

Grabbing his kit, Heero followed along, casting glances at Zechs from the corner of his eye.

Zechs knew the agent was puzzled and shocked by his appearance, after all, he'd disappeared, presumed dead after the Libra incident and now stood here quite alive after all.

Stepping into a small office, Une closed the door and turned to face her agents. Looking directly at the pair, she spoke. "I suppose you both want answers?"

"Too fucking right!" Heero snapped. "Where the hell did you come from?" he snarled, turning to glare at Zechs.

To his credit, Zechs didn't bat so much as an eyelash.

"Agent Day! That will be quite enough," Une growled. "Sit, the pair of you."

Still glaring at Zechs, Heero sat, Zechs taking the other seat across the room from him.

Une looked from one to the other before speaking."Gentlemen, I will keep this brief as time is of the essence here. Agent Wind, you can elaborate further at a later time if you wish."

Zechs nodded.

Turning her attention back to Heero, she continued. "Agent Wind was not killed in the Libra incident as many believe. As you can see, he is very much alive and is also part of the Preventer team. His role in the organization though is classified and only a select few know of his involvement. I expect you to keep all knowledge to yourself."

Heero grunted by way of reply.

"In brief, Agent Wind works mainly undercover with a select team, a handful of agents..."

"The Black Ops," Heero finished for the Commander.

"Yes," Une confirmed.

Heero had heard rumors that Preventer had its own division of Black ops, but could never find any evidence that the group existed to back those claims. Seemed he now had that evidence and he wasn't too sure he liked it either.

"One of Wind's assignments since he joined the group has been to look after a certain set of weapons."

Heero frowned. He couldn't think of anything that would require such extreme measures to keep secret.

"Now it is time to bring those weapons into play. Day, Wind, we need to get you both to that satellite as quickly as possible. The very future of the earth and colonies depends on getting that cargo and yourselves to that satellite in the shortest time possible."

Now Heero was even more confused.

"Gentlemen, we have wasted enough time with chatter. The cargo should be safely transferred to the hold of shuttle PA 121 by now and ready for launch. I suggest we check the cargo and send you on your way. I will give you the mission brief once we are aboard the shuttle." Without further words, Une rose and exited the office.

Heero wasn't happy at all, he hated it when things were in shades of gray. He much preferred the black and white version.

Zechs was also in the dark, not knowing exactly what the mission was to involve had him feeling like a cat on a hot tin roof. Whilst he held no grudges against Heero, he knew the other ex-pilot wasn't exactly brimming with love for him either. There would be some serious explaining to do once they were in the air, Yuy would want to know all the details and Zechs was quite okay with explaining all that had occurred since his supposed demise on the Libra.

This could be a very interesting mission to say the least.

From the building Une turned left and made her way to bay fifteen where a large, Preventer transport shuttle stood. "Gentlemen, follow me."

Still carrying his kit, Heero brought up the rear as the three ascended the steps and entered the shuttle. Leaving his duffel by the cockpit entrance, Heero walked along the narrow corridor to the rear of the shuttle and down into the cargo hold.

What he saw in that cargo bay froze him in his tracks.

* * *

[Satellite XRB 23]

Duo tossed and turned on his bunk, unable to get comfortable. Sleep eluded him, frustrating him further as he knew he needed to let himself rest. Eventually he gave up on sleep and simply lay there, allowing his body to relax and get some needed rest even though his mind refused to accommodate him.

He knew that Barton was close to releasing his Firecell and when he did he would need to be ready. Hopefully the door lock would free and give him that window in which to escape. He knew he would only have a couple of minutes at the most and wanted to be sure he didn't miss the opportunity.

With Duric insisting he come too, Duo was presented with another problem. He had no intentions of taking the man with him if he could help it. Problem was when that door lock released, assuming it did, he wouldn't have the time to kill Duric and make his escape. He couldn't kill Duric before though as he wasn't sure when the Firecell was to be deployed. It wouldn't look too good if their abductors were to arrive with their food to find Duric dead in the 'cell'.

It seemed he would have to wait until they escaped the room and he could dispose of Duric once they were on the run. Assuming he could find somewhere safe, quiet and away from this group to do it that was.

He was giving himself a headache with all this thinking. Deciding he would just have to do what he usually did and wing it, Duo did his best to divert his brain cells to something else.

His hand drifted down to rest upon his belly, stroking over it softly. The small bump was there, not all that visible to anyone who was looking. In fact to another it would appear he was getting a bit of a belly from either drinking too much or over eating.

But Duo knew in his heart that it wasn't anything like that. He was now more certain than ever that he carried another child within and whilst that made him deliriously happy, it also made his stomach clench with fear.

He knew his body wasn't ready for this, not so soon after Keitaro; but it seemed he had no choice in the matter. And he would never even consider terminating the pregnancy.

No, he would have to do whatever he could to protect the little one and get them both home safe to his husband and son.

Keitaro.

Duo's eyes misted and a deep ache lodged in his chest as he thought about his son. He missed the youngster so very much. Even though Keitaro wasn't one yet, he wasn't that far off either. In the ten months that Keitaro had been with them, Duo couldn't imagine life without the bundle of joy.

He was perfect in every way. Duo wasn't biased either.

Drawing up the memories, Duo envisioned his son's face before him. The soft smiles the child gave, the blue eyes with a hint of violet in them and the soft, downy hair. Those thoughts brought him back again to the life growing within him.

Would the child be a boy or a girl? What color hair and eyes would he or she have? Would they take more after him or Heero?

To be honest, Duo didn't care, just so long as the infant was healthy and had everything it should then he would be happy. That sent him into another flurry of worried thoughts.

How could his child develop normally if he wasn't getting the right nutrition, exercise and careful monitoring that Sally could provide? How were the stress levels he was currently under affecting the unborn babe? This situation he was in couldn't be doing the growing child any good at all and that made Duo fret even more.

He would never forgive himself if anything happened to the child that was his fault.

Regardless of whether he could prevent it or not.

He gave a soft sob, tears welling in his eyes and escaping over eyelashes to run down his cheeks. Burying his face in the pillow, he did his best to muffle any noise that might escape. The last thing he needed was for Duric to wake up and start to question him.

"Fucking hormones," he whispered.

* * *

[Preventer Shuttle 221]

There was a flurry of activity in the bowels of the Preventer shuttle as three agents got themselves ready to infiltrate the satellite dome once more. Skin tight suits were slipped on, an assortment of weapons and gadgets secured in many and varied places. Air tanks were double checked and a spare suit added to the collection.

With all the final checks done, Wufei deemed them to be ready. He double checked his palm top, bringing up the location they'd determined Duo to be in and with a last few words to his agents, the three slipped out of the shuttle and into the compression chamber.

Once the pressure had equalized with that of the satellite, the outer door opened and the three slipped silently onto the surface of the satellite, aiming for the hangar and the safety of sorts that it offered.

Sticking to the shadows, they managed to gain entry through the same pressurized area as before and quickly removed their helmets. Stashing the helmets and spare suit, they proceeded to melt into the shadows and make their way through the dome towards the residential section.

It was harder than they first thought. The satellite was now coming awake to a new cycle and people were beginning to make their way around the various structures. After nearly being sighted for the third time, Chang decided it was too risky to continue on as they were.

Motioning for the other two to follow him, he located a storage room and dived inside.

"We can't continue on as we are," Wufei stated. "We need to find an easier way to get through. There's far too many guards and people around for us to pass through unnoticed."

"What did you just say?" Trowa asked.

"I said we can't..."

"Not that, the last bit."

"We need to find a way to pass through unnoticed?"

"Yes." Trowa's green eye glinted.

"You have an idea?" Quatre prompted.

"What better way to move around than to be the obvious."

"I don't follow," Wufei frowned.

"We need to blend in. I propose we knock out three of the personnel and take their uniforms."

"Ah. Good idea," Quatre smiled.

"Wait here. I'll be back shortly." Trowa slipped out of the storage room leaving the other two to ponder his idea.

Within five minutes he was back and dragging an unconscious form with him. Quatre raised an eyebrow.

"Don't worry, he's not dead, merely sleeping," Trowa stated. "I'll leave you two to undress him whilst I go find another victim."

With Trowa gone again, Chang and Winner set about relieving the man of his uniform.

Half an hour later, there were three unconscious men in the store room, all bound and gagged wearing nothing but their underwear.

The three agents put on the uniforms they'd commandeered over the top of their suits and prepared to resume their search for Duo.

"Down this way," Wufei motioned, the other two strolling along behind him as if they completely belonged.

* * *

[Preventer Shuttle 121]

Heero stood and stared. He knew he must be doing a pretty good rendition of a stranded fish right now, but he couldn't help it, he was completely stunned. Safely secured in the hold of the large shuttle lay five Gundams

Deathscythe, Sandrock, Heavyarms, Shenlong... and Wing.

"H-how? W-w-where?" he stuttered.

Beside him, Zechs smirked.

"Agent Wind has been babysitting them amongst other things," Une supplied.

Heero turned to look at the Commander. "Why didn't anyone tell any of us? I presumed they had all been destroyed after the war, given the peace that now rules." It was a well known fact that after the war all forms of mobile suit had been outlawed along with most other large weapons of destruction.

"Agent Wind will fill you in completely on your way to the satellite, we don't have the time right now. Agents, if you will please return to the cockpit and prepare yourselves for take off I will bid you farewell and good luck. I will be in regular contact with you."

"The mission?" Heero questioned.

"All the briefing is in here." Une handed over a manilla envelope. "Agent Wind will pass on all other information he has whilst you are in transit, your orders are in the briefing contained in the envelope." Une gave the pair one last look. "Please, do not kill each other, I need you both, Preventer needs you both." With that she turned and exited the cargo bay, leaving the two agents alone.

"We had better get to the cockpit and prepare for launch," said Zechs, finally breaking the silence and moving towards the exit.

"Fine. Once we are in space I want a full explanation," Heero demanded, following Zechs back along the narrow corridor to the cockpit.

"I'll give it to you too," Zechs replied. "Take your bag and put it in any one of the four remaining cabins. I've already placed mine in cabin five."

Heero grunted and grabbed his duffel. Cabin one was the first he came to and he opened the door to find the standard room before him. He shoved his duffel into the small cabinet so it wouldn't float around when they hit zero gravity and returned to the cockpit.

Zechs was strapped into the pilot's seat so Heero took up residence in the co-pilot's. Strapping his harness on, he felt the small jerk as the shuttle was engaged by the tow vehicle and began to back up.

Grabbing the clipboard, Zechs began to check over the flight plan. Heero put on his headset and began to flip switches on the flight console, Zechs joined him a moment later, flipping the computer on and logging in the details of the flight plan.

Within five minutes the shuttle was placed on the end of the launch ramp and the tow vehicle released its hold, scurrying away and leaving the large transport shuttle to the mercy of the launch team.

The 'chain' engaged underneath and flight control came over the comm unit.

"Preventer shuttle PA 121, this is Transport control. Do you copy?"

"Transport control, this is Preventer shuttle PA 121. We copy."

"Shuttle PA 121, have you logged flight path into computer?"

"Yes, control. Flight path logged and ready to go."

"Shuttle PA 121, bring your engines on line."

Heero reached for the switches, flipped them and pushed the ignition button. The engines hummed and then gave a roar as they fired completely. "Engines fired," he said.

"Shuttle PA 121, remain stationary until engines reach four hundred."

"Roger control," replied Zechs and began to ease the throttle forward. The engines increased their volume as the revolutions built within them.

"Two hundred, two-fifty... three hundred," Heero began to recite. "Three-fifty... four hundred."

"Control, shuttle PA 121 holding at four hundred." Zechs checked the instrument panel, confirming the check as Heero asked him to recite their respective readings.

"Roger that PA 121. Please do pre-take off check and advise."

Zechs read off the relative information to flight control, receiving an affirmative in reply.

"Shuttle PA 121, you are ready for launch. Initializing launch sequence now."

"Roger that, Control."

"Shuttle PA 121, you are clear for launch. Good luck, agents. Engaging launch mechanism; now."

There was a sudden jerk as the launch chain drew taut, Zechs pushed the throttle forward and disengaged the braking system. The shuttle gave another jerk and then shot forward, gathering speed as the combined force of the engines and the launch chain drew it down the launch ramp and sent it catapulting off the end and into the atmosphere.

Both Zechs and Heero were pushed back in their seats as the forces of gravity warred with the speed and determination of the shuttle – the shuttle winning the battle. The pair remained strapped in their seats as the craft climbed higher and higher, breaking through the clouds and heading for the stratosphere.

Once the shuttle had broken through the ozone layer, it began to level out a touch. The automatic gravity kicked in and the pressure eased on both pilots, much to their relief. It didn't matter how many times they had ventured into space, it never got any easier.

"Transport Control, this is shuttle PA 121. Launch a success. Am switching over to the auto pilot and on course for the satellite."

"Shuttle PA 121, this is Control. Read you loud and clear. Confirm successful launch and transfer to auto pilot. Preventer communications at Headquarters will be taking over communications in thirty minutes. You are requested to tune to frequency 54 which they will be monitoring."

"Roger that, Control. Will switch over to frequency 54."

"This is Transport control out."

"Shuttle PA 121, out." Zechs leaned back in his chair and slid the head set off. He turned to the instrument panel and flicked a few switches, then typed in a couple of commands. "Engage auto pilot."

"Engaging auto pilot," Heero replied and flipped the switch. Auto pilot engaged and running."

"Thank you." Zechs closed his eyes for a moment knowing it would only be a matter of seconds before Yuy would be demanding his answers.

Removing his own head set and checking the console, Heero turned towards the other pilot. "Okay, time to fill in the gaps, Merquise."

"Fine. Bring the mission brief with you and we'll talk about this in the galley." Zechs stood and left the cockpit, Heero right behind him.

Settling into their seats in the galley, Zechs offered Heero a tube of coffee, taking one for himself. "What is it you want to know?"

Heero grunted. "Everything. What happened to you after Libra? Where did you go? When did you end up at Preventer and how the hell did you manage to get your hands on our Gundams?" Heero glowered when he mentioned the Gundams and Zechs couldn't blame the man.

Heero was more than a little pissed off that Zechs had been babysitting the Gundams. Wing had always been like an extension of himself, an extra body part and Heero had tended to his Gundam with a dedication unseen. To even think that someone else had been near his beloved machine was intolerable. To know it was none other than Zechs Merquise... that was downright unacceptable.

"I suggest you get comfortable, this could take a little while." Zechs helped himself to another tube, this one supposedly containing a beef stew. He grimaced slightly at the taste and then set the tube aside. He fixed Heero with his blue eyes and began his tale.

"When the Peacemillion crashed into Libra I was caught up in the shock wave; Noin found me. She brought me back to earth and found medical help. I was knocked about quite badly and it took several months, a few operations and a lot of regen before I could walk again."

"When the medics had done all they could for me, Une contacted me. Seems Noin had joined her in Preventer and she was keen to have me on the payroll. But first I needed to continue to recover. She had me moved to one of Treize's estates, a safe place where I could continue to rest, recover and go through my rehabilitation without anyone knowing about me. In return, I joined her organization."

Heero nodded. "I can see the logic in that. What better person to have in Black Ops than a dead man."

"Yeah, it works quite well." Zechs paused for a moment and took another swallow of the beef stew. "Shit, that stuff is just as foul as I remember it being. I would have thought they could come up with something more palatable by now." He tossed the tube aside in disgust.

Heero couldn't help the snicker.

Zechs gave the other agent a smirk and then continued his story. "I joined the Black Ops and I've never regretted it. I can still contribute to the peace without people knowing what is going on."

"And the Gundams?" Heero prompted. "After the war we all handed over our Gundams to Relena and the newly appointed ESUN council. She was arranging to have them all destroyed; at least that's what we were told. In fact, we saw the footage of their destruction."

Zechs cleared his throat. "Yes, they were supposed to be destroyed, but Une was wary of the fragile peace and instead, she had them removed without anyone knowing. The footage you saw wasn't the Gundams being destroyed, but some Aries and Taurus suits, modified to look like the Gundams."

Heero frowned as he recalled the footage. It hadn't been all that clear, shot at a reasonable distance so the figures were quite hard to see. Mainly the outline of the great mecha and not the individual things that would show what they were. It had been quite simple to fool those watching that what they were witnessing was the actual destruction of the Gundams when in fact it wasn't. "I see."

"Une had the Gundams transported to my residence and they have remained in storage there until now. Only Une, a few of the Black Ops and myself knew of their existence until now." Seeing the next question forming in Yuy's mind, Zechs got in first. "No one other than myself has touched them and I've only kept up basic diagnostic checks and maintenance."

Heero grunted. "I'm going to the cargo hold to check them over." Heero wouldn't be satisfied until he'd gone over Wing himself that Zechs hadn't interfered in any way with the mecha. He also needed time to digest all he'd been told.

"I wouldn't have expected anything less. I'll return to the cockpit and go over the mission brief. Call me on the intercom if you need me."

Heero exited the galley and aimed for the hold, Zechs got up a minute later and with the manilla folder in hand, made his way back to the cockpit to read through the briefing.

* * *

[Satellite XRB 23]

"Ah, Hawkins. Kind of you to join us," Barton said with a smirk as the professor entered the main computer room.

The professor didn't look too happy about it and stumbled slightly as the guard pushed him towards his console.

Rubbing his hands together, Barton gave an evil smirk and stood up. Facing the occupants of the room, he began to speak.

"Gentlemen, it's time to release the Firecell."

~ * ~

tbc...


	77. Chapter 77

**Thank you to all my lovely reviewers! Your thoughts and feedback are very much appreciated.**

**Things are beginning to tense up and I promise the next chapter isn't far away.**

**Enjoy...**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 77

[Preventer Transport Shuttle PA 121]

Climbing down into the cargo hold of the shuttle, Heero couldn't help the shiver that ran down his spine when he laid eyes on Wing again. He moved to stand alongside the huge mecha and swallowed the lump in his throat. "Hello, old friend," he said softly and rested a hand against one of the giant fingers of the machine.

Turning, he looked at Deathscythe and felt the tears well in his eyes. He knew just how hard it had been for Duo to give up his 'buddy' and now, seeing the gleaming, black mecha lying quietly in the hold it reminded him of just how much he missed his husband.

Giving himself a shake, both mental and physical, Heero cleared his mind. Now was not the time to be getting all sentimental. There was work to be done. With the gravity of the shuttle slightly less than that of earth, it was quite easy for Heero to climb up Wing and push the hatch button. The cockpit opened with a hiss and Heero twisted so he could climb inside and sit in the pilot seat.

It was a bit of a tight fit, he'd grown since he'd last been in the mecha, but he managed to get himself in. Hands ran over the familiar controls, and as he closed his eyes, so all the memories came flooding back.

Long past battles played out on the backs of closed eyelids and he shuddered at some of them.

Breaking from his wanderings, Heero took a deep breath and turned the machine on. The consoles began to light up and Heero's eyes tracked all the information scrolling over the screens. There was one important thing he needed to double check.

Once the programs had all loaded, Heero typed in a couple of commands and waited whilst the screen flickered and then cleared. It asked him for the code. He typed it in and held his breath. The screen changed again, asking for a series of passwords, all of which Heero supplied.

Seconds later the screen changed and all the files pertaining to the Gundam came up. Heero quickly opened several and began to check. After five minutes he breathed a sigh of relief and sank back into the chair.

Setting the codes and passwords again, Heero shut the mecha down and sat for a moment. He needed to run his own diagnostic checks on all the Gundams and to do that, he needed his laptop.

He also needed to find out what this mission was. He had a pretty good idea, but wasn't sure of exactly all the details. Biting his lip, he decided to swing by his cabin, collect the laptop and then meet up with Zechs to learn what it was Une wanted of them.

Giving the Gundam one last caress, Heero left the cockpit, sealed the hatch and climbed back down to the floor of the cargo bay.

*

Zechs looked up as Heero entered. He raised an eyebrow, glanced at the laptop in Heero's hand and turned his eyes back to the papers he was reading. "I take it you found the Gundams in the same condition in which you handed them over?"

"Not exactly," Heero replied curtly.

"Oh?"

"They have been fixed."

"Ah."

At the end of the war, the Gundams had suffered some damage and knowing they were handing the mecha over to the authorities, none of the pilots had bothered to fix their machines. It had seemed pointless when they were only going to be destroyed.

"Yes, I took the liberty of having all five of them repaired," Zechs supplied. "Knowing that the commander wanted them to be available should an extreme case come up where they would be needed, I managed to secure parts and had them all repaired. I trust the repairs are to your satisfaction?"

"Hn. I haven't had a good look at them all yet, but I will."

Zechs had no doubts about that.

"What about Epyon?"

The question caught Zechs off guard for a moment and a brief flash of pain passed through his heart as he recalled the suit he'd piloted. "It was beyond repair," he said softly. "Some things are better left as they are."

Sensing that Zechs didn't want to go there, Heero changed the subject. "What does the mission brief say?"

"Condensed version?"

"Preferably, I have a lot of work to do."

"Based on the information received from Agent Fire, there appears to be several mobile suits on this satellite along with one Agent Night, an army of sorts and one, deranged person who thinks he can take over the world by releasing some computer virus."

Heero glared at the blonde. "I haven't just spent the past couple of days playing computer games you know."

Giving up on the attempt of humor, Zechs decided to cut to the chase. "We are to meet with the other three agents who will have hopefully managed to locate and extract Agent Night. From there we are to seek out Barton and _arrest _him."

Heero noted how Zechs emphasized the word 'arrest'. Damn! He'd been so looking forward to killing the bastard.

"And the Gundams?"

"They are only to be used if absolutely necessary."

Both men fell silent for a moment, then Zechs spoke again.

"What exactly is this Firecell?"

Frowning, Heero gave the other man a brief run down on what they knew.

"So, it's all just a theory then?"

"No. Oh, I suppose in a lot of ways it could be, but there is a professor who has done a lot of work on the theory of it."

"Then he would know if it was possible to put it into practice or not?"

"He's disappeared."

"Ah."

"We do have all of his files and notes that we could locate and after studying them all, it would appear that the theory could be put into practice with the right programming."

"And that would spell disaster."

"Exactly. I have my own theory on this and after studying the professor's notes, figuring out the principals of how a Firecell should work, I've been flat out converting file systems at Preventer."

Zechs could see the logic there and as he slowly began to add up all the implications it dawned on him just how bad this entire Firecell thing could and possibly would be if Barton succeeded in releasing it. "If it takes over the computers, we're screwed."

"The shuttle will be fine, I've already changed all the file systems on those. Communications at Preventer has also been converted and I was working on the main data base when Une finally saw sense and decided to put me here."

"The Gundams?" said Zechs and felt a chill run down his spine.

Heero smirked. "No need to worry about them. They have their own file system, one completely different to the standard system."

Zechs raised an eyebrow.

"It's what you could call a mutation of sorts. The mad five developed it as an extra safeguard should the Gundams fall into enemy hands. Without the correct codes and passwords, access to the computer systems in the Gundams is denied. No chance of the enemy hacking the data banks or downloading any information as the file system isn't compatible with the normal computers and hardware."

Zechs had to admit that was a smart move. "So, they should be safe then?"

"I hope so."

The pair fell silent for a moment, then Heero grunted and stood up. "I need to go check on the Gundams, run some diagnostic checks and such."

"I'll be here in the cockpit going over the mission brief again. Une has included the blueprints of the satellite and I'd like to study them a bit more." Zechs picked up the folder again.

"Call me if anything should change, otherwise I will join you later to go over the mission brief in further detail." Laptop in hand, Heero headed back to the cargo hold to start his checks. Setting the laptop down, he waited for it to boot up. Once it had, he sent a quick message of to Sally, telling her what was going on and asking her to inform Nurse Brown of the current status. With everything that had happened over the past few hours, he'd slipped back into his war persona of the 'Perfect Soldier' and had neglected to let the nurse know what was going on. He'd promised to keep her informed and knew she would be livid with him if he didn't keep that promise.

Message sent, Heero set to the task of running the diagnostic checks and going over the Gundams himself to see exactly what repairs Zechs had had done to them.

* * *

[Satellite XRB 23]

The sound of the toilet flushing woke Duric and he rolled over in his bunk as Duo emerged from the small bathroom. Frowning, Duric studied the other man. He looked like hell. Hair disheveled, skin pale and dark circles forming under the eyes. "You look like shit."

"You wouldn't win any beauty contests either, asshole."

Duric ran his hand over the stubble on his chin and had to agree with Duo he probably didn't look all that great either. With a sigh, he pushed the blanket back and swung his feet over the edge of the bunk. He dry washed his face and then stood up. "You finished in there?"

"Yeah."

Grabbing a change of clothes, Duric shuffled into the bathroom and closed the door.

Duo sat down heavily on his bunk and began to unbraid his hair. What he wouldn't give for a brush or a comb. His hair felt thick and greasy, no wonder as it had been over a week since it had been washed. He managed to work his fingers through the mass, combing out the worst of the tangles as best he could. Unable to do much more with it, he divided it into three sections and wove the plait, tying the end off with the ragged piece of elastic.

"First thing I'm gonna do when I get back home is take a long, hot soak in the tub and wash this mess," he muttered to himself. His hair hadn't been this bad since he'd run wild with the gang back on L2.

The door opened and a tray was shoved inside, the door slamming shut almost immediately.

"And a good morning to you too," Duo sneered. He looked at the tray or a moment, wondering if he dared to pick it up and see what was on it. Just the thought was making his stomach roll. With a sigh, he got up and picked the tray up, setting it down on the small table.

Noting the two cups of tea, he grabbed one and took a sip. It was lukewarm, but it did help to settle his stomach a touch. With several more swallows of the tea, he felt a little better and decided to venture back to the tray and see what their hosts had provided for breakfast this time.

Lifting the cover on one of the dishes, Duo stared at the contents, then quickly replaced the cover. He turned away and fought to keep the tea in his stomach.

Oatmeal.

If there was one thing Duo despised more than anything else, it was oatmeal.

It all stemmed back to his street days when out foraging. They had found some oatmeal in a saucepan in the garbage can out back of one of the hotels. It was burnt, sticking to the pan in places but still smelt okay. They had taken it back to the rest of the gang and shared the meager amount out. Within three hours of eating the stuff all the gang were sick.

Duo knew now that the oatmeal had obviously been off. Not that they would have been able to smell it, most likely it had been the milk used to mix with it that had soured. Fortunately, the sickness had only been a mild bout, but since then Duo could not stomach oatmeal, it brought back instant memories of that time.

Shuddering and barely able to keep the tea inside, Duo put as much distance between himself and the tray that he could, which meant sitting on his bunk and glaring at it.

Duric stepped out of the bathroom and noted the tray, then he spotted Duo sitting on his bunk and giving the breakfast tray a hostile look. "Don't tell me they forgot to kill the food this time," he said and moved to the tray. He lifted the cover and took a look. "Oatmeal." Picking up a spoon, Duric grabbed a bowl and sat on his bunk to eat.

Violet eyes watched and once the first spoonful made it into Duric's mouth, Duo was bolting for the bathroom.

Duric stared after the other man then glanced down at his bowl and back to the bathroom. Shrugging his shoulders he decided not to question it and carried on eating.

* * *

[Satellite XRB 23]

"It's time to release the Firecell," Barton announced to those around him.

Silence greeted his ears or a brief moment and then the noise of people scurrying about.

"Craven?" Barton called.

"Yes, sir?" Craven appeared beside Barton.

"Is the program ready to run?"

"Yes, sir. All is ready to go on your command."

"Good. The vid feeds?"

"All you have to do is look into the camera there and we can begin to broadcast as soon as you like."

Barton nodded. Standing up, Barton took a moment to address all those in the room. "Today we will take back what is ours. Today we will make history. Today we will have our freedom from the earth and those who wish to rule us. It is the earth's turn to bow down to the colonies and accept their rightful leader!"

Cheers rang out throughout the control room and Barton smiled. Turning back to Craven, he gave the tech the nod. "Release the Firecell."

Craven typed in several commands to the computer console.

"No!" yelled Hawkins and dived across to try and grab the tech. He was quickly overpowered by two other techs and forced back into a seat with a guard in place.

"The Firecell is deployed."

Barton rubbed his hands together as an evil smile lit up his face. "Let us broadcast."

* * *

The signal was sent, bouncing off satellites, traveling through airwaves and tearing through all wavelengths.

It sought out, infiltrated and took over control.

* * *

[Preventer Headquarters]

"Commander Une!"

Une looked up as Felicity came bolting into her office.

"Is your computer on?"

Une shook her head.

"Vid screen?"

"No. Felicity..." Une didn't get any further before she was interrupted.

"Turn on the vid screen," the secretary demanded.

Une was too stunned to comprehend for a moment and so Felicity pushed the button for her. The screen fuzzed, cleared and then gave a burst of static before a blank screen appeared.

"Felicity," Une growled.

"No, commander. Wait a moment. All channels are the same. It doesn't matter which station you tune into, they are all blank screens."

"What is wrong?"

"I don't know. All monitors suddenly went blank, vid screens, computers, everything."

"Shit!" Une picked up the 'phone; and slowly hung it up again. "The phone line isn't working."

"Commander?" Felicity's eyes were wide.

Before Une could answer, the vid screen crackled and a picture began to form.

"Barton," hissed Une.

* * *

[Satellite XRB 23]

Lying back on his bunk, Duo had finished his tea and gotten control over his rebellious stomach. Duric had eaten both portions of the oatmeal by the time Duo returned from the bathroom, much to the long haired man's relief. The tray still sat on the table, awaiting collection and both men felt uneasy.

Usually their captors had come for them by now, dragging them off to their respective parts of the satellite. When no one had shown up, the feeling of unease had grown. Duric lay on his bunk reading an out dated magazine he'd found. Duo also lay on his back, only he was counting cracks in the ceiling and keeping an ear on the door.

The break in the routine could only mean one thing. Barton was close to releasing the Firecell.

If that was the case then Duo wanted to be ready to make his escape. He managed to tune out everything, ears highly sensitized and alert for the tiniest of sounds.

Duo was almost falling asleep when he heard it.

A quiet snick as the door lock released.

In a flash, Duo was off his bunk and at the door. He grabbed it and pulled gently.

Duric blinked at the speed in which his cell mate moved. Once he saw what was going on, he was on his feet and beside Duo. "Is it open?" he whispered.

Motioning for the other man to remain silent, Duo eased the door open a crack and peered carefully around the edge.

The corridor was empty.

Jamming his foot between the door and the jamb, he turned to Duric. "Barton must have released the Firecell."

"Either that or the door fairy has paid a visit," Duric replied sarcastically.

"You're a regular clown, you know that?" Duo sneered, fingers flexing as he thought how much he'd like to wrap them around Duric's neck.

Duric just shrugged. "You're not leaving without me."

Nudging the door open a little more, Duo took another look and deeming the coast clear, he moved out of their 'cell', Duric almost glued to his back.

Calling up what he knew of the satellite in his mind, Duo turned left and staying close to the walls, slunk down the corridor.

Behind them the door snicked shut, seconds later the lock snapped back into place.

* * *

[Residential Section - Satellite XRB 23]

Wufei, Trowa and Quatre continued to walk along the corridors of the satellite. They passed a few others on their way, careful to keep their eyes lowered, but no one paid them any attention, they all had their own jobs to do and ignored the three.

Ducking into an alcove, Wufei checked his palm top. "Should be down here, second on the right and then third left."

Trowa nodded and the three moved out again.

* * *

[Preventer Headquarters]

The screen cleared to show a bald man with a large, gray mustache and small, evil looking eyes.

"Barton," hissed Une.

"Who?" Felicity asked.

"Dekim Barton," Une replied absently and then indicated for Felicity to remain silent as the figure on the screen opened his mouth to speak.

"Earth and Colonies alike, listen up. My name is Barton, Dekim Barton and I suggest you all familiarize yourselves with it as it will soon become a household name." Those eyes narrowed a touch. "Today I will become your new leader, free the colonies from the oppressive rule of the earth and those who would dominate us." Barton paused for a moment to let the words sink in.

"Leader?" Felicity questioned.

Une's mouth was set into a grim line.

"How do I plan on doing this you ask?" Barton raised an eyebrow. "Quite simple. In fact, so simple I have already accomplished it. I have taken over all forms of electronically controlled devices. You are all now completely dependent on me. Your communications systems will not work, unless I allow it. Power, gas, oil, the economy; all of it is now controlled by me."

Une could just imagine the chaos this was going to cause.

"For the disbelievers amongst you all, I have a little demonstration." Barton turned to bark an order to someone off screen, then returned to continue. "I have complete control over the transport grids. I suggest you watch carefully."

The screen changed and several small squares appeared, all telecasting different areas of the transport industry. All were presumably different places on the earth. A busy intersection came into focus in one square – the traffic lights all changed to green. Trains hurtling down lines found their signals on green. Aircraft above the earth suddenly found themselves all flying on the same flight pattern – at the same height.

"Oh my god," Une exclaimed as she watched the scenes unfold. Beside her Felicity screamed.

Two planes collided in mid air. Trains ran either into the back of each other or hit head on. The intersections were one of complete carnage – vehicles colliding with each other all over the place.

And then it all went back to normal. Those people responsible for directing the various forms of transport suddenly had their control back.

"As you can see, I am not joking, nor am I to be trifled with. My demands are simple. The entire board of the ESUN is to stand down. I will appoint my own council to oversee the running of the colonies and the earth. I will restore the communications grids for one hour, that should be more than enough time for discussion. One hour, I suggest you use it wisely."

The screen blanked out.

* * *

[Satellite XRB 23 Control Room]

Barton sat back in his chair as the broadcast was cut. "That should give them something to think about," he muttered.

The control room was deathly silent.

"Craven!?" Barton barked.

"Y – Yes, sir?"

"Restore the communications grids."

"Yes, sir." Craven tapped away at the keyboard, face pale. "Communications restored, sir."

"Good. I think I will take a walk and prepare for the next phase." Barton stood. "The rest of you can carry on." Turning, he left the room, Zaheer right behind him.

Once the door had closed behind him, the room broke out into wild chatter. All had known what the Firecell could do, but to see exactly how deadly it could be before their very eyes brought the reality home.

In the corner Hawkins slumped in his chair. "Oh, god, please forgive me," he whispered.

* * *

[Corridor on Satellite XRB 23]

Duo moved silently, but swiftly down the corridor, Duric following closely behind him. Reaching the end of the corridor, Duo approached it with caution, slowing and melding himself against the wall. He listened carefully and could detect voices, but they were very faint so he gathered they must be a distance away from where he was.

Carefully, he inched towards the corner and peeked around. Further down the corridor were several of Barton's men, all standing around and discussing something.

"Damn," Duo muttered.

"What is it?" Duric demanded and tried to push forward for a look.

Duo shoved him back against the wall. Duric gave a growl.

"Shut the fuck up and stay back unless you want Barton to know we've escaped," Duo snarled, making sure to keep his voice low. "There's a bunch of Barton's men down there."

"I don't see them as being much of a threat to a hot shot like you; or was it all just talk?" Duric sneered the last words out.

"You're a fucking asshole, you know that? I should have killed you ages ago." Duo could feel his temper beginning to get the better of him. Not good. With this pregnancy playing havoc with his hormones, Duo knew he would have to be extra careful – but Duric was seriously getting under his skin.

Duric managed to catch Duo off guard and slid forward to look around the end of the corridor. Unfortunately, one of the group chose that particular moment to glance down the corridor and spotted the movement.

The soldier frowned and blinked his eyes, squinting as he took another look.

"What's up?" one of the others asked, noting his friend's distraction.

"I'm not sure. I thought I saw something down there," the soldier replied.

The other soldier turned to look. "I don't see anything, but we could go take a better look if you like?"

"It's probably nothing."

"Better to be safe." By this time the rest of the group had heard the conversation so they all decided to walk down the corridor and check it out.

"Fuck!" hissed Duo under his breath. "They're all coming this way. Thanks a lot, asshole."

Duric began to scan around the hallway they were currently in, looking for a way of escape. "Fuck you," he snapped.

"We can't run," Duo whispered, noting what Duric was looking for. "They will hear us in a second. We need to find somewhere to hide."

"You can hide, I'm out of here." Duric sprang to his feet and took off down the corridor at a flat out run.

"Of all the fucking stupid, idiotic, moronic things..." Duo gave up on his monologue as he heard the sound of boots in the other corridor suddenly break into a run. A cold sweat ran down his spine and he frantically looked for somewhere to hide. Halfway down there was a door, Duo sprinted for it and hoped it would offer some form of hiding place. Knowing his luck it would be something like the mess hall.

Reaching it, he grabbed the handle, praying it wasn't locked. The door opened and Duo shot inside – almost colliding with the back wall. It was a janitors closet. Buckets, mops and brooms all protested his arrival and he barely managed to catch a steel bucket before it could fall.

The group were almost at the branch in the corridor when they heard someone running. Immediately they all broke into a flat out run and skidded around the corner.

"Stop!" one called out to the retreating figure as the others all scrambled for their guns.

The figure kept on running though.

Taking aim, a soldier called out once more. "Stop or I'll shoot!"

The sound of a bullet being fired from a gun pierced the air.

A couple of corridors over, three agents heard the shot and looked at each other.

"Duo." whispered Quatre and clutched briefly at his heart.

~ * ~

tbc...


	78. Chapter 78

**Thank you to everyone who is reading and warm hugs for the kind reviews!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 78

[Corridors on Satellite XRB 23]

Quatre moaned softly and closed his eyes, Trowa was at his elbow in a flash. Wufei also turned to the blonde a concerned look on his face

"Quatre? Where is Duo? What can you feel?" asked Trowa his voice carrying an urgency to it.

The blonde moaned again and then opened his eyes. "He's close but I'm getting a jumble of emotions from him. He's scared, worried and angry. I - I can feel pain too, but I don't know if he's badly hurt..."

"Let's go," Wufei stated and pulled his gun from inside the shirt he was wearing. Flipping the safety off, he motioned for the others to follow.

Trowa and Quatre followed Wufei's lead, producing their own guns and running after the agent. Trowa cast worried glances to his husband as they moved swiftly and as silently as they could down the corridor. Quatre gave his husband what he hoped was a reassuring smile and did his best to put up shields against the strong emotions he was getting.

*

Hearing the booted feet running after him, Duric sprinted down the corridor. He had no intentions of being locked up again if he could help it. He heard Duo's curses but paid them no mind, opting to try and put as much distance between himself and Barton's men as possible.

"Stop or I'll shoot!"

Duric heard the words but ignored them, he could see another branch in the corridor coming up and intended to take it.

The sound of a gun being discharged rang in his ears a split second before a searing pain shot through his calf muscle and he went tumbling to the ground.

"Fuck!" he screamed as the polished floor took several layers of skin from his elbow and other parts of his body when he skidded along it. Managing to halt his slide, he looked to his leg and noted the blood seeping through the pants.

Pushing his hands against the wall, he did his best to pull himself upright again. He managed to stand, only the tips of his toes on his right leg managing to touch the ground. He tried to limp forward but as soon as he put the right foot to the ground his calf muscle protested, sending sharp pains shooting up his leg and reusing to work at all.

He gave a cry as he tried again, lurching against the wall to stop from hitting the floor once more. And then there were hands on him and a gun pointed to his head.

"I don't think so."

Duric hung his head in defeat.

The soldiers saw the man go down and knew the bullet had connected. Running forward they watched as he tried to get up and continue in his flight, only to have his legs give way on him.

Two soldiers reached forward and grabbed him, pulling him up whilst a third pointed a gun at the prisoner's head. The other two remained just behind, guns at the ready.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked the soldier who held the gun.

Duric looked at him and sneered. "Got tired of sitting in my cell so I thought I'd take the dog for a walk?"

That cost him a punch to the gut.

"Ain't this the dude that was doing some training with part of the army?" asked the fourth soldier.

The fifth grabbed Duric's chin and wrenched his face up. "Yeah, that's him."

"Isn't he supposed to be in a room in 'B' block with that other guy, the one that was doing something with the mobile suits?" questioned soldier two.

The third soldier waved the gun in Duric's face "Taking the dog for a walk, hey? Where is the bitch then?"

It took Duric's mind a few seconds to comprehend what the soldier was talking about. "He's not my bitch," he spat. "I don't swing that way."

"Sure, sure," the soldier jeered. "I'm sure any straight guy could turn gay with him around. He's hot and I'll bet that tight ass of his is a good fuck. But you would know, wouldn't you?"

"I said, I'm not gay!" Duric snapped and tried to break free. A punch to his jaw sent him reeling.

"What you got up to with him doesn't concern me. What I want to know is where is he?"

"I don't know," Duric replied.

"Wrong answer." Another punch to the gut that had Duric gasping for air.

"Last chance. Where is your bitch?"

"I don't know. I took off running and left him in the corridor," Duric wheezed out.

All five soldiers looked back down the corridor.

"He's got to be hiding then." The third soldier who seemed to be the leader of the five studied the corridor. "We search all rooms leading off the corridor, when we find him I want to have a little fun before we take them both to Barton." He added a leer for Duric's benefit.

Duric shuddered.

Turning, the five and their prisoner began to walk back along the corridor.

* * *

[Preventer Shuttle 121]

Heero had almost finished the diagnostic checks on the Gundams when he felt a distinct shudder in the shuttle. He looked up and the lights dimmed a fraction. Pushing the laptop to the side, Heero left it to continue the checks and slid down the side of the Gundam. His feet were running before he'd hit the floor.

Zechs looked up from his perusal of the documents in the folder as the shuttle shuddered. Tossing the papers aside, he grabbed the yoke and studied the control panel. Lights were flickering on and off, the panel instruments going a little haywire.

Heero burst into the cockpit a few seconds later and dropped into the co-pilot's seat. "What is it?" he asked as his eyes traversed the instrument panel and noted the weird readings.

"I don't know," Zechs replied. "One minute everything was fine, the next all this started happening."

Heero's mind worked overtime, cataloging what was happening with the instruments. "Hang on a minute." He reached for the on-board computer console and fingers flew over the keyboard. Moments later the instrument panel returned to normal, the lights came back on at full strength and the shuttle settled into its flight once more.

Heero leaned back in his seat and exhaled a soft puff of air.

"Mind telling me what the hell that was?" Zechs asked, clearly confused.

"I'm ninety nine percent certain that Barton has released the Firecell."

The words hung in the air for a moment.

"_What_?!"

"You heard me."

"How? Why? I thought you said you'd _reprogrammed _the shuttles?"

Heero ran a hand over his face and checked the computer again. "I did. We weren't sure if this Firecell would affect the different file system or not. It seems there's a slight hiccup, but the file system hasn't been taken over."

"Thank god for that." Zechs felt the sweat running down his back. The thought of drifting around in space for evermore and eventually dying from cold, lack of oxygen or starvation wasn't exactly pleasant "You said a hiccup?"

"Hai. The virus has tried to penetrate the system and take over, with the file system being different, it can't so it's looking through all the data base for any files at all it can corrupt. Whilst that is happening the new file system is trying to continue to function and as it does some of its programs are unavailable for a moment or two whilst this virus is looking for a way to penetrate, hence the system going a little haywire."

Zechs raised a pale eyebrow. "What did you do?"

"The system should and would have come back on line within a few more seconds, a minute at the most. I just rebooted the firewall."

Shaking his head, Zechs couldn't help the small snicker. "Firecell. Firewall," he muttered. "Makes sense I suppose."

"We need to contact Une."

"Communications?" Zechs said. "Won't they be affected too?"

"Generally speaking, yes they will. Normal communication forms will most likely be unavailable if this is the Firecell. I did, however, reprogram the Preventer communications network. We should be able to contact headquarters on the headset through the usual channel."

"I hope you're right."

"Only one way to find out." Heero put on his head set, as did Zechs. Fiddling with the radio switch, Heero changed the frequency a touch and then tried his luck.

"Preventer Headquarters, this is Preventer shuttle PA 121, do you copy?"

* * *

[Corridors on Satellite XRB 23]

Hiding inside the janitors closet, Duo heard the soldiers run past and the cry of 'stop or I'll shoot' and following gunshot. He knew Duric would have most likely been hit and that posed another problem for him. Duric would probably rat him out. His eyes had adjusted to the dim light of the tiny room and he frantically searched around for some way to hide himself.

He could still hear the muffled sounds of the soldiers down the hallway and it would only be a matter of time before they came back this way. Scanning around, his stomach sank as he realized there wasn't anywhere he could hide.

The shelves were stocked with cleaning products, brooms, mops and a couple of buckets. The shelves were too small for him to crawl onto and the space at the bottom also too tiny for him to squeeze into.

Duo cursed. If he'd still been fifteen and as skinny as he'd been back in the war, he would have managed to crawl into the small space between the floor and the first shelf. But he wasn't, he'd grown and filled out – and he had a bit of a belly on him to consider too.

Running a hand over the small bulge, Duo's eyes softened. "Don't worry, munchkin. I'll find a way to get us out of here safely," he told the child within.

'How?' his mind asked. Short of putting a bucket on his head and holding a mop or broom in front of him there wasn't much he could do. But he had to try.

He crouched down and wormed his way as best he could to the back of the closet. He pulled several cleaning rags and other items around and over him, trying his best to make himself blend in with the surroundings. Hopefully, if anyone opened the door they would just take a quick look and not let their eyes stray to the floor and he would be safe.

'Yeah, and pigs might fly too.' his mind told him.

The sound of the soldiers making their way along the corridor infiltrated the tiny room and Duo slowed his breathing.

With two soldiers keeping Duric upright between them the remaining three began their search of the corridor doorways. There was a total of four doors leading off the corridor and each one was methodically checked.

The first two yielded empty meeting rooms, those rooms checked from top to bottom just to be sure. The third door opened into a bathroom – obviously unoccupied much to the soldiers' relief.

They came to the last door and paused. "You'd better pray we find him soon otherwise Barton won't be too happy with you," the third soldier sneered.

Duric just slumped in his captors arms, unable to hold himself up at all. The blood loss, whilst not too serious had made him a little light headed. The pain in his leg was a dull, throbbing ache when he was still, and on fire when he was forced to move. The thought of what Barton would do to him though sent chills down his spine.

Two soldiers stepped forward and yanked the door open.

Inside the closet, Duo was doing his best to become one with the cleaning items. When the door opened and light shone in, he was forced to close his eyes momentarily.

Then all hell broke loose.

The soldiers spotted Duo crouched low in the corner, Duo sprang forth at the same time, clobbering one in the face with a metal bucket and swinging a mop at the other.

The soldiers were taken by surprise. The one who had 'worn' the bucket fell backwards, hands scrabbling at his face as the blood from his broken nose spattered all around. The other soldier managed to pull the mop strands from his face only to have a bottle of cleaning fluid pointed at him and then squirted.

"Ah, shit!" he screamed as the chemicals began to burn his flesh.

"That's enough!"

Duo found himself facing off against a loaded weapon and an extremely pissed off looking soldier on the other end of it. He looked at the bottle of bleach he still held and shrugged his shoulders. When it came down to it, it might be a clean death, but there was no way a bottle of bleach could defeat a loaded gun.

"Put it down."

Duo lowered the bleach to the ground and stood back up, hands raised in surrender.

"Step out, slowly and keep the hands where I can see them."

Duo did as ordered.

Keeping his gun trained on Duo, the soldier spoke to his companions. "Get Fletcher and Barnes to the bathroom; and shut the fuck up. "

One soldier remained holding Duric whilst the other went to assist his fellow soldiers back to the bathroom a little further back down the hallway.

Duo looked at the soldier currently pointing the gun at him and weighed up his options. He could try to jump the man, disarm him and take the gun. Problem there was the other soldier who also had his gun out. He would most likely disarm the one in front of him, but the other would have shot him before he could fire himself. Not a good option.

He could try for a kick, disarm soldier boy and then try to take out the other guy. A slightly better option. He could try for the kick and hope that Duric had enough brain cells to also go for the one guarding him who would be distracted for a second. On second thoughts, better scrap that option, Duric didn't look like he could fight his way out of a wet paper bag right now.

Third option would be to go along with them until he had a chance to either distract and overpower them or escape. Knowing he was carrying another life within that was totally dependent on him, Duo decided to go with the third option.

"I told you not to run," Duo hissed at Duric, doing his best to put the distraction part of his plan into operation.

"It beat the hell out of hiding in a fucking broom closet," Duric snarled back.

"We wouldn't have been caught if you'd listened to me," Duo snapped.

"Yeah? And I suppose you were going to take on Barton's fucking army using bottles of bleach and disinfectant?! What did you hope to do? Kill them with cleanliness?"

"Actually, I had planned on using the broomstick to fly away out of here," Duo sneered with sarcasm. Seriously, he really hadn't thought ahead of just managing to get to the shuttle bay area. He glanced at the soldiers still holding them captive and noted his idea of distraction was working.

"You know your problem? You live in a fucking fantasy world," Duric snarled.

Duo was ready to make his move, muscles coiled and ready to strike when the other three soldiers stepped out of the small bathroom.

"That's enough!" the soldier who appeared to be in charge snapped. He waved the gun in Duo's face, destroying all chance of taking the soldier by surprise. "The pair of you, shut up." Gun still trained on Duo, the soldier spoke to his fellow soldiers, keeping his eye on Duo all the time. "Status report!"

"Broken nose and superficial cuts, but still functional," Fletcher replied.

"Chemical burns to the eyes and face. Hurts like a bitch and he can't can't see properly," replied the soldier who had accompanied the others on Barnes' behalf.

"It fucking hurts and I need to see a medic as soon as I can," stated Barnes.

The soldier thought for a moment. "Okay. Here's the plan. We will take the prisoners to Barton, swinging by the medic station on the way and drop off Fletcher and Barnes."

"Fine with me." replied one soldier. The others nodded.

"Right. You," he said indicating to Duo, " You walk ahead and don't try anything, I'm right behind you with a gun trained on your back. Waddle, you bring the other prisoner. Barnes and Fletcher can assist each other and Hewitt, you bring up the rear."

The soldiers all nodded and fell into position.

"Squad, move out."

Duo felt the shove of the gun's muzzle against the small of his back and stepped forward. A movement up ahead caught his eye and he blinked, unsure of what he'd seen. Reaching the end of the corridor, Duo turned to the left, eyes peeled. There was another brief movement and Duo caught it. He gave an unholy smile as he recognized both the movement and the hand.

*

Hearing voices up ahead, the three Preventer agents slowed their run and dropped to a walk. All melted into the shadows and inched their way along until they came to the juncture of a corridor.

The voices were louder here; one they recognized immediately.

"Duo," hissed Quatre.

Whilst they couldn't make out the full conversation, they could hear snippets. Wufei rummaged around in his pockets and produced a small, dental like mirror. He slid the thing around the corner of the wall and the three agents watched, eyes wide as they saw Duo and several soldiers conversing in the corridor.

"What do we do?" Quatre asked.

"We have to get Duo out of there," Trowa stated.

"We can't go in there with guns blazing, not only do we run the very tangible risk of Duo being killed, but it would alert even more people to our presence," Wufei said flatly.

"I know that," Trowa huffed.

"We need to take them out, surprise them," Quatre offered.

"How?"

A few more snippets of conversation came their way and Quatre's eyes gleamed. "They plan on taking Duo to Barton, but via the medical section. Wufei? Look up on your palm top where the medical section is located."

Chang duly checked. "It's located here and we are currently here." he pointed out.

"Then they will need to come down this corridor to get there." Quatre closed his eyes as he thought. Opening them again he looked squarely at Chang. "Wufei, I know you're in charge, but here's my plan. Once you hear it it's up to you if we go with it."

Chang nodded.

"Right. I suggest Trowa hides in the room back there, you and I hide in another room further up ahead. When they have come down this corridor far enough we give a hand signal. The more able bodied soldiers are at the front and back. Wufei, you and I will take out the two at the front, Trowa will come from behind and take out the rear guard. Then we can take out the three injured, although I don't think they will be too hard to take down."

"And Duo?" questioned Trowa.

"As they come around the corner you will be the closest to them. See if you can give Duo a hand signal from when we were in the war to warn him. Otherwise I guess he will get the gist of what is going on and use his common sense."

Wufei snorted. "Common sense?"

"Contrary to belief, he does have some, _Wufei_," Quatre returned with an added emphasis on Wufei's name.

Chang wisely opted to hold his tongue.

"Well, is this an acceptable plan?" Quatre asked as he looked from Trowa to Wufei and back again.

"Yes. It seems our most logical choice and I can't think of anything better or even remotely close to it," Wufei conceded.

"Good, let's get into position then, I think they're starting to move."

Wufei and Quatre ducked inside a room, peering out the door as Trowa slunk down the corridor for one last look around the corner with the mirror. He noted the soldiers forming up, Duo at the front and he quickly pulled the mirror back and turned to head for his own hiding spot. He nodded to the others as he located his doorway and stepped inside, pushing the door to almost closed after himself.

Wufei and Quatre moved back inside their own room, leaving the door open a crack to watch for their approaching targets.

Trowa flattened himself against the wall, eyes watching for when Duo would step around the wall. As soon as he spotted the long haired man, Trowa slid his hand out, gave a signal and then pulled his hand back.

Duo walked forward, eyes scanning ahead and body prepared. "You know, you don't have to take us to Barton," he began, thinking that if he could keep the soldiers' attention on himself it would help those that were lying in wait - if he'd read the signal correctly; and he was pretty sure he had.

"Shut up," snarled the leader.

"You could just come with us and get off this floating piece of space junk. Barton's plan isn't going to succeed."

"Of course it will," snarled Waddle.

They passed by a doorway, Duo's eyes sliding to the left and noting the sliver of a crack

Duo shrugged. "Your funeral."

"Barton will succeed, he has this all planned out," snapped Hewitt.

Duo gave a laugh. "So stupid. Just wait and see, the shit will hit the FAN!" As Duo yelled out the word 'fan' he suddenly dropped to the ground, taking his captors completely by surprise.

Hearing the code word, Trowa jumped out from behind the group as Wufei and Quatre shot out from in front.

"Freeze!" yelled Wufei. "You're all under arrest."

The group all froze for a brief second, then the leader and Waddle began to fire at Quatre and Wufei. Behind the group, Trowa had grabbed Hewitt, intending to disarm the soldier. Fletcher had seen what was going on and fumbled for his weapon, spinning around to take a shot at Trowa. Barnes was caught in the middle along with Duric, neither man sure of what to do.

Noting the threat, Trowa raised his own gun and sent a bullet into Fletcher's brain. Hewitt managed to twist around and punch Trowa in the gut, pulling himself and his gun free from the agent. Trowa was quick to respond, the knife strapped to his thigh freed in a second and following the fist through to land in Hewitt's gut.

Quatre and Wufei ducked back into the doorway, using it as a cover. They returned the fire, Wufei taking aim and managing to shoot the leader through the shoulder, sending the man to the ground in agony. A second bullet pierced the heart and the body lay still.

Quatre was aiming for Waddle who suddenly dropped and grabbed for Duo's ankle, trying to pull the man towards him and use him as a shield.

Barnes was caught in the cross fire and went down as a bullet creased his thigh. With his vision blurry from the chemicals, he had no chance.

Duo managed to kick himself free, scrambling across the floor and staying low. Waddle sent a bullet in his direction and Duo tried to flatten himself against the floor. The bullet whizzed by, nicking his left biceps.

The pain was sharp and intense, Duo flinching and biting his tongue to stop from crying out. The anger inside him flared, violet eyes changed shades to a deep purple and the demon within surged forth.

Quatre doubled over with the pain in his heart, the emotions rolling off Duo were too much for him to cope with and he desperately tried to slam his shields up.

Waddle grabbed Duric and hauled the man to his feet, holding him in front and backing up to the wall. He had Duo and Wufei on his left, Trowa on his right. "Put your weapons down and surrender otherwise I will kill him," he snarled.

Duo snatched up the gun from the lifeless fingers of the lead soldier and checked the chamber. Two bullets remained. He crouched and then raised his head to look squarely at Waddle and Duric.

Swallowing hard, Waddle noticed the slightly demonic look on that face. Duric saw the flames of hell burning in purple eyes and barely managed not to wet himself.

"Didn't you hear what I said?" Waddle shouted. "Put down your weapons or he dies!"

"Oh, I heard you all right," Duo replied, his voice calm and icy as he raised himself to his full height. "What makes you think I give a shit about him?"

"Ah?" Waddle exclaimed, clearly confused.

Duric's eyes were as wide as saucers. "M- M- Maxwell... Just do as he says. Remember I kept you alive..."

Duo's eyes turned to meet Duric's. "You kidnapped my son," he said, tone deadly. "No one, no one touches or threatens what is mine and lives."

Spotting the finger on the trigger about to move, Duo took aim and pulled. The gun recoiled twice in his hand, both bullets slamming into the chest of Duric, piercing the heart. Still holding Duric against him, Waddle gave a sneer, but then everything started to go dark around him and he pushed Duric from him. As the body slipped to the floor, Waddle looked at his own chest and the blossoming crimson stain appearing. Both bullets had passed through Duric and lodged in his own heart.

He began to slide down the wall, the shadows enfolding him. As his life force ebbed, he looked up into purple eyes.

"I am Shinigami and I have come for your soul."

~ * ~

tbc...


	79. Chapter 79

**Thank you to everyone for reading and warm hugs for the kind reviews. Now that Gold is complete I will be working more on this so updates will be more frequent.**

**Unbetaed as my beta is currently MIA. Please forgive any errors.**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 79

[Preventer Headquarters]

Une stared at the blank screen for a few minutes, her brain scrambling to comprehend what she'd seen. Felicity was as white as a sheet, a soft whimper escaping her lips as tears tracked down her face.

"Those poor people," Felicity murmured, trying to get herself back under control.

Ignoring the secretary, Une reached for the phone again and to her relief, it was working. She set the handset back down and turned to her distraught secretary. "Felicity!" she barked. "Get a hold of yourself."

The harsh tone worked and the secretary pulled herself from her unpleasant thoughts. "Ma'am?"

"Get back out to your desk and contact all sections of Preventer. I need to know what areas we still have functioning and what areas aren't. Once you have a list compiled, see what you can find out in regards to the rest of the earth sphere. I want to know exactly what this asshole has taken over."

"Right away, ma'am." Felicity darted out of the room to do as requested, happy to have something to distract her.

Une closed her eyes for a second, took a deep breath and picked up the phone. She punched in the numbers and waited.

"Senator Relena Peacecraft's office," came the shaky voice down the line.

"This is Commander Une from Preventer. I need to speak with the senator immediately."

"Yes,ma'am. I'll put you through."

Une drummed her fingers on the desk for a moment as the call was transferred.

"Une? What the hell is going on?"

"Relena. I take it you saw the broadcast?"

"Yes, I think everybody did."

"Relena, this is serious. I need all the ESUN delegates to get together for an emergency meeting - now."

"But, Une. That's impossible. Not all the senators are here. Some are on vacation, others are off planet. It will take a few days to get them all together."

"We don't have a few days, Relena. We have one hour. We need to get them all together now, those that are present have them meet in the boardroom. Those that are not available in person, organize a video link. I don't care what it takes, just have them all ready, together as this is no joke. Barton intends to take over and trust me, with this virus he has, he can do it."

"I'll do my best, Une. Will you be joining us?"

"I'll be there within half an hour."

"Okay. I'll do what I can and meet you in the boardroom."

"Thank you, Relena."

Une hung up the phone and sighed.

"Commander?"

"Yes, Felicity?"

"Communications has called, there's a call for you from one of the shuttles, transport shuttle 121 I think they said."

"Shit! Okay, thanks, Felicity. I'm on my way to communications now."

"Right, Commander. Shall I send the report through to you there?"

"I'll call you when I've finished in communications."

"Okay, Commander."

Une pushed her chair back and left her office, walking as fast as she dared. Rather than take the elevator as she wasn't sure if it was still working or not, she opted for the stairs and thanked Preventer policy that she was still fit. Part of the contract insisted that all employees maintained a certain level of fitness according to their area of employment.

Arriving at the floor where the communications section was based, Une managed to catch her breath before stepping into the area.

"Ah, Commander," Sun greeted. "We have a call coming through from transport shuttle 121. Agent Day wishes to speak with you on a matter of urgency."

"Thank you, Sun." Une followed the Agent through to the main section and took the offered head set. She sat down and nodded to Sky to let the transmission go ahead.

"Agent Day, Commander Une here. Report please."

* * *

[Preventer Transport Shuttle 121]

Heero put on the headset and adjusted the frequency. Pushing a couple of buttons and flipping a switch, he did his best to contact headquarters.

"Preventer headquarters, this is Preventer shuttle PA 121. Do you copy?"

Zechs had also slipped on a headset and waited patiently or any signs that their communication was being received.

"Preventer headquarters, this is Preventer shuttle PA 121. Do you read?"

Soft static came down the line. Then...

"Preventer shuttle PA 121, this is Preventer communications, we copy you."

"Thank god," Zechs breathed.

"Preventer communications, this is Agent Day here. I need to speak with Commander Une immediately. It is urgent."

"Copy that, Agent Day. Have requested Commander's presence and she will be here shortly. Anything we can do in the meantime?"

"Is that you, Agent Sky?"

"Yes, Sky here and also Sun is monitoring too."

"Sky, can you tell me if the communications section is working properly?"

"One moment." Sky turned to Sun and the pair scanned all frequencies used by the Preventer network.

"Agent Day?"

"I'm here."

"As far as we can ascertain, all frequencies are operating as normal and we are in touch with all agents currently on assignments."

"Thank god for that," Heero sighed.

"Agent Day, the Commander is here."

"Thank you, Sky."

There was a brie moment of silence and then Une's voice came over the line.

"Agent Day, Commander Une here. Report please."

"Commander, this is Agent Day. I need to confirm if Barton has released the Firecell."

"Yes, he has. Didn't you see the broadcast?"

"Broadcast? No, we didn't get anything at all like that."

Une sighed. "It wasn't very pleasant. I will have the communications section try to send it through to the shuttle for you."

"I'd appreciate it. What happened?"

"He pretty much demanded that the entire board of the ESUN stand down. He intends to replace them with his own people and rule the earth and colonies. The broadcast was sent to all areas capable of receiving the transmission as far as I can tell. He did announce that he intends to take over everything electronic within the earth and colonies. He's released the Firecell and given us all a demonstration." Une went quiet for a moment.

"I see." Heero didn't press for details, he could well assume what sort of demonstration Barton would have given. "Commander, do you happen to know how far Agent Copper has gotten with the data base conversion?"

"At this point, no I don't. I can confirm that your assumption of the filing system was correct. The Preventer communications network is still fully operational, and I think it's safe to say that the shuttles are too as I'm talking to you."

"Only just," muttered Zechs.

"Agent Wind? Was there a problem?"

"No, not really," Zechs replied.

"Then please tell me what happened."

"We had a brief moment when all the systems went a little haywire. Agent Day believes it to have been caused by the Firecell virus attempting to seek out and corrupt the computer system. Day managed to reboot the firewall and everything returned back to normal immediately."

"I see."

"The systems would have all come back on line within a minute anyway," Heero stated. "The Firecell wouldn't have found any files to infiltrate so it would have given up and everything would have returned to normal."

"At least that's one thing we don't have to worry about. Preventers owes you quite the debt for this foresight, Agent Day."

"It was nothing, Commander," Heero replied, blushing a little. "Have you had any contact with Fire and the others?"

"Not yet. They are due to report in somewhere in the next hour."

Heero chewed on a thumbnail. "What about Barton and his demands?"

"I've contacted Relena. Barton kindly allowed the communications grids to come back on line, although I don't know if anything else is and for how long. We have an hour before he contacts us again to find out what the ESUN has to say. I have contacted Relena and she is organizing an emergency meeting as we speak." Une glanced at her watch. "I have to go, I'm meeting them there in twenty minutes. What is your ETA for the satellite?"

Heero checked the console whilst Zechs typed in commands to the computer.

"Our ETA is two and a half to three hours."

"Right. Day, Wind. You have your mission brief, I'll have the footage of Barton sent through to you as soon as I can. Once I know what the ESUN is planning on doing, I'll contact you again. If there are any changes in the meantime, contact communications and Sky or Sun will contact me. I'll be taking one of the comm units with me in case the lines go down again."

"Roger that, Commander."

"Une out."

"Day, out." Heero removed his head set an dry washed his face. "I'm going to go back to the cargo hold and finish off the diagnostic checks. Once that footage comes through, call me."

Zechs nodded and turned back to the blueprints of the satellite. Heero left for the cargo bay, determined to have the tests finished in record time.

* * *

[Corridors on Satellite XRB 23]

"Duo. Duo, are you okay?"

The soft voice broke through and into Duo's head. Slowly the flames died in his eyes and he turned around to see Trowa standing at his side, posture relaxed, voice a low tone, the tone Trowa used when dealing with wild or skittish animals.

"Tro?" Duo croaked out.

"Yeah, Duo. I'm here. So are Wufei and Quatre."

Wufei stood warily a few feet away, gun still aimed at Barnes who was the only surviving soldier of the five. Behind him, Quatre leaned against the door jamb, one hand pressed against his heart whilst his face wore a grimace of pain.

"Wuffers? Quat?" Duo's eyes clearly saw his friends before him, but his mind was still very hazy.

"Here, Duo. You're hurt. Let me take a look at that," Trowa cajoled.

Duo's eyes glanced down at the blood dripping from his arm and registered the tear in his sleeve where the bullet had creased him. "Fuck!" he swore as the pain suddenly re-established itself.

Trowa sidled forward, not willing to make any sudden moves as it was obvious to him that his friend was in shock, not to mention he wasn't sure how far Shinigami had retreated back into Duo's psyche – and the last thing he wanted right now was to be dealing with that alter ego.

"H-Heero?"

"He's on his way," Trowa soothed.

"You can stand down for a little while, Agent Night," Wufei said, careful to keep his tone calm.

"Tro? I don't feel so good." Duo suddenly slumped forward as the world spun. Trowa surged forth and caught him before he could hit the ground.

"Well, shit." Quatre took a shuddering breath as the pain of his empathy eased as Duo fell unconscious. He pulled himself upright and walked towards his husband and friend.

Wufei shook his head. "We need to get him back to the shuttle and treat his wounds. We also have to report in."

"I know," Trowa replied.

"What about this lot?" Quatre pointed to the dead soldiers and one still alive.

"Dump the bodies in the closet, but remove the uniform off that one first," Wufei replied. "We can dress Duo in it in case we meet any more soldiers on our way back to the shuttle."

"And the live one?"

"Toss him in there too," Wufei growled.

"Wufei! Where's you sense of honor?" Quatre asked, a little affronted that the Chinese man would suggest such a thing.

"Where was theirs when they took Maxwell?" Wufei returned with a lift of an ebony eyebrow.

"Good point." Quatre and Wufei quickly stripped the one soldier of his uniform, handing it to Trowa to dress Duo in whilst they piled the bodies up in the janitors closet. Barnes was the last one in and still unconscious.

"I doubt he will be coming around for a while yet, and when he does he's not going to be getting out of here in a hurry," Wufei smirked as he closed the door.

Trowa had Duo changed and had done his best to clean up the blood in the corridor. The mop came in rather handy, even if there wasn't any water. Bleach had done the trick and most of the blood was gone.

The strong smell of ammonia had Duo stirring and he cracked open his eyes, keeping them as slits until he was sure he wasn't in any danger and recognized his friends. "Quat?"

"I'm here, Duo." Quatre settled on his haunches next to his friend, relieved that Duo's emotions were now on a more even keel.

"Are you for real?" Duo reached out his hand and touched Quatre's face.

"I'm real, Duo." The tears began to well in Quatre's eyes. "I'm so glad we found you," he said with a hitch in his voice.

"I didn't think I was ever going to see any of you again," Duo murmured.

"If we don't get moving now, it's unlikely any of us will see tomorrow," Wufei muttered.

Quatre gave Wufei a glare and then turned back to Duo to assist the man to rise. "Come on, we have to get you out of here."

Duo allowed himself to be pulled up, his legs a little wobbly for a few moments. His head cleared and he shook off the blonde's hand. "I'm okay now, Quatre. I can walk by myself."

Nodding, the blonde moved aside a little, still remaining close enough to assist if Duo should need it.

"Where are we going?" Duo asked as Wufei began to lead them down the corridor.

"We have a shuttle just outside the shuttle bay. For the sake of our cover, tuck your braid down the back of your shirt and keep your eyes low. Just walk as if we are a unit," Wufei commanded.

Duo did as requested, doing his best to keep up the pace with his ankle still not fully recovered and his arm hurting like a bitch.

Trowa noticed the slight limp but before he could question it, Duo had another question.

"A shuttle? Please tell me you haven't alerted Barton to your presence by just flying in here," Duo said with a grunt.

"Maxwell, we are not that stupid!" Wufei growled. "The shuttle is cloaked."

"Ah, one of Howard's specials, eh?" Duo gave a slight grin.

"Yes, it is if you must know."

"Duo? Where else are you hurt?" Trowa asked.

"I'm fine, Tro," Duo replied.

"No, you're not. Aside from the bullet crease, your gait has a slight limp to it and your carrying yourself as if your chest is sore."

"No fooling you, is there," Duo groused. "Look, wait until we're safely back on the shuttle and I'll tell you what hurts. But before any of that I need to speak with Une, let her know all I have learnt whilst being here and what Barton is up to."

"We do have to contact headquarters," Wufei stated and looked at his watch. "We have half an hour in which to do so and Une will be keen to learn what you know."

"For once the almighty Chang agrees with me," Duo snickered and then grimaced as a fresh bout of pain washed over his arm. "Fuck, that hurts."

"I suggest we speed things up a little," Quatre said and the group increased their pace, Trowa keeping a close eye on Duo and making sure the other man could keep up without hurting himself further.

They were lucky and didn't come across anyone who would question their being where they were. They did pass a couple of patrols, but neither paid them any attention, they were all too busy discussing Barton's release of the Firecell.

As they walked, Duo did his best to eavesdrop on the conversations of those they passed. Any further information he could gather would come in very useful.

Wufei motioned for them all to stop and they ducked into an alcove. "The shuttle port is through there. We need to be very careful as I don't know if anyone is in there monitoring. Stay close, wait for the signals and keep quiet."

Wufei took the lead, Quatre behind him, then Duo; Trowa brought up the rear. They melted into the shadows, inching forward and watching carefully. Suddenly, Wufei raised his hand and all three behind him froze. Motioning for them to remain where they were, Wufei crept forward, careful to keep himself hidden. After a couple of minutes, he returned to the others.

"There's two men in the shuttle bay, looks like they're servicing the shuttle. We can get to where we left the suits without being detected, but we will need to re-evaluate from there."

The three nodded and once more they pressed forward. When they reached the section where they'd hidden their suits, Wufei quickly pulled them out and handed them around.

"Thanks, 'Fei," Duo said as he took the suit offered to him, relieved that there was one for him.

Quickly, they donned the suits, placing their helmets on but leaving the visors open. They wouldn't need to close them until they got to the pressurization chamber. And that's where the problem lay. The men working on the shuttle sat between them and the chamber. Even if they managed to get to the chamber the men would hear it as it depressurized.

"I'm open for suggestions," Wufei said as they lurked in the shadows to the side of the shuttle bay.

Silence greeted him.

"Okay. Let me rephrase that. Does anyone have any ideas how we can get out of here?" Wufei tried again.

"We could always knock them out."

"Why not just walk right up to them and ask them to ignore any unusual goings on, including four people aiming for the outside?" Duo said with sarcasm.

"Wufei did ask for suggestions," Quatre huffed.

"I think he meant something a little more subtle," Trowa soothed.

"Errr, guys. You might want to take a look," Duo interrupted.

All four turned their eyes back to the shuttle bay and the men working there. Only they weren't working any longer. They were in the process of putting their tools away. A moment later the two men headed for the doorway and left the shuttle bay area.

"What time is it?" Duo asked.

"Eleven, I think," Trowa replied, unable to confirm as he couldn't see his watch under his space suit. "Why?"

"Thank heavens for Unions, work to rule and tea breaks," Duo muttered.

"Pardon?" Quatre was clearly lost.

"They're on their tea break. We have about ten minutes to get out of here before they return," Duo replied. "Now, are we going to stand here and discuss the merits of working to rule or are we going to take advantage of it and get the hell out of here?"

"This way," Wufei growled and the four made their way to the depressurization chamber.

Once inside everyone closed and sealed their visors, Wufei pushed the buttons and the chamber hummed, hissed and then vibrated softly. Within a couple of minutes it stopped and the door to the outside of the satellite opened with a hiss.

Duo looked around but couldn't see anything. "You sure there's a shuttle out here?" he questioned.

"This way," Wufei's tinny voice said over the intercom. With the palm top in hand, Wufei was able to follow the guidance system to the exact coordinates of the shuttle. A couple of minutes later and they were all inside and once more going through the pressurization sequence.

The door opened and the four stepped out into the shuttle.

"Suits off first, then I'll contact Une," Wufei stated and the other three obeyed.

"Maxwell, you come with me to the cockpit and we will report in. Barton, fetch the medical kit and meet us up there." Wufei turned to leave and then stopped as another voice spoke up.

"What about me?" Quatre stood there with his hands on his hips.

"I think a nice cup of tea would be most welcome," Wufei responded and then left, Duo following him and doing his best not to snicker.

"Tea?! He wants me to make tea?!" Quatre thundered.

"I'm going to get the medical kit. I'll see you in the cockpit," Trowa said quickly and then took off running. No way was he going to hang around whilst his lover had his meltdown.

"I'll give him fucking tea!"

* * *

[Satellite XRB 23]

Barton sat in his office, hands folded under his chin as he looked to the three sitting opposite him. Taking a breath, he began to speak. "I have released the Firecell and given the earth a look at what we are capable of. I have restored all back to normal for the moment and given them one hour in order to discuss my proposal."

"And if they refuse?" Wainright asked.

"Then the Firecell will take over and we just sit back and watch them destroy themselves." Barton smirked. "There is nothing the ESUN will be able to do to calm the people and get them back under control."

"Are you sure this will work?" Richards questioned.

Barton snorted. "Of course it will work. If I know the ESUN, they will refuse to stand down. That's when we let the Firecell take over completely. Chaos will ensue, panic will follow and then the citizens will begin their rioting, looting and generally falling back on their basic, animal instincts. They will force the ESUN to stand down."

"You sound very confident," Richards stated.

"I am. I have seen how people react when you take away all their comforts, the things they have relied upon and take for granted. Trust me, they will begin rioting. How long it will take before the ESUN is overpowered and forced to resign I can't tell you. But I know it won't take long."

Wainright shifted in his chair. "And just how then will you restore law and order?"

"When the time is right I will head for the earth with my army."

"Won't they be a little overwhelmed? There's not all that many of them compared to the earth sphere population."

"That is why I will send the mobile suits first."

~ * ~

tbc...


	80. Chapter 80

**Thanks to everyone or reading and for the kind reviews. Still quite a lot to happen before this one is finished with.**

**Enjoy...**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 80

[ESUN Headquarters]

Une brought her car to a stop and parked it in the ESUN parking area beneath the building. The drive from Preventer had been nothing short of a nightmare. Obviously Barton's little broadcast had been witnessed by the majority of the earth sphere and people were starting to panic. She made a mental note to try and contact the police departments and see what they were doing about this, they were going to need some sort of presence out and about to stop the fear before it got to the anger and resentment stage, and Une hadn't witnesses a lot in the way of the boys in blue.

It would have to wait though, right now she had more pressing problems.

Entering the building, she found it also in a state of chaos. Ignoring it as best she could, she took the stairs and made her way to the floor where Relena's office and the boardrooms were situated. Entering the room, she paused to take in the sight and took a deep breath. This was not going to be easy.

Relena had done an excellent job in getting together the senators she could in the short space of time. Shame they all didn't act with the same maturity that Relena was showing. Right now they were all bickering amongst themselves.

Relena was doing her best to keep the peace, but it was futile. Comments were flowing thick and fast – none of them nice either. Everyone it seemed had their own opinion on the situation and they were not at all happy with having their day disrupted in this manner. Having seen and heard enough, Une walked over to the empty chair next to Relena. Putting her fingers to her mouth, she let fly with an ear piercing whistle – one Duo would have been proud of.

Immediately the room fell silent as senators blocked their ears and turned angry glares at the source of the noise.

"Thank you," Une said as they ceased their arguing. "Senators, please be seated, we have much to discuss," Une addressed them and then took her own seat. Beside her Relena gave her a grateful smile.

The muttering had started again amongst the senators, but Une ignored it for the moment, instead she turned to Relena. "How many are missing?"

"There's eight we couldn't get in touch with. I have six who are off planet on video feed and a further four who are on earth but on other continents. They are also on vid feed. It's the best I could do."

"That's fine, Relena. Thank you for getting them all here with such short notice." Une turned her attention back to the senators and the muttering that was starting to pick up in volume. Before it could get any louder, she stood up and cleared her throat.

"Senators. Thank you all for responding so quickly to this urgent meeting. I take it you have all witnessed the broadcast?"

The majority of heads nodded the affirmative and there were a few muttered 'yeses' in there too.

"Then you are all aware of Barton's demands and what he is capable of if we do not meet those demands?"

Again, more nods and mutters.

"As of this moment, we have forty-five minutes left in which to discuss those demands and decide what to do about them."

"I think it's perfectly clear what we do about this Barton fellow and his demands. No way am I standing down," Senator Harvey stated firmly.

"Hear, hear," muttered several others.

"If the ESUN board stands down then the earth and the colonies will be thrown into chaos," Senator Lynch put in.

"If we don't stand down then we're going to be thrown into chaos anyway, probably worse," muttered Adams.

"I think you would have to agree, Commander, it isn't in the best interests of the board to stand down and let this... this common man take over," Williams confronted.

"Whether it be in the best interests or not for the board is not for me to say. My concern is for the public, the citizens of earth and the colonies. They are the ones that will suffer. Already there is unrest, uncertainty out there on the streets. People are scared, they don't know what is happening and it won't be long before that fear turns to anger," Une snapped.

"Senators, please." Relena stood up. "It is quite obvious from what Barton has said that he wants the board to stand down so he can take over the rule of the earth and colonies. After seeing what he's already done, I don't think we have that much choice in the matter..."

"Senator Peacecraft, we cannot just vacate our positions and leave the earth and colonies in the hands of a madman!" Harvey exclaimed.

"I'm not suggesting that we hand over complete control to this man," Relena returned.

"He already has complete control," Une muttered.

"What was that, Commander? Could you please repeat that so we can all hear?" Williams snarled.

"I said, he already has complete control," Une growled.

"And what exactly do you mean by that?"

"I thought you saw the broadcast?" Une shot back with a raised eyebrow.

"You obviously are aware of more than we are; elaborate, Commander," demanded Williams.

Une gave a sigh and began to explain what she knew of the Firecell and how it would affect the earth and colonies. The senators all sat and listened, shock dawning on a few faces as they suddenly had a much clearer insight into what this virus was capable of.

"Isn't it your job and that of the people you employ at Preventer to stop this sort of thing from happening?" questioned Lynch.

"Yes, it is."

"Then you haven't done your job properly, have you? Obviously not if this Barton fellow has managed to get this far."

Une bristled. "How dare you!" she snarled.

"The truth hurts, does it, Commander?" sneered Lynch.

"Preventer is doing everything it possibly can to stop this Barton from achieving his goals."

"Then it's not enough if he's already released this Firecell virus."

"For your information, senator," Une spat, "I currently have agents working around the clock to try and stall this virus. I have agents en-route to arrest this Barton and his followers, risking their lives to save ungrateful idiots like you..."

"If you have a way to stall this virus, why haven't we been informed? It seems quite obvious to me that Preventer has known about this for some time, and yet you didn't think it necessary to inform the ESUN board? Or to prevent this from happening in the first place?" Lynch snorted. "Call themselves Preventers; more like a group of little old ladies."

Une's rage was beginning to take hold. She grasped the edge of the table to stop herself from shaking. Her brown eyes narrowed and ice ran through her voice as she addressed the senator. "There is a lot more to this investigation than you, or any of you are aware of. The virus was only discovered a few days ago and one of our agents has worked himself into the ground trying to find a way to stop it. Fortunately for us, he's not as selfish as you and despite his partner having been kidnapped a couple of weeks ago and currently held in enemy hands, he's worked tirelessly to develop a program in an attempt to stop this virus from taking over."

"Then why is this Barton fellow able to take over control of things if this agent has done such a wonderful job? Must be a pretty piss weak agent."

A few snickers were heard around the room.

Relena placed a hand on Une's arm in an attempt to calm the Commander down. She could see that Une's temper and control were at breaking point and Relena wasn't particularly keen to see the psychotic side of the woman come out.

Taking a deep breath, Une stared at the senator. "Have you any idea how many computer programs there are out there? There's the transport system, banking and financial, life support systems, power, gas, fuels; and that's just a few of the major ones. To convert all those systems over would take months – and we don't have that sort of time." Une glanced at her watch. "We have just thirty minutes left."

"So you say," Lynch sniped. "I'm sorry, Commander, this is all bullshit and I for one do not intend to stand down. Let this Barton try to do his worst."

"You know this will mean war?" Senator Adams said.

"Not necessarily," Lynch replied. "We have the means to take this Barton fellow out. "

"Really? What means?" Relena questioned.

Lynch fidgeted for a moment and then decided to let the peace loving princess in on a little secret. "Although we do prefer to live in peace, there is always the threat of something like this happening; a dictator raising his head, thinking he can do a better job. The Preventers know where this Barton fellow is hiding out, the Commander has all but stated that. Once the ESUN knows it's just a simple case of sending off a few long range missiles and destroying where he is."

Une shook her head and laughed. She couldn't help it, the more she thought about it, the more she laughed.

"And just what is so funny, Commander?" Lynch snapped.

"You are," Une snickered. "I can't believe how thick headed you are. Have you not listened to a word that's been said?"

Lynch frowned.

"Those missiles are programed by a computer. Their flight path, launch, destination and detonation are all controlled by computers."

"Your point being?"

"Barton has control over all the computers. There's not a snowball's chance in hell those missiles will be launched."

The room fell into silence as Une's words hit home.

"It looks to me like this is a case of check-mate," Senator Ruben said softly.

"Okay, assuming this Barton fellow does take control over the computers and runs the resources, he still has to gain the trust and following of the people, and they aren't going to like being dictated to," Lynch protested.

"Trust me, the people will panic when they find all their conveniences under the control of one man. They will panic first, then the anger will follow, that will lead to rioting and the like. It will become a vicious circle." Une's comm unit beeped and she grabbed for it. "Commander Une," she said as she turned from the table.

"Commander, this is Sky. I have an incoming communication from shuttle PA 221. An Agent Fire and Agent Night wish to speak with you on a matter of some urgency."

"Shit!" Une's heart went into her mouth, a feeling of relief washed over her with the knowledge that Agent Night was back in their fold. "One moment, Sky." Une turned to the board members. "Please, excuse me for a moment. This is a call I really need to take." Not waiting for a reply, Une stepped out of the boardroom and into the smaller, reception room.

"Okay, Sky. Put me through."

###

[Preventer Shuttle PA 221]

"Make some tea he says. I'll give him fucking tea," Quatre ranted as he banged around in the small galley. It was a well known fact that Quatre couldn't cook to save his life, and that, so it seemed, extended to his tea making skills too.

He yanked the water container over, put the small hose into the water heater and filled it up. Turning the machine on, he fetched four drinking containers. Although there was a certain amount of gravity naturally occurring on the satellite and the shuttle itself had its own gravitational pull, the galley was only equipped with items used in zero gravity. They were perfectly functional in either setting and with limited space to contain and store items, there was no point in having two separate sets of utensils.

With the water heating nicely, Quatre rummaged around and located the tea, sugar and milk powder. Placing the required amounts into each drinking vessel, he added the water when it was hot enough. Shaking the containers to mix everything together, he grabbed them up and headed for the cockpit and the others, still muttering under his breath about obnoxious Chinese agents.

Trowa had located the first aid kit and also aimed for the cockpit. He needed to treat Duo as quickly as possible. He checked the med kit over, making sure he had plenty of everything he thought he would need and with a bottle of water in hand, deemed he had everything.

Wufei led Duo to the cockpit and sat the other agent down in the copilot's chair. He passed Duo a head set, knowing that the first priority was to contact headquarters and let them know Duo was safe. Then Duo could speak with the Commander and let her know what had been going on.

Flipping a few switches, he waited for the static to clear a little. "Preventer Communications, this is shuttle PA 221, Agent Fire here. Do you read?"

There was another burst of static and Wufei checked the signal. His eyes told him something had happened whilst they'd been inside the satellite dome and he could only think it must have been Barton's releasing of the Firecell. He made a mental note to check the entire computer system once their communication was complete and double check they still had everything on line. He could only hope that Heero's programing had worked. He knew it most likely had as the shuttle had still been cloaked when they arrived back, but that didn't mean any other systems hadn't been affected.

"Preventer communications, this is shuttle PA 221, Agent Fire requesting you acknowledge."

Another burst of static.

"Shit!"

"Chang?" Duo questioned.

"It's okay, Maxwell. Yuy managed to learn a little about this Firecell and he reprogrammed the shuttle."

"I see." Duo's heart skipped a beat and a lump formed in his throat as he thought of his husband, lover and best friend.

Wufei neglected to add that they hadn't a clue if the reprogramming had worked.

"Preventer communications, this is Agent Fire, shuttle PA 221, do you copy? Come in please."

Another burst of static, then...

"Preventer shuttle PA 221, this is Preventer communications, Agent Sun speaking. We copy you."

"Thank Nataku for that."

"Sorry, Agent Fire. It's a bit chaotic down here."

"Sun, I need to speak with the Commander, urgently. Our retrieval mission was successful. We have Agent Night back in safe territory."

"Roger that, Fire. Commander is at ESUN headquarters right now. She has a comm unit on her and I'll get Sky to contact her. Please stand-by for a patch through."

"Roger that, Sun." Wufei turned to Duo. "You hear all that?"

Duo nodded.

"Why would the Commander have a comm unit and not her cell?"

"Barton."

"Eh?" Wufei looked around expecting to see Trowa, but the cockpit was empty save the pair of them.

"Barton. He's released the Firecell. That's how I managed to get out of my cell. Having released the Firecell all communications will be down, he controls everything," Duo whispered.

"Fuck," Wufei muttered.

"Agent Fire, this is Sun."

"Fire here. Go ahead, Sun."

"We are patching you through to the Commander now."

"Thank you."

###

[Mansion]

Nurse Brown had been busy feeding Keitaro when Sally had arrived with the news on Heero and his flight to the satellite. She hadn't been all that happy, mainly because Heero himself hadn't been the one to let her know, but she soon forgave him that indiscretion when Sally explained all that they knew up to that point.

Rather than leave the nanny alone with the child, although the mansion had excellent security, Sally informed Margaret that she would be staying with her whilst Heero was away.

Given that Wufei was also away on the same mission, Margaret welcomed the company. Whilst Siska or Marina were around during the day, they had their own families to look after and usually took their leave in the late afternoon. That left just Keitaro, Miracle, Barney and Fred for Nurse Brown to have a conversation with. Not exactly the best candidates even if they were good company.

Sally had brought Margaret up to speed with what was happening, although she didn't have all the details. At this stage all Sally really knew was that Duo had been confirmed as being on the satellite and Wufei, Trowa and Quatre had gone to extract him. She wouldn't call it 'rescue' as she knew how strong Duo was and no doubt the man had been doing his best to escape. Once Duo's presence had been confirmed, Une had sent Heero on another shuttle to the satellite. Sally hadn't been enlightened any further on that, it was all very 'hush hush' and obviously more to it; but Sally knew the rules and hadn't pressed Une for further details.

She was aware of the situation with the possibility of the Firecell; and Heero's attempts to avert the problem should it arise, but she really didn't have all that much of a clue how it would affect Preventer – and frankly, right now she didn't really care all that much. Not that it was far from her mind, no, it's just that right now she was more concerned with Duo and getting the man back safely to earth and his family.

Both Sally and Nurse Brown had discussed in depth Duo's possible pregnancy. Margaret had told Sally all she could remember of the man's condition during their abduction and the more Sally had learnt and thought about it, the more convinced she was that Duo was once again with child.

And that was not good at all.

Both women were at the mansion and sharing breakfast, Margaret feeding Keitaro his baby cereal with the television on in the background. Margaret liked to watch the morning news and current affairs programs whilst feeding the child, she claimed it kept her up to date with the goings on in the world. The broadcast had been interrupted and Margaret got more than she bargained for when Barton showed up on the screen and released his demands to the earth and colonies.

The screen went blank, both women simply sitting there and staring at it as the ramifications of what they had just witnessed set in. Eventually Margaret got up and turned the set off. Sitting back down she looked to Sally. "I'd say we're in a bit of a pickle here."

"More than a pickle, Margaret. Look, I'm sorry, but I need to get to headquarters immediately. Une did say a few things about this computer virus and what it could do, but I never dreamed it would be..."

"I know and I understand," the nurse replied with a smile. "Don't worry about us, we will be fine."

Sally sighed. "Margaret, given what this fellow has said and demonstrated, I'd suggest you and Keitaro stay here in the mansion. Do not go out for anything at all, remain within the safety of the house and grounds. I'm going to speak with Harim and Raphel, let them know a bit more than what they already do and make some arrangements for all our safety and survival."

"Oh? What sort of arrangements?"

"Look, this might sound silly or over the top to you, but trust me on this. I need to move now, I'll let you know more once I've made the arrangements. I'll call you, or get word to you somehow. Promise me you will listen to what I've said and stay here."

"Of course," Margaret said with a frown. "I trust your word."

"Good. I'll be in touch as soon as I can." Sally grabbed her bag and left, almost running out of the house to locate Harim.

Margaret sat and watched, her mind a whirl of thoughts. Shrugging her shoulders she returned to feeding Keitaro. "I suggest you get used to this, young man. Life in this family is always on a knife edge, you just don't know what to expect next."

Keitaro gurgled.

Sally found Harim outside with the dogs and explained as much as she could about what was going on. Harim understood the woman couldn't elaborate too much, this being Preventer business and all, so he took her word for things and promised her he would do what she asked, even if it did seem a little absurd.

Sally asked him to send one of the staff shopping, not just ordinary shopping though, she was quite particular in what she asked him to get. Gas cylinders, batteries, walkie talkies, candles, flashlights and food. She specifically asked for the purchase of canned goods and non perishable items.

Harim had scratched his head, but duly noted down all the items requested and let the doctor know he would get Raphel to attend to it immediately.

Feeling a little better and knowing the man would stick to his word, Sally left the mansion and headed for Preventer headquarters.

###

[Preventer Transport Shuttle PA 121]

"Yuy, are you almost done?"

Heero pushed the comm switch. "Just wrapping things up now. Why?"

"The footage Une promised has come through and we will be within radar detection of the satellite in another hour. You need to come and take a look at it, then we need to discuss a few things."

"I'll be back up in ten minutes."

"Thank you."

Heero pressed a few more keys on his laptop and watched the last of the programs finish up. Unplugging the machine, he allowed himself a soft smile as he gazed upon the five mecha lying peacefully in the belly of the shuttle. The diagnostics tests had all run smoothly and only a couple of minor glitches had been found. Heero had been able to fix them easily enough. The mecha were now as fine tuned as they'd ever been, even in the war.

Finally, Heero felt confident and ready to deal with whatever came his way. With one last look around, he left the cargo hold and returned to the cockpit.

Zechs looked up as Heero entered. "All okay?"

"Hai. Everything is fine and all systems are ready to go." Heero took a seat. "The footage?"

"I haven't looked at it yet, it came through about fifteen minutes ago."

"Put it on," Heero replied and waited for the screen to boot up.

Zechs typed a couple of commands into the computer and the broadcast began to play. It was a little grainy, but both agents could make out Barton's form. The audio was as clear as a bell.

They sat, silent as the recording played. Barton's demands were met with a slight narrowing of eyes. The demonstration left both men pale, shocked and angry.

"That bastard!" Heero growled. "I want to wring his neck."

"Unfortunately, as much as I'd also like to use the man for target practice, we can't. He has to be brought in alive," Zechs reminded the other agent.

"I know, doesn't mean I can't torture him a little first though," Heero snarled.

"Before you can do that, we have to find him," Zechs stated with an amused smirk.

"Don't worry about that. I'll find him, and when I do he will rue the day he was ever born," Heero said, his tone low and menacing. "Besides what he's done here, I owe him for taking away from me the one thing that means more than life itself. I also owe the others he took a little payback too."

Zechs raised an eyebrow. Une had filled him in on the situation so he was familiar with Barton's role in the disappearance of one Duo Maxwell. He didn't know about the other part of Duo's abduction though. "Care to elaborate?"

Heero gave Zechs a condensed run down on Duo, Nurse Brown and Keitaro's kidnapping, the blonde remaining silent throughout. Heero didn't mention Duo's unusual makeup though, he figured Zechs didn't need to know that right now. If he did, then Heero would tell him if and when it was necessary, but not before.

Before Zechs could pass any comment, the computer informed them they were one hour and ten minutes away from their destination.

"I think we can discuss Maxwell's abduction a little more shortly, right now we need to figure out how we're going to approach this satellite without detection or suspicion," Zechs said. "How did the others manage to approach and land without being picked up by Barton?"

"They have a cloaking device, something similar to Deathscythe's hyperjammers. Howard has modified the system and adapted it to use on the shuttles. Some have already been converted, the new shuttles come with it as part of the shuttle itself ," Heero replied.

"What about this one?"

"The transport shuttles haven't had it installed as yet."

"Well, shit."

tbc...


	81. Chapter 81

**Many thanks to all who are reading and warm hugs or the kind reviews.**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 81

[ESUN Headquarters]

Une stepped out into the smaller reception room and informed Sky she was ready for the call. Whilst the agent patched her through, she pulled out a chair. She had a feeling she would need to sit to talk with Agent Night.

"Okay, Commander, patching through now."

The comm unit made a few interesting noises and then the voice of Fire came over the airwaves. It was crackly and in-dispersed with static, but Une was able to hear pretty well.

"Agent Fire. Report in," Une demanded.

"Commander, retrieval mission was a success. We have Agent Night back with us."

Une let a sigh of relief escape. "Thank god," she muttered. "What is Night's status?"

"At this stage we haven't a clear status for him. Barton has gone to fetch the med kit and will do a complete check shortly. At this stage he appears operational. He does have a bullet crease to the upper arm and some other injuries; a full report will be given once Barton has the chance to take a look at him."

"I see."

"Commander, Night wishes to speak with you in regards to Barton and what is going on here."

"Thank you, Fire. Put him on please."

Wufei nodded to Duo who closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Commander, Agent Night here."

"Good to have you back, agent."

"Thank you."

"Night, I know there is a lot going on and a lot has happened to you. Right now I'm interested in what Barton is up to and what you've discovered whilst being held. All the other details of your kidnapping and such can wait until later."

"I thought as much," muttered Duo. "Commander, Barton has developed a computer virus, specifically a Firecell."

"We are aware of that, Night."

"Yeah, well, this virus was developed by a guy named Hawkins..."

"The professor. Agent Day has already confirmed that for us."

"Barton has Hawkins here."

There was silence on the other end of the com unit for a brief moment.

"I see. Day said he'd disappeared, but we have no trace of where he went."

"Barton kidnapped him too. He's had him develop the Firecell program..." Duo went on to explain all he knew, keeping it brief and giving just the facts. "He plans on taking over, putting his own people on the ESUN board and running the earth and colonies himself. He has a back up army and several mobile suits at his disposal and plans to use them to force the earth and any colonies that refuse to comply."

"Damn. Do you have any further information on the army and the suits?"

"The army is made up of ex OZ, White Fang and the trash from the streets of L2; mainly drug lords, pimps and the criminal population. They are ruthless, but there is one advantage."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"One of my original kidnappers that was taken too was forced to spend time training some of the army. Suffice to say if I know the criminal population, once the shit hits the fan they won't be fighting like soldiers should, they will be fighting dirty and most of all, they will only be looking out for number one."

"Now that could be an advantage," Une mused.

"Yeah, it will," Duo replied.

"What about the mobile suits?"

"They are a specially developed suit. Based on the Serpent, Barton has modified them so they can be either piloted or used in Doll mode."

"The pilots?"

Duo sighed again. "Unfortunately, the pilots have been trained by myself."

"Shit!"

Wufei's eyes widened at the expletive from the Commander and also the confession from Maxwell. Night had been an excellent pilot so no doubt these pilots would be good – and that was not so good for them.

"I haven't had a lot of time to spend with them and I've only taught them the basics. I wasn't about to fine tune them if I could help it," Duo informed. "Also, the suits themselves. I had to program them."

"That bastard," Une growled.

"Don't worry, Commander. Although they were watching me like a hawk I did managed to make a minor alteration to the programing, a little something that Hawkins suggested. I'm pretty certain that Barton hasn't picked up on it." Duo rubbed his face with a weary hand.

Trowa entered the cockpit with the med kit in hand and frowned when he saw the fatigue in Duo's face.

Une asked for further information which Duo gave. He told her all he'd done thus far, including his escape from the cell and the resulting skirmish with the group of soldiers.

"You put them all in a closet?" Une all but shrieked.

"Ah, those would have been my orders, Commander," Wufei stated.

"Agent Fire!"

"Commander, I don't give a shit what you're about to say about protocol or anything else. They were not playing by the rules, in fact, I don't think they had any ethics at all and therefore, in my opinion, justice was served," Wufei defended himself.

"Agent Fire, whilst I do not condone what you've done, I can see your reasons for doing so. Off the record, I agree with you."

Wufei's black eyes opened wide and he was momentarily lost for words.

"How long before Barton knows you're missing?" asked Une.

"Unsure," Duo replied.

"Fire, I take it the shuttle is still cloaked and Barton doesn't know of your presence yet?"

"At this stage that would appear to be correct, Commander. However, once those soldiers are discovered they will know someone has infiltrated their ranks and it will only be a matter of time before Barton comes looking."

Quatre appeared in the cockpit carrying four containers of tea and seeing the current situation, he took a seat behind the pilot's chair. He glanced at Trowa who shrugged his shoulders. He didn't have a clue how long the pair would be talking with Une.

With a sigh, Quatre passed Trowa one of the containers, then reached forward to pass Wufei one too. Duo declined his for the moment.

"If my instincts are correct, Barton won't waste any time in trying to track you all down..."

"Fuck! What the hell is _that _crap?!" Wufei choked out.

"Agent Fire! Mind your language! May I remind you you're speaking to your commanding officer here!" Une snapped.

"Sorry, Commander, I wasn't speaking to you, rather to Winner." Wufei glared at the blonde who stared defiantly back.

"What?! You asked me to make tea, so I fucking did," the blonde snipped.

"That's not tea! It's fucking _poison_!" Wufei glared at the container.

"I think you're supposed to remove the tea leaves before adding the milk and drinking," Duo told the blonde as further study of Wufei's beverage showed a lot of little brown things swirling around.

"Are you really?" Quatre questioned, his voice innocent.

Duo couldn't help a smile.

"That's the last time I ask you to make tea," Wufei growled.

"Good," Quatre shot back. "Mission accomplished," he muttered under his breath.

"Chang! Need I remind you we have a major catastrophe about to happen here?!" Une interrupted.

"Ah, sorry, Commander."

"Listen and listen good, agents." Une brought the agents all up to speed with what was going on in the earth sphere, Barton's broadcast and following demands. "I have a transport shuttle en-route to you as we speak. I will have Sky contact them and let you know the frequency to contact them on. I have to go and get back to this meeting with the ESUN board as Barton will be in touch in another fifteen minutes. Once you have the frequency of the other shuttle I expect you to contact them. I will speak with both you and the other shuttle as soon as I can."

"Roger that, Commander."

"Une, out."

"Fire, out."

Une gave a weary sigh. Whilst she was relieved to have Agent Night back in the fold, she was extremely worried about how all this was going to play out. Pushing the comm unit again, she spoke briefly with Sky, requesting he obtain and send through the frequency of the transport shuttle to the one already on the satellite. Taking a deep breath, she stood, straightened her spine and went back into the lion's den to do further battle.

###

[Satellite XRB 23]

Checking his watch, Barton gave an inner smirk. He rubbed his hands together and stood up. "Time to see what our esteemed board is prepared to do," he told the waiting group.

Wainright, Richards and Zaheer all followed Barton from his office and back through the satellite corridors to the main control room. Once inside, Barton walked over to where Craven was sitting.

"I think our hour is up, time to contact the ESUN and find out what their decision is."

"As you wish, sir," replied Craven.

Barton moved across the room to sit in the chair opposite the camera whilst Craven busied himself getting things ready for the broadcast.

"Connect me directly to the ESUN, this doesn't need to be broadcast to the rest of the earth sphere and colonies. I can speak to them once I've had my answer from the board," he told Craven.

"Yes, sir." Craven went back to his console and typed in a few commands.

The rest of the control room was silent.

Having finished with his preparations, Craven turned back to Barton. "All ready, sir."

"Good. Let's broadcast."

###

[ESUN Headquarters]

Une stepped back into the boardroom and paused. She glanced around and then shook her head. They were worse than a mob of kindergarten children. The noise level was quite high as they all discussed, or rather argued, their points regarding Barton and the virus. It was clear that most of them didn't believe what Barton had said in his broadcast earlier. She glanced at her watch, noting the time was almost up and sighed.

This was going to get ugly.

Moving back to her seat, she looked at Relena who gave her a long suffering look in return. Sitting down, she addressed the woman. "Relena, these idiots aren't going to see reason. Once Barton releases that Firecell again and the earth sphere falls completely under his control, the people are going to panic. It won't be safe to remain here." Une could clearly see what would unfold.

Relena was no idiot either and she could see the implications of what was going to happen. "I'll head back to my residence, I'll be quite okay there," Relena replied. "It has an excellent security system and then there's my bodyguards too."

"No, Relena. It won't be as safe as you think. The security system won't work if there's no power and your bodyguards won't be able to keep mobs of people at bay."

"The power grids will be under his control too?" Relena whispered.

"Yes, Relena. Everything that is remotely controlled by a computer will be under his control."

"Damn. I guess I didn't realize just how dependent we are on the electronic sector."

"Relena, I want you to come back to Preventer Headquarters with me. You will be safe there."

"But, won't Preventer be affected too?"

"To a point, yes. We have our own generators so power won't be an issue should he take those over and cut them off. We also have had the insight of a very smart agent who has been working around the clock to reprogram the entire Preventer network and keep us up and running."

"Heero?"

Une smiled. "Yes. Thanks to him Preventer shouldn't be as affected as the rest of the earth sphere."

"Okay, Une. I'll come with you, but you must let me try and help."

Une nodded. "I'm sure we can find something for you to do." Honestly she didn't have a clue what Relena could possibly do, but she would find something, even if it was just running errands through the building.

The small screen in the corner of the boardroom made a hissing noise and everyone fell silent as their eyes turned to watch.

Barton's face appeared on the screen, a self satisfied smile on his face. "Ah, hello again. It's nice to see most of you together," Barton began. "I take it you have had your meeting? Your hour is up and I'm ready to hear your decision."

"Now see here." Senator Lynch stood up and faced the screen. "I suggest you stop with all this bullshit and crawl back under whatever rock it was you crawled out from and stop playing games. The ESUN is doing a fine job of running the affairs of the earth and colonies without your interference."

A gray eyebrow raised itself and a sharp bark of laughter followed. "Really?" Barton asked. "Seems to me the ESUN is making a mockery of everything. You lot don't give a damn about the colonies, if you did then why are they still struggling?"

"They're getting their funding, the rebuilding is in place and several schemes are being implemented to bring the economies back up to par," Lynch snapped.

"Then you are delusional. When was the last time you visited a colony, senator?"

Lynch remained silent.

"If your mob hadn't been siphoning off funds, especially from L2, then the colonies would be a lot more prosperous than they are right now," Une interrupted.

Several jaws fell slack with _that _revelation.

Barton's eyes narrowed and he glared at the Commander.

Une didn't flinch. "Oh yes, Preventer is quite aware of your activities, Barton. We know you've had Richards and Wainright doing your dirty work for you, taking funds and using those funds to build yourself and your followers to what you are now. Tell me, have you informed the people of L2 of your activities? Let them know the reason they aren't advancing as quickly as the other colonies is because you've stolen their funding?"

"Sometimes a sacrifice is needed, Commander. L2 isn't all that important, in fact, I think we would be doing the entire sphere a favor in removing it from the picture. It's only full of criminals, whores and drug addicts, and who is going to miss them?"

"How dare you!" Relena spat, her anger well and truly roused.

Une put a hand on the girl's arm, warning her not to say anything further. Instead, she fixed her icy glare on Barton. "You would know, wouldn't you, Barton? After all, isn't that where you've recruited your army from?"

Barton's eyes narrowed. "How do you know about my army?!" he demanded.

Une smirked. "Oh, I have my ways," she replied. "I guess they're not good enough to have a colony and exist, but they're good enough to form an army and sacrifice their lives for a delinquent such as yourself. I wonder what they would think about their leader if they were to know the truth?"

Barton turned a rather deep shade of red for a moment before regaining his composure. "Enough!" he thundered. "I want an answer. Is the ESUN going to stand down or not?"

"No, Barton," Lynch spoke. "The ESUN is not afraid of you and your stupid ideas. We will not stand down and allow you to take over; we will not be cowed by a dictator like you."

"So be it. You have been warned. I will release my Firecell in full. I'd like to say it's been a pleasure, but I don't like to lie. Good day to you all, it was nice meeting you."

The screen fuzzed and went blank. Immediately the room exploded into a cacophony of voices, each having something to say about Barton and his threats. Une let them go at it, she knew it wouldn't make one iota of difference; the damage was done.

"Relena, I think we should leave now," Une said to the senator.

Relena nodded and stood. She tried to address the rest of the board but they were too busy arguing amongst themselves. With a sigh she gave up. "I'm coming," she told Une.

The pair slipped out unnoticed and headed for Une's car. Once inside, Une started up the engine and pulled out of the parking area and onto the road. She drove in silence for a couple of minutes, then spoke.

"We need to get back to Headquarters as quickly as possible. I have a feeling that Barton won't wait long to release the full Firecell. I'm also betting he will broadcast to the people and let them know the ESUN has elected to remain in power and that's why he's doing what he is; that's if they haven't already seen the broadcast at the ESUN."

"This is going to get ugly very quickly," Relena said softly. "The people, they aren't going to like it when they have nothing, if what you say about this virus is true. I can see they will be angry and rioting will occur, they will blame the ESUN for their predicament and it will escalate out of control..."

"Exactly," Une replied. Relena could be one smart cookie when she wanted to be. "Now you know why I want you safely out of the picture."

"I'll cooperate fully, Une."

"Good." Une pushed the car as fast as she dared. She had no idea when Barton would unleash the virus in full on the earth and colonies and personally wanted to be back safely within the Preventer building when it happened.

Five minutes out from headquarters, Une knew the worst had happened.

Traffic signals had stopped working, trams, trains and anything else that relied on electricity to power it had come to a standstill. She tried the car radio – nothing. Pulling her cell phone from her pocket she noted it too was dead. Grabbing the comm unit, she prayed that was still working.

"Preventer Headquarters, this is Commander Une, do you copy?"

Silence.

"Preventer Headquarters, this is Commander Une, do you copy?" she repeated.

"Commander Une, this is Agent Sun. We copy. Excuse me, ma'am, but where the hell are you?"

"I'm on my way back, Sun."

"Thank god for that. It's going crazy around here."

"The Firecell?"

"I take it you haven't seen the broadcast, ma'am."

"Only the one at ESUN Headquarters. Has Barton had another one?"

"There was a broadcast just a couple of minutes ago, ma'am, right before everything went to hell."

"Have you recorded it?"

"Yes."

"I'll want to see it as soon as I get back."

"I'll have it ready for you, Commander."

"Sun, listen up. I'm about five minutes out. I need agents to be on guard at the main entrance to the building and also the parking area. With this Firecell now loose it will only be a matter of time before it becomes a battle zone out here. I have Senator Peacecraft with me and we may need assistance to get back into the parking area and building."

"Yes, Commander. I'll get on to it now."

"Thank you, Sun."

"Will see you shortly, Commander."

"I hope so, Sun. I hope so."

###

[Satellite XRB 23]

Barnes slowly came back to consciousness, his face hurt like a bitch, his eyes burned and he couldn't see properly. It was dark, that much he could tell; dark and cramped. There was a strange smell in the air too, a sort of sweet, sickly odor and the cloying scent of blood.

Barnes tried to move, the position he was in had caused his leg to go to sleep and he had a crick in his back. He pushed against whatever it was he was lying on and against, the object giving slightly before his hand disappeared into something soft and squishy.

He panicked.

Thrashing around inside the tiny closet he connected with more flesh and knocked items from the shelves before finally locating the hardness of the door. His throat gave voice to screams as he groped to find the handle and get himself out of the hell he was in.

Finally he located the handle and wrenched it to the right, the door opening abruptly and sending him tumbling from the closet to the floor of the hallway. Kicking and screaming he fought his way clear of the bodies that had followed him and scurried across the floor to back up against the opposite wall.

His eyes allowed him a small measure of vision, even if it was distorted, but it was enough for him to see and recognize his fellow soldiers – all dead.

The screams started again, Barnes scrabbling back and trying to get away from the corpses. His hysteria caught the attention of another patrol a few corridors over and they raced to see what the hell was going on.

Skidding around the corner and along the corridor to where Barnes was, the corporal spotted the carnage ahead and came to an abrupt halt, the other three soldiers slamming into the back of him and pushing him into the midst of the bodies. His arms flailed and a string of curses left his mouth as he fell amongst the dead.

The other three soldiers managed to stop themselves, courtesy of their corporal, and avoided joining him in the gore. Taking in the scene, they quickly back peddled, two losing their lunch and the other passing out completely.

The corporal managed to get himself out from the mess although his uniform was covered in blood and other unmentionable bits of gore and turned to face his fellow soldiers. "Shut the fuck up!" he yelled at Barnes who promptly stopped his screaming. Turning to the others he noted the two wiping their mouths and the third unconscious on the floor.

The two soldiers looked back at their corporal and shrank back. Those eyes spoke of murder and they couldn't really blame him, after all it had been their fault the corporal was now in the state he was.

"Wake him up," the corporal snarled and indicated to the unconscious soldier. He turned back to Barnes. "What happened?" he asked as he moved closer to the wounded soldier. "And what the fuck happened to your face?"

Barnes was shaking and almost in tears. His voice stammered and hitched as he told the corporal of their finding of the two prisoners and then the ensuing scuffle. "I came around in there,' he said, pointing to the closet. "They put me in there with them... they're all dead, aren't they? They fucking put me in the closet with dead men!" Barnes' voice began to rise in pitch and volume, the shock of his horror awakening hitting him hard.

The corporal slapped the soldier across the face, jolting the man out of his hysteria. "How many were there?"

"I don't know. We only saw the two," Barnes replied. "One of the bastards squirted some chemical in my face which burned like hell, still does and I can't see properly." The eyes began to water and Barnes didn't know if he was crying or if it was his body's natural reaction to the chemical and was trying to flush it out of his damaged eyes.

"Okay, soldier. Stay where you are." The corporal stood up and turned to the other three under his command, the third one having returned to the conscious plane. "Chester, you go get a medic and bring him here. Penrose, you go straight to the control room and find Barton or Zaheer. Let them know what has happened. Smith, you go to the section the prisoners were being held in, alert the guards in that section and check the cell those guys were being kept in, see if they are still there or not." The corporal didn't doubt what Barnes had said, but given the soldier's current condition and his admission that he couldn't see properly, there was a chance that it wasn't the prisoners at all, but someone else.

"Yes, sir," the three soldiers answered and hurried away, each grateful to be as far from the carnage as possible.

The corporal turned back to take a better look at the dead soldiers and try to determine what had happened whilst he waited for his team to return.

tbc...


	82. Chapter 82

**Thanks for reading and hugs for the kind reviews!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 82

[Preventer Shuttle 221]

With the communication to Une now cut, Duo slumped in the copilot's seat and closed his eyes. A soft hand to his shoulder had him opening them again and looking at Trowa.

"Come with me, Duo. I need to treat your wounds and here isn't a comfortable place to do it. There's a cabin back further that will do just right."

Nodding, Duo allowed the tall man to lead him from the cockpit. He paused in the doorway though and turned to Wufei. "Thank you, all of you for getting me out of there."

"No thanks needed, Maxwell," Chang replied. "You seemed to be doing a pretty good job of escaping yourself."

"Yeah, well, it was going along okay until Duric threw a spanner in the works."

"Duric? Wasn't he one of..."

"Yeah, he was one of the mob that kidnapped my son," Duo growled, cutting Wufei off. "I promised that bastard I'd kill him for what he did, what he forced me to do; and I don't lie."

All three knew Duo's motto by heart. The man might stretch the truth a little when necessary, but he didn't lie; nor did he break a promise.

"We will talk soon. Go with Barton and let him treat you," Wufei commanded.

"Yes, boss," Duo replied cheekily.

"If you're not back by the time we get the frequency for the other shuttle, I'll call you."

"Thanks, Wuffers."

"It's WUFEI!"

The sound of snickering disappeared down the corridor.

Trowa stopped outside one of the cabins and pushed the door release. The door slid open and he ushered Duo inside. Quatre had followed them and hovered anxiously behind Trowa as the taller man put down the med kit and turned back to Duo.

"Hop up on the bunk and see if you can remove the shirt," he requested and then turned to face his husband. "Quatre? Could you go back to our cabin and see if you can find some clothes for Duo to wear, please? I'm not putting him back in these after he takes a shower."

"Sure," Quatre replied and disappeared to find some clothes.

"Don't have time for a shower, Tro," Duo stated as he began to undo the buttons on the shirt.

Green eyes turned back to the patient. "Why not?"

"Too much going on. It won't be long before Barton knows I'm gone and then all hell is going to break loose. We also need to be in touch with the other shuttle and formulate some sort of plan. Barton will release that Firecell and he will use his army and the suits to back him up. I know where those suits are being kept. If you guys have brought some sort of explosives with you I'd suggest getting back in there as quickly as we can, set some bombs and blow the shit out of those suits." Duo grimaced as he peeled the shirt away from the bullet wound. The bleeding had stopped and the blood had dried causing the shirt to stick to the wound. With a growl, Duo yanked on the material, succeeding in pulling it free but starting the wound bleeding afresh.

"Let's wait for the communication with the other shuttle first, then we can let them know of your idea and go from there. Now, let's take a look at that wound." Trowa moved closer and with a swab, began to clean up the blood.

Quatre returned a few minutes later with a pair of sweat pants and t-shirt. "That's the best I can do," he said as he placed them on the bunk next to Duo.

"Thanks, Quat," Duo replied.

The blonde smiled. "You're welcome. Can I help in any way?"

"There's not much you can do at the moment, but you can pass me things in a minute once I've finished cleaning this wound up." Trowa's eyes never left the skin he was treating.

Duo could see the burning questions in Quatre's eyes and knew he would have to do some talking soon. "Quat, I know you want to know what happened, but I'd rather wait until we're back with Wuffers again as I don't want to have to explain things twice. I'm already going to have to be debriefed and there's some parts of this story I really don't want to have to go over too many times if I can help it."

Quatre nodded. "I can understand that."

"Duo? This is going to need a couple of stitches," Trowa informed.

"That's okay, Tro, just do what you have to," Duo replied with a sigh.

"Quatre, could you thread me a suture needle please whilst I inject a local anesthetic?"

"No problem." Quatre set about the task whilst Trowa fetched a needle and the small bottle of anesthetic.

As gently as he could he injected around the wound. "That should start to go numb in a couple of minutes, Duo."

"Okay."

"What else is injured?" Trowa asked as he waited for the anesthetic to work.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Duo lowered his head and spoke softly. "Sprained ankle and a couple of possibly busted ribs."

"Let's take a look at the ankle first." Trowa removed the sneakers and socks. "Which one?"

Duo duly raised the injured ankle.

Carefully, Trowa manipulated the joint, rotating and bending it, noting when Duo flinched. "I think you're lucky and didn't break anything. Strapping it up should take care of it for now, but when we get back to Preventer I want you to let Sally take a look at it."

"Sally will be on my case anyway," Duo shrugged but didn't elaborate any further. Whilst he was still almost a hundred percent certain he was pregnant again, he wasn't sure if he should let on to the others about his condition. Knowing how much Quatre had fussed over him whilst he'd been pregnant with Keitaro, he wasn't sure if he could handle that again. Plus they were in the middle of a major crisis and when it came down to it they were going to need every single one of them to combat Barton and bring the man down. If the others knew he was possibly expecting again they wouldn't be so keen on having him out there and in the thick of things.

He decided to play it by ear, see how things panned out and keep his secret for now.

"Can you feel that?" asked Trowa as he poked around the bullet wound.

"No."

"Good. Quatre, could you pass me the needle please?"

The suture needle was handed over and Trowa began to stitch. Duo looked away, he didn't need to see what Trowa was doing.

"Feeling all right? Hungry?" Quatre asked.

"All things considered, I'm not too bad, Quat. I'd kill for an orange though," he replied and then shut up.

There was a distinct gleam in those teal eyes that had Duo worried he'd said too much. Knowing the blonde's uncanny empathy as well, and Duo was careful to try and keep his emotions neutral - along with his facial expressions.

"All done," said Trowa, distracting the pair. He picked up a piece of gauze, covered the wound and then applied a bandage. "I'll do that ankle now and then check those ribs." Picking up another bandage, Trowa carefully wrapped the injured ankle. "Okay, now for the ribs. Just lie back on the bunk for me, please."

Duo reclined back and let Trowa poke and prod him around the rib cage. He winced a couple of times and Trowa frowned. When those fingers moved across his abdomen, Duo tensed.

Trowa's green eyes looked at him, boring deep into his own.

"Quatre, could you fetch me another bandage please? A long one to wrap Duo's ribs with."

"No problem." The blonde stepped away to locate a longer bandage.

Trowa leaned in closer and lowered his voice so only Duo could hear him. "You're getting a little bit of a belly on you, Duo. Is there anything we should know?"

Duo couldn't meet the tall man's eyes. "No, there's nothing that I'm sure about at this stage, Trowa." It wasn't a lie, nope, not in the least; just a slight evasion of the truth.

"I see. Heero?" Trowa questioned, knowing full well how Duo was capable of manipulating the truth and avoiding answering questions he didn't want to.

Duo shook his head. "No. He's not aware of anything - yet."

Violet eyes pleaded with emerald, Trowa's eyes softening as he spoke. "You promise to see Sally as soon as we make it back to earth?"

"I promise."

"Then I shall plead ignorance should anyone ask."

Knowing the Latin would keep his promise and not let on about Duo's probable condition gave the long haired man a measure of comfort. "Thanks, Tro."

"Sit up and raise your arms as much as you can," Trowa told him as Quatre returned with a long bandage.

Duo did as asked and within a few minutes his ribs were wrapped and he began to feel a lot more comfortable.

"Now, if you won't take that shower at least change into these," Trowa said and handed over the sweats and t-shirt.

"Thanks."

"We will wait just outside."

Trowa stepped out of the cabin, Quatre with him and the door closed. Immediately the blonde was questioning his lover.

"Trowa, what is going on with Duo? I know there's more than he's letting on."

"I haven't a clue what you're talking about, Quatre. Duo has a few injuries that I have treated. He's not said anything about any other injuries," Trowa stated. It was the truth though.

Knowing how his lover could be just as evasive as Duo when it suited him, Quatre wasn't about to give up. "Is he pregnant again?" Nothing like coming right out with it.

Taking a moment to think first, Trowa answered very carefully. "I can't answer that, Quatre. I'm not a doctor and he hasn't said he is."

"But there's a chance, isn't there?"

"There's a chance of a lot of things, Quatre. Right now I think we should be concentrating on what Barton is up to and figuring out a way to stop him."

Trowa's answers frustrated Quatre, but he knew he wasn't going to get anything more from his husband. He would have to be content to wait. Duo opened the door and stepped out, looking a lot more comfortable than before. Before any of them could speak though, Wufei's voice came over the intercom system.

"Agents, we have the frequency for the other shuttle and need to make contact. Please report to the cockpit."

Pushing the small button, Trowa replied, "On our way, Chang."

###

[Satellite XRB 23]

The broadcast connection was cut and Barton sat back in his chair, fuming. Silence filled the entire control room, no one dared to speak lest they bring down the wrath of their leader on their heads.

After a couple of minutes, Barton turned in his chair. "Craven!" he barked.

"Yes, sir?" the head tech rushed over, skin pale.

"Set up for a broadcast to the entire earth sphere and the colonies."

"Y-yes, sir." Craven scuttled away.

"The fucking ESUN will pay for this," Barton snarled.

"I take it you're about to release the entire Firecell program?" Zaheer asked.

"Oh, yes, yes I am. Let them all suffer," Barton sneered.

"Ready to broadcast, sir," Craven interrupted.

"Good. Showtime, people."

Craven punched a few keys. "Broadcasting, sir."

Barton stared straight into the camera and cleared his throat. "People of the earth sphere and colonies, listen and listen good..."

###

[Preventer Transport Shuttle 221]

"Well, shit about sums it up," Heero replied, trying to keep the smirk from his face.

"We have to find some way of landing on that satellite without being detected," Zechs replied absently as his mind tried to come up with some way of doing just that. "They're bound to have some form of radar."

"I agree."

"Any chance you could program the shuttle to avoid detection? You know, set up a cloaking device?"

Heero snorted. "Without the parts needed there's no way I could get this shuttle to cloak. I know I'm good, Merquise, but even I'm not _that _good."

"Just a thought," Zechs mumbled.

"There has to be a way, we just need to find it," Heero mused.

"I'd suggest we speed up the thought process a little then, we only have about ten minutes left before we hit the satellite's air space."

The shuttle's radio began to crackle.

"Incoming," Zechs stated and fiddled with the radio dial.

"Preventer Transport shuttle PA 221, this is Preventer shuttle PA 121, do you copy?"

"Chang," Heero muttered, his heart beating a little faster in his chest. "I hope they've found Duo," he added in a whisper.

"Preventer shuttle 121, this is Preventer Transport shuttle 221, we copy," Heero replied, his voice a little rushed.

"Yuy, is that you?"

"Hai. Have you found Duo?" Heero's heart almost stopped as he waited for Chang to reply. It wasn't Wufei's voice that came over the line though.

"Heero?"

"Duo?" Heero breathed. "Is that really you?"

"Yeah, it's me, Heero. I'm safe, the guys got me out."

"Oh, Duo." It was taking every ounce of his strength not to break down and cry with relief.

Duo found himself choking up, he'd missed his husband so much and to finally hear his voice – it was overwhelming.

"Look, I hate to interrupt, but we do need to discuss a few things," Wufei said.

"Copy that, Chang." Heero's voice returned to that of business.

"The Commander said you were on your way to the satellite, correct?"

"Hai. We expect to be in radar range within the next five minutes."

"We?"

"Hai. I have Zechs Merquise with me."

That little bit of information was met with stunned silence.

"Zechs?" Wufei whispered. "But I thought..."

"It's a long story, Chang. I will brief you on it later, when we have the time, right now we do have a few other things that are more important," Zechs said, taking over from Yuy. "We are about to come within radar detection of the satellite, unfortunately, we do not have a cloaking mechanism fitted to the transport shuttle. Barton will know we're here very shortly."

"I see." Chang mulled that over.

"What the?" Trowa asked as the shuttle's computer began to beep.

On board the other shuttle, the computer there was doing a similar thing.

"Barton's Firecell," Heero snarled as he noted what the computer was doing.

Duo suddenly interrupted. "That's it, guys."

"What?" several voices questioned at the same time.

"Barton is obviously sending out the Firecell virus. Now is your chance to slip in under the radar."

"I don't follow," Heero replied.

"Barton is sending the Firecell. When he releases it, it takes a minute or two for the system he is running to switch over too. You have a small window of opportunity here, like I had when I got out of my cell. Whilst this virus is infiltrating, Barton's systems will be down for a minute or two as the new system kicks in. The radar won't be operating so you can sneak in now. By the time all is back up and running you should be almost ready to land," Duo informed them all.

"You know, that might just work," Heero said.

"Well, I suggest you start praying now that it does as we're entering detection range now," Zechs muttered, eyes on the navigational system.

"But surely he will know we're here once we land?" Heero stated.

"If Howard has used the same basis for the cloaking device on this shuttle as he did with Deathscythe's hyperjammers then I think I can solve that problem for you too," Duo replied.

"How?"

"We send you the coordinates to where our shuttle is parked. Land as close as you can then taxi over to us. We need to have your shuttle actually touch this one. If we can do that, the cloaking device will cover your shuttle too."

"Will it work?"

"It worked with 'Scythe during the war, I can't see any reason for it not to work with the shuttles," Duo said. He hoped it would anyway.

"Worth a try," Zechs said as Heero looked to him for confirmation. "What's the worst that can happen? Barton will find out we're here and he's going to do that anyway."

Heero nodded. "Okay. Can you send through the coordinates now?"

"On their way," Chang said as he pushed a few buttons and tapped a few keys on the computer keyboard.

"How long until you land?" Trowa questioned.

Zechs took a look at his screen. "About three minutes. Satellite is within visual now."

Duo's heart did a small jump in his chest at the thought of seeing his husband again - very shortly.

"We will monitor your approach. Once you have landed safely and join up with us we can discuss things further," Wufei offered.

"Thank you. I suggest we cut communication for now, we need to focus on bringing this bird in safe and sound," Zechs stated.

"That is fine. I will leave the frequency open should you need to speak with us for any reason during your landing." Wufei punched a few keys and brought up the screen to watch the approach and landing of the other shuttle.

"Roger that. Shuttle 221 out."

The four in the shuttle on the satellite watched as the other, larger shuttle hovered on the screen, moving slowly but surely forward to connect with their own shuttle.

###

[Satellite XRB 23]

Barton sat back in his chair, a satisfied smirk on his face. "That should do the trick," he stated simply. Everyone else remained silent.

The broadcast was finished, Barton having informed the earth sphere and the colonies alike that the ESUN refused to stand down, they would continue to rule as they had and that could only mean the colonies continuing in their repressed state. He'd sown the seeds of unrest, convinced the populations that the ESUN were not worthy of ruling, that they were only there to bleed as much as they could from the colonies. He reminded them of his earlier demonstration, that he could and would now hold control over everything.

The Firecell virus had been activated once more, sending the people into a panic, Barton not worried in the least of the consequences of his actions.

As predicted, the people panicked first, then the anger set in.

"Bring up the view screen," he ordered.

Craven scuttled to do the man's bidding. The view screen popped up.

"I want to see it all, everything," Barton demanded.

The screen broke into several smaller screens, each one displaying part of the earth sphere and the colonies. Barton had cut the power grids along with the communications. He'd left the other systems on line for now. He planned to switch between them all, turning some off, leaving others on, letting the people know exactly who had control now.

The people would do his work for him. They would take their anger and rage, vent it on those they saw responsible for their current state of living and force the ESUN to stand down.

All Barton had to do was assemble his army, his suits and wait.

The murmur of voices started once again in the control room as the techs continued to work.

###

[Corridor on Satellite XRB 23]

Chester sprinted through the corridors, speed of the essence as he made his dash to fetch a medic. Within moments he'd arrived at the medical bay and pushed his way inside. A medic looked at him and frowned.

"Slow down, soldier," the medic snapped.

Chester slowed his haste and stopped. It took him a moment to get his breath back and then he spoke. "I need a medic immediately. One of our soldiers has been hurt."

"Hurt? What are the injuries?" asked the medic as he went to grab a field bag.

"Chemical burns to the face," Chester replied.

The medic grabbed a few items and shoved them in his bag. "Okay, soldier, lead on."

Chester turned and broke into a jog, leading the medic through the corridors to where his corporal and the injured soldier waited.

#

Smith had taken off in the opposite direction to Chester, aiming for the section where any and all prisoners were being kept. He located the room the guards were using as a base and all but fell in the door.

"Hey!" called one of the guards. "You can't come in here."

"S-sorry," panted Smith. "I have a matter of urgency that needs addressing."

"What are you rabbiting on about, soldier?"

"My patrol, we found another patrol all stuffed in a closet..."

One of the guards began to snicker.

Smith glared at the man. "It isn't funny!" he snapped. "This patrol, they were all dead, all except one. We have reason to believe that one of your prisoners has escaped..."

The head guard immediately stiffened. "I don't think so, soldier," he snapped.

"Look, all I want you to do is check the cells. My corporal said something about the ones Barton was using for his suit project."

The guard grabbed his key card and exited the office, Smith hot on his heels. The pair made their way down a corridor, the other guards following along behind.

The head guard stopped outside one of the rooms. "Stand back," he ordered Smith. "You never know what they will do."

Smith nodded and moved back, allowing one of the other guards to take up position on the opposite side of the door. With a nod of his head, the head guard swiped the card and the door opened. Both guards stepped inside, their stun guns at the ready.

The room was empty.

"Shit!" the head guard swore.

#

Penrose was making his way through the dome to the control room. He wasn't looking forward to informing Barton that they had found one of their patrols dead and that the cause of those deaths was most likely an escaped prisoner.

Idly he wondered how the rest of his group were faring.

All to soon he arrived at the control room. He paused outside the door and took a deep breath to steady his nerves. With a shaking hand, he pushed the small button to the side of the door.

"Yes?" a tinny voice questioned.

"Ah, Penrose here. I'm a patrol soldier and I need to speak with Mr Barton or Zaheer on a matter of some urgency."

There was a momentary silence, then the voice was back. "Enter."

The door opened and Penrose stepped inside the control room. He was met by a hulking man. Zaheer, he recognized.

Zaheer met the soldier, a dark look in his eye. "What is it, soldier?" he questioned.

"Ah, sir. My corporal asked me to let you know we have a situation. We found a patrol stuffed inside a closet in sector four. Five soldiers, four dead, one injured but alive. There was also another body with them, unidentified at this stage but my corporal believes it to be one of Barton's prisoners."

Zaheer's head jerked up. At the same time the communications console beeped madly, indicating a call coming through from the prison sector.

Grimly, Zaheer turned to take the call. "Yes?"

"Zaheer, this is Preston here, head guard from the prison sector. We appear to have had an escape..."

tbc...


	83. Chapter 83

**Thank you to all for reading.**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 83

[Satellite XRB 23]

"Escape?" snarled Zaheer. "How did that happen?"

"Umm... I'm not too sure at this point. I will need to investigate further, sir."

"Preston, who escaped?" Zaheer's voice was low and held a dangerous edge to it

"Ah, two prisoners, both were assisting with the project. One was training army troops, the other I believe was programing mobile suits."

"Fuck!"

"Sir? I have a search party -"

"What fucking good is that? Preston, check all the other prisoners, make sure no one else has escaped. I have something else I need to look into and then I'll come up there."

"Yes, sir."

Zaheer turned around and faced Penrose. "Take me to where you found the dead patrol," he ordered.

"This way, sir." Penrose turned and headed back the way he'd come.

Chester rounded the corner of the corridor, the medic on his heels. He saw his corporal up ahead and the injured soldier sitting with his back against the wall.

"What the fuck happened?" the medic asked as he approached and saw the carnage.

"We believe they were ambushed," the corporal replied. "Patient is over here." The corporal led the medic to where Barnes was sitting, slumped against the wall.

The medic knelt next to the inured man and began his examination.

"Any word from the others yet?" Chester questioned.

"No, but I don't think it will be too long," the corporal replied as he glanced at the pile of bodies. He shuddered.

"Not a nice way to go," Chester murmured as he looked over the corpses, noting the bullet wounds and knife wound to one soldier's gut.

"Could one of you fetch me some water please?" the medic asked from his crouched position next to Barnes.

"There's a bathroom down there," the corporal told Chester and nodded down the corridor.

Chester took the container the medic held out and fetched the required water. The medic added something to the water and began to bathe Barnes' face.

"I need to get him back to the medical bay to treat these chemical wounds properly, not to mention the bullet graze to his thigh," the medic informed.

"I'm afraid you will have to wait. We can't go sauntering off and leave these bodies here," the corporal told the medic. "Besides, you can't manage on your own and there is still the possibility the unfriendlies are running around."

"How long?"

"No idea, but it shouldn't be too long."

The medic turned back to his patient and did his best to make Barnes as comfortable as possible until he could be moved.

###

[Preventer Transport Shuttle 221]

Zechs took hold of the yoke and began to bring the shuttle down towards the surface of the satellite. So far the ship was responding well and he breathed a sigh of relief that Yuy had had the foresight to reprogram.

The computer buzzed, Heero noting the information and then turning back to the window and watching as the surface drew closer. His hand was also steady on his own yoke, ready to assist if Zechs should need it. Heero doubted the blonde would, the man had been an excellent pilot - something he could attest to first hand.

"I hope what Maxwell said was true," Zechs muttered.

"Barton will find out we're here sooner or later anyway," Heero replied.

"True; but I'd prefer the later if possible. Almost there." Zechs concentrated hard as the dull, dusty surface came ever closer. "You got the coordinates?"

"Hai." Heero read out the coordinates to the other shuttle.

"I'll take us in as close as I dare to land and then taxi to the other shuttle."

"I'll contact Wufei and ask him to talk us into position once we're on the ground."

"Good idea." Zechs replied.

Heero pulled his head set back on and adjusted the small microphone. Twiddling a couple of switches, he began his call. "Shuttle 121, this is shuttle 221, do you have a visual on us?"

The line was silent for a moment, then Wufei's voice was heard.

"Shuttle 221, we have a visual on you. You are currently fifty meters away from our starboard wing and a further two hundred meters from the surface. I would suggest you go into hover mode and lower to the surface where you are."

"Roger that Wufei. I will inform Zechs." Heero turned to the long haired pilot. "You hear all that?"

"Yes, I did. Am bringing the shuttle down now. Hover mode engaged and working." Zechs flipped a couple of switches and eased the yoke. He continued to move the yoke around as he brought the shuttle in to land.

There was a slight jolt as the landing gear took the weight of the shuttle on the softish surface, Zechs immediately powering down the engines.

"Chang, we are down safely, request you guide us in towards you, we don't want to completely collide, just touch your wing tip."

"Roger that. Continue forward for ten meters."

Zechs eased the shuttle forward, following Wufei's directions to the letter, turning slightly when asked to and creeping closer to the other shuttle.

"You are now just a meter off our starboard wing tip. Continue to ease forward... A little more... just a little further... That's it, you're now touching."

All four pilots gazed out the cockpit window as the other shuttle approached, inching its way towards them. Then, the wing tips touched and Duo held his breath. The transport shuttle shimmered and then faded from view.

Duo released that breath in a soft sigh. "Thank god for that," he whispered.

"Shuttle 221, you are now cloaked," Wufei informed the other pilot.

"Thanks, Chang," Zechs replied.

"You're welcome. Are you two coming over here to us or should we come over there?"

"I think it would be best if we were to come to you," Zechs said and then turned to see where Heero had disappeared to. He gave a soft chuckle. "We're definitely coming to you, Yuy already has his suit on."

Heero had wasted no time. Once he knew the shuttle was cloaked he abandoned his seat to get into his suit. He had a husband to meet.

"Be there shortly," Zechs stated. "Shuttle 221, out."

"Roger that. We will be waiting. Chang out."

Zechs double checked that all was powered down in the shuttle before heading aft to locate his own suit and get it on.

Heero waited impatiently for the pressurization chamber to finish doing its job. Once the hatch released, he was out the door and all but running across the satellite surface to where the other shuttle's hatch should be. He glanced at the palm top he carried, noting the coordinates and checking them against his current ones.

He was right on course.

Zechs followed the other pilot, an amused smile on his face. He didn't bother to check his own palm top, knowing all he had to do was follow Heero.

The open hatch was located and both men slipped inside, the hatch closing behind them and the pressurization process starting all over again.

On the other side of the chamber, Duo waited anxiously. He fidgeted, fiddled with his braid and ran a gentle hand over his belly from time to time. Quatre stood back and watched, the frown on his face growing more pronounced as he observed Duo's antics. He was still uncertain as to Duo's condition. He suspected the man was pregnant again, but he had no way of confirming it; and he wasn't about to simply ask Duo if he was expecting, he didn't fancy an irate Duo after him. No, much better to wait and watch for now.

Finally the hatch hissed open, Heero stepping into the other shuttle whilst his hands were busy removing his helmet. Cobalt eyes found what he sought and locked on target.

No one said a word. Trowa, Wufei and Quatre all remaining where they stood and keeping their silence. Their eyes though, were trained on the pair before them. Zechs paused in the hatch doorway, removed his helmet and decided to remain where he was for the moment.

Violet locked with blue as each man took in the form of his partner. Duo's mouth was slightly open, his body trembling as he gazed upon his husband With a soft cry, he launched himself at Heero.

Heero's arms opened wide and caught the man he loved, tightening around the slender form and holding Duo close to him. He buried his face in the crook of Duo's shoulder as he let the emotion run free. Tears coursed down his cheeks, breath hitching as he allowed himself to fully appreciate his lover in his arms once again. "I thought I'd never see you again. I thought I'd lost you forever," he whispered out between sobs of joy.

"Oh, Heero. I didn't think I was ever going to see you again either. I love you so much," Duo returned, his own tears of joy soaking the flight suit. Pulling his head back he gazed into the blue depths of his husband's eyes, the raw emotion he could see there mirrored in his own violet. Lips met in a bruising kiss, one borne of desperation and relief. Each man gave freely and took in return, the frustration and pent up emotions breaking free.

When they did surface for air, Duo's face lit up into a wide smile. "Pinch me, I can't believe you're here," he said softly.

"In that case, you'd better pinch me too," Heero returned and then swooped in for another kiss. This time the kiss was tender, loving and gentle. Breaking the kiss, Heero pressed another one to the tip of Duo's nose. He still held Duo in his arms, the other man's arms having encircled Heero's waist and refusing to let go. If Duo could have, we would have crawled inside Heero's skin.

A discrete cough to the side reminded the pair where they were and that they had an audience.

"I hate to break up the tender moment, but we do have a crisis to avert if possible here," Wufei spoke, his tone was soft though.

Heero nodded.

"I suggest we all head to the mess room, we can discuss things better there as there's more room," Quatre stated.

"Just as long as you stay away from the beverage making that will be fine," Wufei muttered.

Quatre gave the other man a dirty look then with his nose in the air, led the way to the mess room.

###

[Preventer Headquarters]

Une drove as fast as she dared through the city streets. The car was locked for safety, not that Une planned on stopping if she could help it. Dodging around parked cars, stopped vehicles and several accidents, she called on all her driving skills to keep them safe.

"It's like a battle zone," Relena commented as she hung on tight and gazed out of the window at the city streets.

Everywhere one looked there was some sort of carnage taking place. With the electricity cut, none of the traffic lights were working, all shops were vulnerable to anyone and anything. No electricity meant no alarms, no lights, no systems of any kind.

Shop owners were arming themselves with whatever they could find, doing their best to protect themselves and their livelihood from being looted. Police were on the streets, but they were overwhelmed, unable to do anything much at all other than keep themselves from being killed.

"It's insane," Relena whispered.

"It's what Barton wants," came Une's reply. "Take away all they are used to and the population will return to its baser instincts. Right now they are in shock, the reality of what is happening to them setting in. They will turn angry and vent that anger on anything and everything they can. Some will try to take advantage of the situation, not that it will do them any good as monetary wealth really doesn't exist anymore."

"Banking, the economy?" Relena asked, her hand going to her mouth.

"I'm afraid there is no economy any longer, Relena. Barton has control over all the financial sector – effectively, he is the economy now."

"What will happen?"

"The people will continue to riot, vent their anger on each other. Then they will start to think and if I'm guessing correctly, they will clear their rage long enough to realize that it's the ESUN's fault that they are in this situation. I'm certain Barton would have let them know that it's the ESUN boards failure to step down that is responsible for their current predicament. They will then take their anger to the ESUN and force the board to step down."

Relena didn't question how the people would get the board to step down and let Barton take over, she already had a pretty good idea from the rioting. She shuddered. "Will we be safe at Preventer?"

"A lot safer than out here or back at your home," Une replied. "Shit! Hold on!" Une saw the car at the last minute as it shot out of a street to her right and aimed to ram her. She yanked the wheel to the left and accelerated as fast as she dared.

The other car hit them in the rear fender. Une didn't stop.

"You okay?" Une asked.

A white faced and visibly shaken Relena nodded in the affirmative.

"Almost there," Une stated and then pushed the buttons on her comm unit.

"Communications, Sun speaking."

"Sun, it's Une. We're coming down the road to the gates now. Please advise agents on duty to let us in immediately. We're being targeted out here."

"Roger that, Commander. Just drive straight in."

"Thanks." Une cut the call and concentrated on getting them to the entry gates of the Preventer garage.

Up ahead there were several groups of people, all seemingly on the rampage. They were standing in groups, yelling and shouting, throwing items at the walls of the Preventer building.

"Ah, shit," Une muttered. "This is going to be tricky. Relena, keep low and cover your head."

Spotting the rioting crowd ahead, Relena swallowed hard. As she took up the position Une had told her to, she asked, "Is there anything I can do?"

"Yes. Pray."

Up ahead, Une could see the garage doors to Preventer beginning to open. The crowd spotted it too and switched their attention to the agents that were slipping out to guard the doors.

Bottles, cans, rocks and abuse were some of the things hurled at the guards. The agents took it all in their stride, using the riot shields to protect them from the worst of the abuse. When it came clear that the crowd were moving closer, the agents took up their weapons, warning the crowd to step back or they would open fire.

Une was almost at the gate. She braked to make the turn, the tires squealing in protest and the rear end of the car fishtailing for a moment before Une brought it back under control. The crowd turned their attention to the car. With Une having to slow down to enter the garage, the crowd seized the chance and began to clamber for the car.

For about thirty seconds Relena thought she was living her worst nightmare. The car was hammered and battered from all directions, voices screamed obscenities and abuse; then came the sound of gunfire. Relena's head shot up when she heard the guns, face pale and looking wildly around her. They had made it into the Preventer garage, the agents shutting the doors behind them as they fought to keep the crowd out.

Une accelerated as much as she dared into the garage, doing her best to dodge the angry mob and agents alike. Pulling into the garage she heard the sound of someone hammering on the roof of the car. She hit the brakes – hard. The man that was clinging to the roof of the car shot forward and rolled off the windscreen and hood of the car to land heavily on the concrete floor. Une was out of the car in a second.

She tore around the front of the vehicle and before the man had a chance to get his breath back, Une had him in an arm lock, his arm forced up his back to the point where it was quite painful. Relena watched with an open mouth from inside the car. Seeing the Commander spring into action had two agents aiming for the car and its occupants. The agents got there as Une was dragging the offender to his feet.

"Take him to the cells," Une snapped and handed over the man. The agents cuffed him and dragged him off, Une watching them leave before turning back to the car and Relena. "Are you okay, Relena?"

"Ah, I think so," Relena replied, still a little shocked at the other woman's sudden display. Her mind switched back to the agents and the gunfire she'd heard. "Tell me, Une, those agents, they opened fire on innocent people."

"Yes, they did, but not in the capacity you're thinking," Une replied.

"Oh?"

"They were using a combination of rubber bullets and canisters of tear gas. All non fatal."

"I see." Relena felt relief at that statement.

"Come on, Relena. I need to get back to my office and find out exactly what has been going on in my absence." Une snatched her comm unit from the car, turned the engine off and passed the keys to one of the agents. "Could you park it properly for me, please?"

The agent took the keys, looking a little stunned but nodded anyway. "Yes, ma'am."

"This way, Relena." Une escorted the senator into the Preventer building.

###

[Mansion]

Nurse Brown looked at the many bags Harim and Raphel were bringing inside, dumping them on any available surface in the kitchen before stepping back outside to bring in more.

"Is all of this really necessary?" she asked as Harim placed the last of the bags on the floor.

"Yes, ma'am, I'm afraid it will be if what doctor Sally said is going to happen."

"Hmm. I guess we should start to put it all away then. Keitaro is sleeping right now so I have another hour before he should wake from his nap." The nurse began to empty out the bags, stacking the items on the kitchen table. Harim gave her a hand, Raphel leaving them to go check on the dogs and to see if the back up Magunacs had arrived.

The canned and dried goods found a home inside the large pantry. Margaret frowned when she saw the torches, batteries and the walkie talkies. The first aid kit was topped up and Harim double checked all the windows to the building had their security screens in place.

"Ma'am, I'll be going down to the basement to check on the generator and drop off the extra fuel. I'll bring in extra firewood too and the gas camping stove," Harim informed the nurse and turned to go back outside to fetch the fuel cans and the gas cylinders he'd filled.

"Okay," Margaret replied and with a frown on her face she went through to the lounge room. Stopping by the vid phone, she put in a call to Sally.

Sally grabbed her cell and noted the caller ID. "Sally Po. What can I do for you Margaret?"

Nurse Brown proceeded to grill the doctor on the necessity of all Harim had purchased. Sally assured her it was all a precaution, but there was every possibility it would become vital to their general well being if things progressed the way Une had predicted they would. Margaret had her doubts but went along with it to keep the doctor happy.

"I'm going to be coming back to the mansion, Margaret. Like I said before, I'm not leaving you and the baby alone."

"I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself and the child," Margaret huffed. "Besides, I have Harim, Raphel and goodness knows how many more of those Maguanacs here along with the dogs to keep me safe."

"I know and that's another reason why I'm coming to stay. I want to feel safe too."

Margaret laughed. She hadn't thought of it that way. "Okay, okay, I concede, you're more than welcome to stay here with me until this minor catastrophe is all over."

"Good, 'cause I was planning on staying regardless."

"I'll see you for dinner then?"

"At this stage I should be there around five-ish," Sally replied.

"I'll see what I can rustle up for dinner."

"Thanks, Margaret. I'll see you later. Bye."

"Bye, Doctor Po." Margaret disconnected the call and stared off into the distance for a moment. Shaking herself from her thoughts, she walked over to the television and turned it on. Hopefully there would be a midday movie on, something decent she could watch whilst Keitaro played in his playpen – once he woke up that was.

There was a movie on, Margaret sat and watched the drama unfold until she heard the sounds of Keitaro stirring over the baby monitor. She got up from her chair and made her way to the staircase. Barney flew over form his perch atop the curtain rail and landed on her shoulder.

The nurse changed the child and carried him back downstairs to the kitchen. Harim had been back in she noted, the gas stove sitting in one corner all ready for use, if she should need it. She snorted softly to herself and rummaged around in the 'fridge for the small container of food she'd placed in there the previous evening. Margaret always set some of their meal aside for the child, placing a portion in the 'fridge for the child's lunch the next day, and giving him a portion for his dinner.

Keitaro gurgled happily in his high chair as he watched the nanny heating his lunch up. Barney flew over and landed by the high chair. Keitaro's eyes lit up and he reached a chubby hand forward, trying to grab the bird. Barney wasn't silly and knew about self preservation, he was sure to remain just out of reach of the infant.

"Pretty boy, pretty boy," Barney chirruped.

Keitaro squealed in delight.

Margaret turned the television on in the kitchen so she could continue to watch her movie whilst feeding the child. Keitaro was quite happy to eat his lunch, Barney sitting to the side and whistling away, calling out from time to time and bobbing his head.

Having finished the bowl of food, Margaret took the dish to the sink to wash up, then returned with a wet cloth to wipe the child's hands and face. The movie was still playing, the nanny turning to watch as she wiped the infant clean. Putting the cloth to the side, Margaret was about to lift the child from his high chair and take him through to the lounge room when the television suddenly went blank.

The nanny paused and frowned at the screen. She picked up the remote.

"It's stuffed. It's stuffed," chirped Barney.

"Barney! That's quite enough," the nanny scolded.

The weiro simply fluffed his feathers and cocked his head to the side. Keitaro made a grab for the bird, Barney just managing to skitter out of the way. He gave an indignant squawk.

"Keitaro, no," the nanny told the child, her attention back on the pair. "Barney, I'd suggest you move."

The weiro, it seemed, agreed and flew off to perch on the back of a kitchen chair.

"People of the earth sphere and colonies..."

Margaret's head snapped back to the television where the screen was now showing the same bald man from earlier in the day. She frowned and pushed the channel buttons on the remote. The station changed but it didn't matter which channel she selected, the same man was on each of them. Margaret growled in frustration, then her eyes widened in shock as she listened to the speech.

'In case you missed my previous broadcast my name is Barton, Dekim Barton and I fully intend to be your new ruler. I have the ability to control everything in your lives, you will be totally reliant on me for power, transport, economy, food, water, communications – the list is endless. I had hoped to avoid all the drama, but alas, my hand has been forced. I requested that the board of the ESUN stand down immediately. I fully intend to put my own trusted advisers on the board to run things and keep them running smoothly, to benefit both the colonies and earth alike, but the ESUN declined and left me with no option. As of now I will release my Firecell, my virus and take control. I do not enjoy doing this, it pains me deeply to inflict this sort of suffering on innocents, but the ESUN cannot be allowed to get away with depriving the colonies of their rights, to prevent them from enjoying the same freedom and rights that the earth citizens enjoy."

"The solution to this problem is quite clear. If the people of the earth and colonies wish to retain their current lifestyles, I'd suggest they insist that the ESUN board stands down. Once the board has gone, I will return the services to you all. Think about it, people. I will be in touch."

The screen went black.

Margaret stared at it in shock, then her attention was taken by the sounds of the fridge and freezer turning off. She moved to the light switch and pushed. Nothing. Doing her best to stop the panic from building, the nanny went for the vid phone.

It was dead.

She pulled out her cell phone – the words: 'no signal' stared back at her. It was then that Sally's words and precautions came home to her.

Sensing the tension building in the air, Barney summed it all up in two words.

"We're screwed," the bird chirped.

tbc...


	84. Chapter 84

**Thank you to everyone for reading and warm hugs for the lovely feedback!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 84

[Preventer Shuttle 121]

The six agents all managed to squeeze into the mess room on the shuttle. Once they were all present, Chang cleared his throat.

"Gentlemen, the orders Commander Une gave us were to infiltrate the satellite and look for any evidence that Mobile suits were being built here. We were also to scope out the satellite, look for Barton, plus retrieve Agent Night if at all possible," Chang stated.

"I"d say we've pretty much completed the mission," Quatre said.

"What about you two?" Trowa asked.

"We were to join forces with you, get as much information as possible on those Mobile Suits and seek out and arrest Barton," Heero replied.

"And just where does he fit into the equation?" Wufei snapped and glared at Zechs.

"I'm curious to know where you came from too," Trowa stated. "I thought you were blown up with the Libra."

"It's a long story," Zechs began, "and we really don't have the time to go into it now. Suffice to say I survived the Libra explosion and despite being severely injured, I was taken back to earth and nursed back to health. Une offered me a job within Preventer and I took it."

"I've never seen you around the office, or heard of you being on the payroll at any of the branches," Duo said.

"That's because I'm not as such."

"He works in the Black Ops, division," Heero supplied and earned himself a glare from Zechs. He didn't flinch, just returned it with a glare of his own. "They have a right to know," he said.

"I was going to tell them," Zechs huffed.

"I've saved you the trouble."

"Whoa! Black Ops? I thought that was just hearsay," Duo questioned.

"So did I," Wufei said. "I've never seen any evidence to support such a division."

"And you won't either," Zechs replied. "It's classified top secret, only a handful of agents know about its existence – and Une will expect all of your complete silence on the matter," Zechs let them know.

"Look, all this top secret stuff is fine and dandy, but we have a more pressing issue right now," Trowa interrupted.

"Trowa is right. We need to figure out how we can stop Barton from executing his plan of taking over," Quatre stated.

The shuttle's comm unit beeped and Wufei checked it. "There's an incoming call," he said and pushed a couple of buttons. Grabbing the head set from the wall, he slipped it on. "This is Preventer shuttle PA 221," he said.

"Preventer shuttle 221, this is Preventer headquarters. I have Commander Une here. She wishes to speak with you on a matter of some urgency."

"Put the Commander on, Headquarters."

There was silence in the mess room. Wufei had toggled the volume on the comm unit so everyone could hear, but with him being the only one with a head set and microphone, he was the only one who could reply.

"Agents, Une here. I've been informed that the back up shuttle has arrived."

"Yes, Commander. Yuy and Merquise are here."

There was an audible sigh. "Is everyone present? I need to discuss something of the utmost urgency with you all."

"All agents are here and I have the unit on loudspeaker," Wufei replied.

"Good. Agents, listen carefully. Barton has released his Firecell. He gave the ESUN board the chance to step down, but they refused. He's released the Firecell and let the people of the earth and colonies know why he has and what he proposes. Right now it's affecting the power systems and communications. I have no idea what he will turn off next."

"There's more, isn't there?" Yuy asked.

"Yes. The people of the earth are rioting. Right now they see the police and Preventer as being their enemies and I'm afraid there isn't much we can do. It won't be long before they turn on the ESUN board and demand they stand down. If they don't..."

"More bloodshed," Duo whispered.

"I'm afraid so."

Everyone was silent for a moment as the whole mess became apparent.

"Agents, I need you to get in there, find Barton and stop him. I don't care how you do it, just stop him before he can cause any further havoc. Just leave Barton alive though, he needs to stand trial for his crimes."

"Yes, ma'am," Wufei replied.

"Agent Day?"

Wufei handed over the head set to Heero.

"Hai, Commander?"

"I'm counting on this arrest of Barton being successful. When it is, I will need you and your skills to try and reverse this Firecell virus and give control back to those who should have it."

Heero frowned. "That's easier said than done."

"There has to be a way," Une countered.

"Professor Hawkins," Duo said.

Heero turned to look at his husband, the question clear in his eyes.

"The professor is on Barton's tech team. I spoke with him a couple of times. He was kidnapped too and forced to put his Firecell theory into actual programming. Barton still has him, although I don't know where exactly, but I'm sure if we can get the professor out he will know a way of reversing this Firecell." Duo gave a shrug of his shoulders.

Heero repeated Duo's words to Une.

"Good idea, Agent Night."

"Thank you." Duo smirked and turned to the others. "See, I'm not just a pretty face," he said in a smug tone.

"I heard that," Une said. "I wouldn't be getting too cocky, Night. There's still an inquiry into your disappearance and the assassination of a couple of ambassadors to be held yet."

"Ah."

"Agents, do your best to get in and arrest Barton. See if you can find this professor too. I will remain at Headquarters for the foreseeable future, I expect you to keep me informed of your progress."

"Yes, ma'am. Commander, do you know how far Copper managed to get with the conversion? What has been affected and what is still up and running?" Heero asked.

"At this point I'm not sure," Une replied. "Obviously the communications and the shuttles are still operational. We also have the back up generators to keep the power on here."

"Keitaro," Duo whispered and looked to his husband, the fear and concern evident in his eyes.

With that sudden thought Heero's blood turned to ice in his veins. "Commander, my son... Nurse Brown... Could you possibly check on them please?"

"Yuy, I'll find out what I can and if need be I'll have them brought here to Preventer Headquarters for their safety."

Duo closed his eyes and lowered his head, letting a soft sigh escape his lips.

"Thank you." Heero similarly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good luck, agents. Une out."

"Shuttle 221 out." Heero handed the head set back to Wufei.

"Gentlemen, I think we need to come up with a plan," Zechs stated.

"No shit, Sherlock," Duo said, the sarcasm clearly evident in his tone.

Trowa stood. "I'll go get the stick that has the blueprints to the satellite on it. We will be able to formulate a better plan if we know where we are going."

"Good idea," Wufei said.

"I'll be back in a moment." Whilst Trowa left to fetch the stick, the others began to toss ideas around the table.

# # #

[Corridor on Satellite XRB 23]

Zaheer followed the soldier back through the corridors, his anger building with each step.

"Just around this corner, sir," Penrose said as he led the hulk of a man through the satellite's corridors.

Zaheer grunted and turned the corner. His eyes widened a touch as he spotted the scene ahead. Moving at a speed that belied his size, Zaheer was upon the carnage within a few strides. "What the hell happened here?"

"Corporal Gibson, sir," the corporal said and saluted. "My squad were doing a routine patrol of the area when we heard a commotion and screams. When we arrived, this is what we found. The surviving soldier was injured pretty badly; he's over there with the medic. I sent Penrose to let you know what we had found as I believe one of the dead was working on the project with Barton."

Turning away from the corporal, Zaheer went to the pile of bodies and took in the grisly sight. He identified Duric amongst the corpses, but found no trace of Maxwell. He moved across to where the medic was treating the surviving soldier. "I have some questions."

The medic was about to protest, but the look on Zaheer's face told him that probably wasn't a good idea so he moved to the side.

"What's your name, soldier?

"Barnes, Private Kevin Barnes, sir."

Zaheer cut right to the chase. "What happened?"

Barnes recounted what had gone on from when the patrol first spotted Duric running away to where they located the other man inside the janitor's closet. "As soon as we opened the door he attacked us. He got me in the face with some sort of cleaner, don't know which one but it stung like hell - still does."

"What did this man look like?"

"I only got a brief look at him before the chemicals burned my eyes."

"Tell me what you can remember."

"He had weird colored eyes, sort of like a violet blue color, oh and long hair."

That was all Zaheer needed to confirm that Maxwell had also been there. But where was he now? "Soldier, can you tell me what happened after the attack? Anything at all that you can remember will help."

Barnes frowned. "I don't remember much and I couldn't see properly what was going on as my vision was all blurry. My corporal was intending to take myself and Fletcher to the medical bay, then proceed to take the prisoners to Barton." Barnes paused for a moment. "We'd turned a corridor and suddenly all hell broke loose. There were a couple of new voices that shouted for us to freeze, then lots of gunfire. I couldn't see who they were, just hear the shouts and screams. I took a hit to the thigh and went down. Not long after it went a bit quieter. I remember hearing Waddle talking to that guy who had the long hair. My vision was still blurry but I could make out the outline of Waddle; he had the other guy held against him. The guy with the long hair, he shot them both." Barnes turned pale as he recalled the words he'd heard.

Picking up on the soldier's discomfort, Zaheer pressed for more. "What is it, soldier? What can you remember?"

"That voice..."

"Whose voice?"

"That guy, the one with the weird eyes. His voice, it was like something not of this world."

Zaheer grunted. "I don't follow."

"He said..." Barnes swallowed and when he spoke again, it was in a whisper. "He said; I am Shinigami and I have come for your soul. It was as if the devil himself was there." Barnes began to shake.

"I think that is enough," the medic said, stepping in to protect his patient. "This soldier needs urgent medical attention and is starting to go into shock."

"Take him to the medical bay, I have the answers I need," Zaheer stated and then turned to the other soldiers. "One of you give the medic a hand, the other two stay here with me."

"I'll go," Chester stated and receiving the nod from his corporal, went to help the medic get Barnes to the medical bay.

"What shall we do with the..." The corporal swallowed. "The bodies, sir?"

"They need to be taken to the medical wing as well, the morgue section. I will need full autopsies on each one of them." Zaheer rubbed his forehead as he thought. "I'll send another patrol to assist in the removal."

"Yes, sir."

"Good work, soldier." Zaheer turned and started to walk off in the direction of the prison section of the dome, pulling his communicator from his pocket and contacting the army section of the base. He quickly filled the sergeant in on what had happened, the sergeant dispatching a unit to assist immediately. With that side of things sorted out, Zaheer concentrated on finding out exactly how the prisoners had escaped.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 Control Room]

Barton watched the large vid screen, his eyes darting from one picture to the next, a small smirk adorning his lips as he observed the panic currently taking place on the earth and the colonies alike. He'd been very careful to exclude the life support systems of the colonies from the effects of the virus; after all, he was trying to liberate the colonies – to a point.

Noting the anger spreading amongst the citizens, he felt a wave of satisfaction wash over him. "Good, it's all starting to come together," he whispered.

The rest of the people in the control room did their best to continue working, but it was hard to ignore the chaos going on.

"Zaheer!" Barton called.

When the large man didn't appear beside him, Barton turned in his seat and looked around the control room.

"Where is Zaheer?" he questioned, his tone a little harsh.

"He stepped out for a moment, sir," a tech informed him.

"Craven!" barked Barton.

"Yes, sir?" Craven appeared at Barton's side.

"Find out where Zaheer is and have him report here to me. Then I want you to contact the shuttles on the outer satellite and have them prepare to transport the army to the earth. I'll tell you when to have them fly over here for boarding."

"Yes, sir." Craven scuttled away, first trying to locate Zaheer and then to order the shuttles to get ready.

A young tech approached Craven. "Sir?"

"Yes?"

"Mr Zaheer, he left with a soldier a short while ago. I don't know where they were heading but I assume he's with the army in some capacity."

"Thanks." Craven turned back to his console and put a call through to the section of the dome that housed the army. Within a couple of minutes he knew where Zaheer was and put a call through to the prison section, informing the man that his presence was required in the control room immediately.

With the first part of his task complete, Craven continued with his communications, this time to a small satellite that sat off to the side of the larger one they were currently on. Barton had chosen this particular satellite for his base as it had the facilities he needed to bring his plan to fruition, plus the small satellite to the side offered the perfect place to 'park' the many shuttles he'd attained. The small satellite was so insignificant that it barely rated a dot to mark it on the stellar maps.

"Shuttle base, this is Control."

"We read you, Control. Go ahead."

"Barton wishes you to prepare all shuttles for transporting the troops to earth. We will contact you when we are ready for pick up."

"Roger that, Control. Will have shuttles ready to go on your command."

"Thank you. Control out."

"Shuttle base, out."

Having completed his tasks, Craven approached his boss. "I have contacted the shuttles and they are preparing to fly over on your command."

"Good. Zaheer?"

"He is on his way here."

Barton grunted and turned his attention back to the rioting on the screen. "Not much longer now," he muttered to himself.

# # #

[Mansion]

Margaret looked up from where she was sitting in the kitchen, Keitaro in her arms and Miracle by her feet when there came a soft knock on the door. "Who is it?" she questioned, puzzled as to who the visitor could be given the lock down status of the estate by the Maguanacs.

"It's Sally, Margaret. Can you let me in please?"

The nurse felt the relief wash over her and quickly stood to unlock and open the door.

"Thanks," Sally smiled as she stepped into the kitchen.

"What the hell is going on out there?" Margaret demanded. Other than the broadcast she'd heard before everything went off, she didn't have a clue as to what was going on. One minute she'd been watching a movie, the next it was interrupted by some awful old man giving a very threatening speech. Then everything had gone off and Harim had come running to the mansion and ordered her to lock up everywhere and stay inside.

Sally gave a sigh. "Mind if I grab a cup of tea first? Then I promise we will sit down and I'll tell you all I know."

"Fine." Margaret sat herself back down in the chair, Keitaro still in her arms and the pair watched the doctor as she made her way around the kitchen.

With tea in hand, Sally sat down and began to fill Margaret in on all she knew. Une had come clean, telling the doctor of the current assignment the agents were on and what they were attempting to do to stop Barton.

Margaret listened to all the doctor had to say, not interrupting and taking it all in with a calm air. Once Sally had finished, Margaret took a moment to digest it all.

"I have strict instructions from Une that I am to bring both you and the baby to Preventer Headquarters should the estate become compromised at all," Sally informed the nurse.

"Compromised?" the nurse snorted. "Have you seen the measures that have been put into place by Harim? The security system is still functioning due to the generator. The number of Maguanac guards has quadrupled and then there are the dogs. If anyone can penetrate through that lot they deserve to get in."

Sally laughed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll contact Une and let her know you're as safe as can be, in fact, you're probably safer here than you would be at Headquarters." Sally took a sip of her tea. "I have some more news for you."

"You do?"

"They have found Duo."

Margaret felt her heart stop beating for a moment and she took in a sharp breath. "Is he – is he okay?" she whispered, the fear of what the answer would be evident in her voice.

"I don't have the full run down, but it appears he is functioning just fine. I do know he has some minor injuries, but he's safe with Wufei, Trowa and Quatre."

"Thank the Lord for that," Margaret sighed and then she turned to the infant in her arms. "You hear that, Keitaro? Your daddy has been found, he's safe and coming home soon."

The infant gave a smile and blinked at the nanny. "Da... Da..."

Both Margaret and Sally froze.

"Did he...?"

"I think so."

"We need to record this, Heero and Duo deserve to hear his first attempts at speaking," Sally said, her tone excited as she rummaged around in her bag for the small tape recorder all doctors seemed to have. Locating it, she turned it on and placed it on the table.

"Your daddies will be home soon, Keitaro. Can you say daddy?" Margaret encouraged.

The child looked around, amused at this new game.

"Say daddy, Keitaro," the nurse prompted.

Keitaro gave a gurgle, then, "Da..."

"Yes!" Sally crowed.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 Prison Sector]

Preston stiffened when Zaheer walked into the sector and headed straight for him. "Sir."

"Preston, how the fuck did those prisoners manage to escape?" Zaheer demanded, his eyes blazing.

"I... I don't know, sir. Their door was locked, no one had been in to them since giving them breakfast this morning. The guards haven't reported anything unusual and when we went to check, the door was still locked," Preston informed the man.

"So you're telling me they just managed to vanish, turn to mist and pass through the door?" The sarcasm was thick.

"Ahh..."

"Someone here is responsible, someone knows what happened or let them out; and I intend to find out who that person was," Zaheer snarled.

Preston paled.

"Don't you have security discs?"

"Yes, yes we do."

"Have you checked them?"

"Um."

"Incompetent idiots," Zaheer snapped. "Show me the security recordings, now!"

The guards almost fell over themselves in their scramble to pull up the security discs. Once they had the necessary discs pulled up, they stepped back and allowed Zaheer to take control of the console.

Zaheer scanned the recordings, fast forwarding through a lot of it. He saw the guards deliver breakfast and step out, locking the door behind them. Not much else was on the tapes, just the guards doing their patrols from time to time; then the recording went blank.

"What the?" Zaheer fast forwarded, the black screen greeting him for a few seconds before resuming again. Frowning, Zaheer rewound and let the disc play from where it went black to where it resumed. "What happened here?" he asked.

"I don't know, sir," Preston replied, just as foxed as Zaheer.

Zaheer played the segment again, this time he timed it. The screen was blank for one minute and forty-five seconds.

"Errr, sir?"

Zaheer turned to look at the young guard, his eyes narrowed. "What?"

Doing his best not to cringe under that glare, the young guard spoke, his voice trembling a touch. "I think I know why the recording is blank there."

"You do? Then spit it out!"

"Yes sir,' the guard gave an audible gulp. "All the systems went down for a short time when Mr Barton released that virus. I'm assuming the cameras did too."

"One way to know for sure," Preston said. "Check the time on the recording."

Zaheer rewound again, noting the time the screen went blank and the time when it resumed. "It looks like you are correct in that assumption," Zaheer told the guard.

The guard did his best not to look too relieved at being right.

"There would have been a short span of time when the virus was released for the system to switch over to the new one," Zaheer mused. "I wonder just what systems were down."

The com unit beeped, a guard taking the call.

"Mr Zaheer? That was the control room. Mr Barton requires your presence there immediately."

"Damn." Zaheer turned away from the screen and addressed Preston. "I have to go back to the control room and inform Barton of this escape. I suggest you find out what systems were down and exactly how the prisoners managed to get out of their cell and the sector without being noticed. I also suggest you get a patrol together and send them out to search for the missing prisoner."

"Don't you mean prisoners?" Preston questioned.

"No, I don't. One of them has already been located, he's now in the morgue. The other one, the one with the long hair is still on the loose."

"Ah."

"I also have reason to believe he's not alone."

tbc...


	85. Chapter 85

**Thank you everyone for reading and warm hugs for the kind reviews. The feedback is very much appreciated.**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 85

[Preventer Shuttle 221]

Trowa returned with the stick and slipped it into the computer terminal. Within seconds he had the blueprints for the mining satellite up on the screen. Everyone else crowded around and took in the layout.

"Does any of this look familiar to you, Duo?" Quatre asked.

"Trowa, do you mind if I take over?" Duo questioned.

"By all means." Trowa moved to the side and allowed Duo to take the seat and mouse. The long haired man quickly scanned through the blueprints, bringing some areas into larger frame, then checking others. Behind him, the others watched, none really familiar with all that was being displayed.

Finally, Duo went back to the basic blueprint and began to speak. "From what I can recall, this is what they are using as the prison section here." He pointed to a section on the blueprint. "The main control room should be here, the mobile suits are being kept in this large dome over here."

"Une was quite clear in her orders that we take Barton alive, locate this professor and reverse the Firecell," Wufei reiterated.

"We know that, Wuffers, but it's not going to be long before Barton knows I'm gone and he's gonna have patrols all over the place looking for me. Also, with the ESUN board refusing to stand down they are playing right into his hands. He will send his troops to earth along with the mobile suits and take over completely. Given what Une has said is currently happening on earth, I think it would be safe to say Barton will dispatch those troops and suits somewhere in the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours." Duo gave the assembled group a quick look over to see how his statement was being received. "If we are to destroy those suits, and trust me, we need to, we have to do it now."

Trowa looked at the blueprints again. "It won't be easy trying to get from the shuttle station through the domes to the one where the suits are being stored, plus I'm betting they would have people guarding the place."

"I never said it would be easy," Duo replied.

"Then there's the fact that there are civilians in there too," Quatre said. "It's one thing to try and destroy those suits, but we don't want to hurt innocent people in the process."

"We also need to figure out where Barton is most likely to be and where the professor is being held," Heero put in.

"Barton is generally in the control room. Sometimes he checks out the suits, but not very often now that they are complete and programmed," Duo replied. "The professor is generally in the control room too."

"Then I suggest we need to work out a way to infiltrate and get to that control room. If we can take Barton down and what you say of the professor being there too is true, then Yuy and this professor can reverse the Firecell whilst we take Barton into custody," Wufei stated.

"That's quite feasible," Quatre said.

"And what if Barton manages to alert his army or pilots for the suits?"

"Then we're gonna find ourselves in a big pile of crap," Trowa muttered.

"Gentlemen, if I may be allowed to speak?"

All five former Gundam pilots turned to Zechs, the mistrust still evident in their eyes.

"What is it, Zechs?" Duo growled.

"I may have a solution to your problem."

"How so?" Trowa asked, the caution clear in his voice.

"It would be easier for me to show you."

"Stop talking in riddles, Merquise and get to the point," Wufei snapped.

Heero knew what Zechs was planning on revealing and kept his mouth shut as to that. He thought it would be quite amusing to see the looks on his fellow pilots' faces when they saw what they carried in the cargo hold of the transport shuttle.

"I will need for you all to accompany me back to the transport shuttle," Zechs replied calmly.

"I don't think so. We have a crisis here on our hands in case you'd forgotten and we need to work out a viable plan..."

"Chang!" Heero cut the Chinese man off. "I think you should listen to Zechs and come across to the transport shuttle."

Wufei was a little miffed at being cut off, but he had to admit, his curiosity was getting the better of him and if Yuy insisted they go, then it must be something worth their while and might just assist them as Merquise had said. "Fine," he sniffed.

"Let's move," Zechs said and left the mess room to prepare to return to the transport shuttle.

The rest of the group followed, Heero and Duo bringing up the rear. Duo wrapped his arm around Heero's waist, the Japanese man reciprocating.

"You know what Zechs has in mind?" Duo questioned.

"Hai, I do," Heero replied and gave his lover a soft smile.

"Aren't you going to share?"

Heero shook his head. "It's a surprise."

Duo pouted. "No fair."

"I'm sure you will like this surprise," Heero said softly and placed a tender kiss to Duo's cheek.

Duo's arm tightened around Heero's waist and he leaned a little closer to whisper, "God how I want just a few minutes alone with you."

"You have no idea how much I've missed you," Heero replied.

"Trust me, Heero. I do. I've missed you so much too. The hardest part was not knowing if Keitaro and Nurse Brown were okay, if I would ever see you again, hold you, kiss you, make love to you..."

Heero groaned and brought his lips to Duo's, kissing his husband deeply. "Once this is over, we are going to take a long vacation, you, me and Keitaro. Just the three of us."

"Ah." Duo knew he had to tell Heero that he was most likely pregnant again, but wasn't sure how best to broach the topic – or when.

"Something wrong, Duo?" Heero asked when his husband didn't respond with his usual enthusiasm.

Duo was saved from answering as they had reached the pressurization chamber where Quatre was holding out a suit for Duo.

"I'll talk to you and explain things later," Duo excused and gratefully took the suit and began to put it on.

Heero frowned but let it slide, for now.

Once everyone was suited up, helmets in place, they stepped into the chamber and then once the pressure had equalized, out to the satellite surface and across to the Transport shuttle.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 Control Room]

Zaheer made his way quickly through the corridors of the dome and towards the control room. He wasn't happy at all with the current situation and vowed there would be severe reprimands for those who had failed to do their job properly. Reaching the control room, Zaheer took a deep breath and prepared himself for the wrath he knew would come once he informed Barton of the escape.

Stepping back into the control room, Zaheer looked around and spotted his boss to the left of the room, staring intently at a view screen. Quickly, he moved across to let Barton know he was back.

"Ah, Zaheer," Barton greeted. "Take a look." Barton indicated the view screen and moved aside for the larger man to take a peek.

The screen showed a scene from somewhere on earth. Zaheer couldn't say for sure, but it looked a little like what people used to call 'The States'. People were rioting, running wild through the streets; some in fear, others in anger.

"I have ordered the shuttles to be made ready to transport the army to the earth. The suits will follow shortly after," Barton informed the other man.

"How soon before you send them?" Zaheer questioned.

"Probably in the next twelve hours. I want to make sure the citizens know who is responsible for their current predicament. I'm hoping they will also convince the ESUN board to step down."

"I see."

Barton turned to the other man. "You don't seem to be very enthusiastic, Zaheer. This is what we've worked so hard for these past few years; it's all starting to come to fruition now."

"I'm afraid we have a bit of a problem," Zaheer said.

"Problem?" Barton's eyes narrowed.

"There has been an escape from the prison section."

"Who?" Barton demanded.

"Duric and Maxwell." Zaheer braced himself.

"How the fuck did that happen?" Barton yelled.

Zaheer winced. "From what I can gather, when the Firecell was released all our systems went down for a minute or two until the new system kicked in – that included the locks on the cell doors."

"Well that's just fucking marvelous!" Barton sneered. "Where the hell were the guards? Why didn't they stop them?"

The guards weren't aware that the locks would be disengaged for a short period and thus were not patrolling at the time."

"Probably all inside their control room playing cards," Barton snapped. "I hope you have their names as I intend to discipline them all over this."

"Of course," Zaheer replied.

"Fuck! Maxwell on the loose somewhere; that is not good," Barton said and shook his head. "He needs to be located and returned to the prison. Once he is I'll make an example of him, show the others what happens to those who disobey me." Barton knew that an ex Gundam pilot on the loose was not in his best interests.

"I have a patrol out now looking for him," Zaheer stated.

"What about the other one? And how did you find out about the escape?"

Zaheer filled Barton in on what had happened. "I believe that Maxwell has help from someone. If what the soldier told me is true, and I have no reason to doubt his story, the patrol that had arrested Maxwell and Duric were attacked by persons unknown."

"We have traitors in the camp?"

"I don't know," Zaheer replied honestly.

"It would have to be. If someone had tried to approach or land on the satellite we would know about it. The radar would have picked them up." Barton turned to one of the techs. "Simons!"

"Yes, sir?"

"You've been monitoring the radar. Has there been any ships approach or attempt to land here?"

"There have been a couple of transport ships pass by but that is all. I've not had anything approach or anything request permission to land, sir," Simons replied.

Barton returned his gaze to Zaheer. "This is going to be a major problem. Double the guard on the mobile suits, have extra guards posted in the shuttle bay area and put out more patrols. Maxwell has to be located as quickly as possible; and the traitors that have helped him."

"Yes, sir. I'll get on to it right away."

"Good. I'll go ahead and get the army assembled and ready to dispatch. The suit pilots can also prepare for dispatch. The sooner we get them on earth the quicker we can take over and the less chance of Maxwell and his traitors sabotaging our plans."

"Report back here to me once you have all that underway, Zaheer."

"Of course." Zaheer took his leave to organize the extra patrols.

Barton turned back to the screen to think for a moment. Turning sharply, he sought out Craven. "Craven! Notify the army to begin assembling and prepare for deployment. Also notify the mobile suit pilots they are to get ready for flight. The suits will leave shortly after the army."

Yes, sir." Craven bent to his task.

Barton returned to his observation of the earth riots. Across the other side of the control room, Professor Hawkins gave a small smirk.

# # #

[Preventer Headquarters]

"Commander?"

Une looked up to see Felicity standing in the door way. "Yes?"

"I have a compiled list of what is functioning and what isn't like you asked," Felicity stated and walked into the office to place a folder on Une's desk.

"Thank you, Felicity." Une picked up the folder and with a grim expression on her face, opened it and began to read. Felicity quietly left the office.

The more Une read, the worse things seemed to become. The communications and shuttles were not affected by the Firecell, thanks to Day's foresight. The program had been running flat out in converting the files for the entire Preventer network – however there just hadn't been enough time. A large part of the data base was inaccessible, thanks to the Firecell, but Copper had managed to convert some files. Case files and research had been protected and part of the system the medical wing used; but that was all.

Never had Une felt so helpless.

With Barton having taken out the power grids and communications grids, there was now way she could contact any of the senators on the ESUN board. To go out there now would be suicide given the angry response of the citizens. Une had to know how the senators were coping though and with her mind made up, she stood and left the office.

Four agents looked up as the Commander entered the communications section. She moved towards the consoles and sat down, composing herself.

The agents all looked to one another but held their silence. Once they had known that the Firecell was going to be deployed, Une had left instructions with Sky and Sun to contact all agents and brief them on the situation. All agents that were not currently involved with an assignment were to report back to Headquarters. It was for their own safety and protection as well as being on hand for Une to utilize their skills in whatever capacity she needed to as the situation dictated.

"Commander?" Forrest asked. "Is there something we can do for you?"

"I hope so, Forrest." Une gave a sigh then turned to the four agents. "I need you to check and see which agents are currently on bodyguard duty with any of the senators."

"Yes, ma'am. We will get right on it." Forrest turned to Oak. "You and I can do this and leave Sky and Sun to continue monitoring the systems."

Oak nodded and sat himself down in front of a console, typing away as he slipped the head set on. Forrest joined him whilst Sun and Sky returned to their own monitoring of the airwaves and their agents out on assignments.

Several minutes passed with just the occasional whisper being passed amongst the agents and the odd communication between base and a field agent. Eventually, Forrest removed his head set and console, walking to where the Commander still sat, seemingly in a world of her own.

"Commander?"

Une looked up. "You have some information for me, Forrest?"

"Yes, Commander. We have located and contacted those agents currently on bodyguard duty. There are a total of six out in the field here on earth and all have confirmed the senators they are looking after are safe, although there is a lot of rioting and demands for blood. At this stage they are scattered around various locations and the agents are not sure just how long they can keep their respective senator safe from the mobs. We are still checking on the agents assigned to senators on the colonies."

"That leaves five senators out there on their own," Une stated.

"Don't you mean eight, Commander?"

Une shook her head. "No need to check on Senator Peacecraft, she's here at Preventer headquarters. Likewise, senators Richards and Wainright are off planet and we have reason to believe they are a part of Barton's plan. Forrest, I need you to locate where those remaining unprotected senators are and allocate an agent to each one of them. There should be enough agents still out there in the field to cover this assignment."

"I'll get right on it, Commander."

"Thank you." Une rubbed her tired eyes. "I'll return to my office. Let me know of your progress as soon as you have any information. Also, if either of the shuttles 121 or 221 should make contact let me know immediately."

"As you wish, Commander."

Une left the agents to carry out the tasks set to them and returned to her office. Her mind drifted to what her agents currently out on that satellite were doing. If they were having any luck in infiltrating and locating Barton and bringing this nightmare to an end. All she could do was pray and hope.

# # #

[Preventer Transport Shuttle 221]

The five ex pilots and Zechs stepped out of the pressurization chamber and into the transport shuttle. Removing their helmets and placing them to one side of the chamber, Wufei was the first to speak.

"Where is this solution you seem to think you have?" he demanded.

"Gentlemen, if you will please follow me." Zechs took up the lead and exited the small area, stepping into a corridor and making his way through the shuttle. Behind him, the remaining agents fell into step.

"I hope you brought some ammo and C4 with you," Duo muttered. "A couple of rocket launchers wouldn't go astray either. We really need to be armed more than we are to take out those suits and Barton's army. "

"Trust me when I say that what we have brought will be more than enough to take down Barton," Heero replied in his cryptic tone.

Duo just snorted, he was getting a little fed up with all the riddles and time was running out.

Quatre couldn't sense any animosity coming from Zechs, just a calm, inner peace. The man seemed genuine in his desire to assist them and if what Heero said about him being in the Black Ops was true then Une must trust him. He allowed his empathy to seep forward again and the results he felt were pretty much what he'd expected.

Wufei was a turmoil of curiosity and anger. Heero was calm but on the edge. Trowa? His partner remained calm but curious, preferring to give Zechs the benefit of the doubt for now. Duo's emotions were bouncing around all over the place. The man was confused, annoyed and determined to have his revenge; but there was a touch of anxiety there too. Quatre retreated and put up his shields. All this emotion was giving him a serious headache.

The group arrived at the cargo hold, Zechs stopping outside the doors and turning to face the agents. "On the other side of these doors is something I trust you will use wisely to bring about the arrest of Barton and an end to his reign of terror. Once you have had the opportunity to look for yourselves, I will answer any and all questions."

The group looked even more confused but were prepared to wait and see.

Zechs pushed the button to open the doors to the cargo hold and stepped back.

As soon as the doors were open, Wufei was inside, closely followed by Trowa, Quatre and Duo. Heero waited until they were all inside before stepping in too and joining his lover.

The four agents moved inside the cargo hold and stopped dead in their tracks.

"By Nataku," Wufei whispered.

"Oh, Allah," came Quatre's soft voice.

Trowa simply blinked and stared, his voice completely deserting him.

Duo paused, took in the sight before him and then summed it all up. "Well fuck me. We needed a miracle and now we have one."

Heero moved to stand behind his husband, arms encircling the slim waist, chin resting on Duo's shoulder. "I told you you would like the surprise."

"Not that I'm complaining or anything, but... How the hell did you get your hands on the Gundams?" Duo questioned.

"I'd like to know the answer to that too," Wufei stated.

"We saw them destroyed," Quatre said.

Trowa remained speechless.

"It's a long story, one I will give you the condensed version of shortly," Zechs said with a smile. "For now, I suggest you take a look at the mecha."

Not needing to be told twice, the four pilots clambered down the series of catwalks to their respective Gundams.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 Control Room]

Having organized several patrols and given them quadrants to check for the missing prisoner and those that were assisting him, Zaheer returned to the control room and his boss.

"Ah, Zaheer. Have you completed your tasks?" Barton questioned.

"Yes, sir. I have patrols out scouring every inch of the satellite. The guard on the mobile suits has been doubled and extra guards are in place in the shuttle port," Zaheer confirmed. "Don't worry, it's only a matter of time before Maxwell is located and captured."

"You had better be right, Zaheer," Barton snapped. "We've come too far to have this ruined now."

"Yes, sir."

Barton returned his gaze to the screen and the chaos happening. A cruel smile adorned his lips as he sat down in his chair. "I think it's time we gave the citizens a little more to contemplate," he said.

"Sir?" Zaheer questioned.

"Craven?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Take control of the transport sector and the banking sector."

"Yes, sir. What exactly do you want me to do with them?"

"Shut them down."

"Ah. Right away, sir."

Zaheer looked to his boss. "Shut them down?"

"Yes, Zaheer. Now, come and watch what happens when the economy crashes and the transport sector has no control at all over their grids."

Zaheer moved a little closer and watched over his boss' shoulder. The carnage was unbelievable.

With the transport sector closed off, it became a game of life and death. Aircraft and shuttles alike had no contact with the base crews, the instruments were no longer working and they were in effect, completely helpless. With the traffic lights all out, vehicles collided. The train system was in the same boat as the aircraft; with no communication, signals not working and their instruments all off line, they were sitting ducks.

The economy sector crashed heavily. With Barton having taken it over the stock market was wiped out, trading between the countries destroyed and the currency brought to its knees. Money no longer had any value.

The people continued to riot, demanding that the ESUN board step down. Looting became prevalent and many people were forced to arm themselves to protect what was theirs and their very lives.

The entire human race was reverting back to its basic, animalistic ways.

Survival of the fittest.

Barton rubbed his hands together in glee as he watched the carnage increase.

After a while of watching the human race destroying itself, Barton decided enough was enough. "Craven?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Contact the shuttle fleet and have them prepare to mobilize. Also, contact the army sector and have the troops report to the shuttle bay area ready for boarding the shuttles."

"On it now, sir."

"I want all mobile suit pilots to report to the suit bay and prepare to leave for earth."

"As you wish."

"Have the shuttles fly here to the base in the next ten minutes."

"Yes, sir."

Barton sat back with a satisfied smile on his face. "Now comes the time to reap, gentlemen."

# # #

[Preventer Transport Shuttle 221]

The pilots were all busy checking out their suits and reacquainting themselves with their Gundams when an alarm began to sound.

"That's the perimeter alarm," Zechs said. "Something is approaching."

tbc...


	86. Chapter 86

**Many thanks for the kind comments, I really do appreciate the feedback! Warm hugs to likkle cloud and lildeamon666 - Thanks for your continued support.**

**Enjoy...**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 86

[Preventer Shuttle 221]

Hearing the alarm going off, Zechs was immediately heading for the cockpit. The other four pilots scrambled out of their mecha and back up the stairs to the catwalk and Heero to find out what was up.

"The perimeter alarm is sounding," Heero advised. "Something must be approaching."

"Any idea what?" Duo asked as the five made their way through the shuttle to the cockpit and Zechs.

"No. Zechs was heading up to check."

Moments later, the five arrived at the cockpit to hear several curse words coming out of said cockpit.

"Oh, I never knew Zechs had such colorful language," Duo snickered.

"It must be something serious to have him cursing like that," Quatre said, a blush tingeing his cheeks as the words continued to flow.

Leaving the others to speculate, Heero entered the cockpit. Zechs looked up as Heero entered, a frown on his face.

"What is it?" Heero asked.

"Take a look," Zechs replied and pointed to the radar.

"Fucking hell!"

"Yeah, that's pretty much what I thought," Zechs replied grimly.

"This is not good, not good at all," Heero muttered.

"What's not goo – oh shit." Duo stuck his head into the cockpit, eyes immediately picking up on the radar.

The radar showed several objects approaching – rather fast.

"Incoming shuttles," Zechs announced as he checked the computer scanners.

"Shit! Barton must have called them in to pick up the troops and take them to earth," Duo said.

The other three agents stuck their heads inside the shuttle cockpit to find out what was going on and caught the tail end of the conversation.

"Well, that's just fine and dandy. What the fuck are we gonna do now?" Trowa asked.

"We have to move," Heero stated.

"No shit." Duo replied.

"If we stay here, the incoming shuttles will crash into us," Zechs said.

"Once this shuttle moves it will become visible to the incoming shuttles and Barton," Duo warned.

"We need to get back to the other shuttle and move it as well," Wufei stated.

"Pity we can't move the two of them together and keep them both cloaked," Quatre muttered.

"Barton is going to know there's more than one shuttle once the transport shuttle becomes visible," Duo said. "And there's no way we can hope to infiltrate the base now, not with all his troops waiting inside the shuttle bay area."

"Gentlemen, what are we going to do? Time is running out here," Zechs stated.

"Well, we knew Barton would discover us eventually, might as well be now," Heero muttered. "I'd suggest Chang goes back to the other shuttle and keeps it cloaked. We need to move this one now. Once we're out of the way, Chang can maneuver the other shuttle away from the bay. Barton will know we're here once we start to move, but it will still take him a short while to mobilize any resistance. Whilst Zechs and Chang move the shuttles, the rest of us head for our Gundams, that way we can be ready to defend the shuttles and take Barton down."

"I'd suggest touching the shuttles again once they're moved so both are cloaked; it might buy us a bit more time and confuse Barton," Quatre suggested.

"Good idea, Winner," Wufei replied.

"Are we all agreed 'cause I need to move." Zechs questioned again, his patience starting to wear a little thin.

"Hai, we're agreed," Heero replied. "Chang, get back to the other shuttle. Trowa, Quatre and Duo, you three come with me to the Gundams If we need to deploy, open the cargo bay doors as quickly as you can, Zechs."

"No problem," Zechs replied and started the fire up sequence for the shuttle engines.

Wufei was quick to put on his mask and after stepping through the pressurization chamber, high tailed it back to the other shuttle. Once on board, he immediately opened the communications line and began his own engine fire up sequence. "Shuttle 121 to shuttle 221, do you copy?"

"Shuttle 221 here, we copy."

"Engines are going through start up sequence now. You can move whenever you wish," Wufei said as he flipped a few switches and turned several dials.

"Roger that," Zechs replied. "Engines are on idle, will engage minimum power to move away. Engaging now." Zechs pushed a couple of buttons and took a firm hold of the yoke. "Shuttle 221 moving away, now." Easing the yoke forward, the transport shuttle began to roll across the surface of the satellite, blowing small clouds of dust behind her. Once the wing tip left that of the other shuttle, the big ship shimmered and became visible again.

"By Nataku, I hope we can pull this off," Wufei whispered and then eased his own yoke forward to set the shuttle moving.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 Control Room]

"The shuttles are on their way, sir," Craven informed Barton.

"Good. How long until they're here?"

Craven turned back to his screen for a moment. "About fifteen minutes, sir."

"Thank you. Zaheer?"

The large man stepped to Barton's side. "Yes?"

"Are the troops in the shuttle bay area and ready to board?"

"Yes, sir. All troops are fully kitted up and awaiting the shuttles' arrival."

Barton rubbed his hands together and gave an evil smile. "Not long to go now, Zaheer. Have the troops been briefed?"

"Yes, sir. Once the army reaches earth, the troops will locate and eliminate the remaining ESUN senators. They will then move to the ESUN headquarters and secure it for your arrival and take over," Zaheer replied.

"The mobile suits?"

"The pilots are all preparing the suits as we speak. Once the shuttles have left, the suits will follow and act as backup for the army. If there's any resistance they will be able to crush it fairly rapidly."

"Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?" Barton snickered.

Zaheer opted not to reply.

Simons glanced at his radar screen then turned to his computer, only to return his attention to the radar. His eyes had registered something not quite right there. He looked again, noting the eight 'blips' on screen that signaled the incoming shuttles – then there was a single 'blip'. Simons scratched his head and watched as the radar line swept around again.

Same thing. Eight blips then a solitary blip.

"Sir?" Simons tried to get the attention of either Craven or Barton.

Craven snapped his head around to the young tech. "What is it?"

"I think you should take a look at this."

With a long suffering sigh, Craven got up from his chair and walked over to the tech. "What seems to be the problem?"

"Watch the screen, sir." Both sets of eyes tracked the line as it circled the dial again. "There, see that?" Simons said.

Once again the eight blips and the solitary one appeared on the screen.

Craven scratched his head. "What the hell is it?"

"I don't know, sir."

"Sit tight, I'll get Barton."

"Yes, sir."

Craven moved swiftly across the control room to where Barton stood in conversation with Zaheer. He waited patiently for a break in the conversation where he could interrupt with minimum risk to his health. Finally, he got that break. "Mr Barton, sir?"

Annoyed at having his discussion interrupted, Barton turned to look at the tech. "What is it?" he snapped.

"I think you should come and take a look at the radar screen."

Barton gave a roll of his eyes. "Incompetent fools. Can't even monitor a radar and incoming shuttles without someone to hold their hand," he muttered.

Zaheer remained silent and followed the two men.

"What is it that's got your blood pressure rising?" Barton sneered.

"There, look on the screen, sir," Craven replied and pointed to the radar. Simons moved slightly to the side to allow the others a better view of the screen.

"Yes, it's a radar, one that's tracking the incoming - "

"You see it?" Craven asked, his excitement rising a touch.

Barton squinted. "Those are the troop shuttles?" he questioned, pointing to where the eight blips had shown up on the screen.

"Yes, they are. They are coming in to land as we speak," Craven replied.

"Then what the hell is this other blip?"

"I don't know, sir."

"Craven, activate the cameras on the outer domes and shuttle port. Have the images put onto the larger screen." Barton ordered.

"Right away, sir." Craven returned to his own console and began to type in the commands to bring the cameras on line.

The view screen fuzzed as the cameras booted up, then they began to relay the images from outside the satellite domes and shuttle port.

Barton scanned each of the images. "Bring the one on the shuttle port up to full screen," he demanded.

The other views disappeared, leaving a large image on the screen of the shuttles coming in to land.

"Have the camera swing around to the left, that's roughly where the other blip was," Barton said.

Craven did his best to manipulate the camera, the small instrument taking a moment before the gears kicked in and the camera began to turn.

# # #

[Preventer Transport Shuttle 221 & Shuttle 121]

Zechs rolled the large craft across the satellite surface, moving as fast as he dared. He wasn't sure how long he had before he would become visible to the incoming shuttles. He knew Wufei was moving the other shuttle, but as it was still cloaked, he could only guess as to its location. He hoped Chang was keeping an eye on him as the last thing they needed was to collide.

"Shuttle 221 this is shuttle 121, do you copy?"

"Shuttle 221 here, I copy loud and clear, Chang."

"Continue to move forward another ten meters then shut down the engines. I'll come in beside you and hopefully get the wing tips to touch again."

"Roger that." Zechs monitored the control panel, checking his direction, speed and distance. Once he'd traveled the requested distance, he brought the shuttle to a stop. "Shuttle 221 in position."

"Copy that, 221. Power down engines and remain where you are. I'm coming in on your starboard side and will endeavor to get the wings touching again."

"Acknowledged. Shuttle 221 powering down."

Wufei could see the transport shuttle ahead and carefully eased the yoke to the side and then back again. The big craft rumbled along, inching closer to the larger shuttle. Wufei was aware of the other shuttles rapidly approaching and knew they would be in visual range very shortly. He needed to get close to the other shuttle and cloak it as quickly as possible.

The sweat began to trickle down his spine as his eyes focused completely on lining up the two shuttles.

Zechs sat still and silent in the pilot's seat. He had no clue where the other shuttle was and had to trust Wufei. He couldn't help feeling like a sitting duck though. "Cargo bay, this is the cockpit. Do you copy?"

Down in the cargo bay, the four remaining pilots had opened the hatches to their respective Gundams and were busy going through the pre-flight checks. All four felt a stirring of emotion as they sat in the familiar seats, hands gripping controls like they were an extension of themselves.

The com system crackled and Zechs' voice came over the unit.

"Cargo bay, this is the cockpit. Do you copy?"

"Cockpit, this is the cargo bay, we copy. What's going on, Zechs?" Heero asked as the other three left their suits and gathered around him.

"Shuttle has been relocated successfully. Chang is moments behind us and will be maneuvering into position on our starboard side to attempt to bring the wing tips back into alignment and touch again."

"Roger that. Any sign from the domes or port that we have been detected?" Heero asked.

"None that I can see. The other shuttles are several minutes away from landing and whilst we may show up on their radar, they won't have a visual on us for a little while. I'm hoping that by then, Wufei will be in position and the shuttle cloaked again."

"I still don't think it will be long before someone picks up on our presence."

"I agree. There's no way they could have missed us on their radar screens," Zechs replied.

"Hn. We will remain in the cargo hold. The Gundams are all ready for deployment if we need to. Keep us informed of what is happening, Zechs." Heero replied.

"Will do. Cockpit out."

"Cargo bay, out." Heero turned to the other three. "I'd suggest we all get strapped in and ready to go should the need arise."

"Sounds good to me," Duo replied. "I'm more than ready for a little payback."

Heero's eyes softened and he pulled Duo closer to him, enveloping his lover in a warm hug. "If we do have to fight, promise me you will stay safe?"

"Oh, Heero. You know as well as I do that there's no promises in war. All I can do is be as careful as I can, and trust me, I have every reason to be careful and stay alive."

Heero frowned a touch at the slightly cryptic words, but then dismissed them. He knew Duo loved both him and their son and would be doing all he could to stay alive for them. "And I will try to do the same for you," he said softly, pressing a kiss to Duo's temple.

"Love you, Heero," Duo whispered and leaned in to brush his lips over Heero's.

"Love you too, Duo," Heero responded and taking his partner's lips, reciprocated, only deepening the kiss and pouring his heart and soul into it.

"Aren't they sweet? Quatre sighed, a smile on his face as he watched the pair from a short distance away.

Beside him, Trowa's eyes were watching the pair, agreeing with his husband that the pair were indeed, sweet together. "Yes, they may be sweet, but you're even sweeter," he said and pulled Quatre to him.

Quatre happily snuggled against his partner's chest. "Stay safe out there," Quatre whispered.

"You too, my love, you too," Trowa returned.

After a few moments of silence, Heero broke the peace and quiet. "I think we should all check our weapon status and be prepared to leave."

"Sure thing, Heero." Releasing his lover, Duo made his way back to Deathscythe, the others following along behind.

"Almost there," Wufei muttered, his eyes fixated on the craft ahead and to the side of him, face crinkled in concentration.

He checked the instrument panel again, noting the figures on the computer screen. He pushed the yoke a touch, the thrusters giving a small burst at the same time and brought the wing tip around. Punching in a few commands, Wufei waited for the computer to do its calculations and display the results on the screen.

Noting the figures, he maneuvered the yoke, steering the large craft and bringing it closer to the transport shuttle. He could see the wing tips and slowly but surely edged closer.

The computer informed him he was about to 'collide' with the other craft and he eased back a touch. Drawing a deep breath and steadying his hand, Wufei crept forward and then, the wings touched and the transport shuttle began to shimmer and then fade from view.

Zechs felt the small nudge as the other shuttle connected with the transport and he heaved a sigh of relief. "Shuttle 121, this is shuttle 221, has contact been made?"

"This is shuttle 121, contact made and cloaking established," Wufei replied.

"Thank you."

"No problem. I'll finish powering down and then rejoin you over there."

"Roger that. Let me know when you're heading over and I'll have the pressurization chamber ready to go."

"Will do." Wufei turned his attention back to the console and began his check of the systems as they began to shut down.

Happy that all was okay, Wufei headed back to the pressurization chamber, grabbing his mask and donning it on the way.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 Control Room]

Barton, Craven and Zaheer all watched the screen with undivided attention. The camera was a little rusty as it hadn't been used in quite some time other than to look straight ahead so the mechanics were not in pristine condition and it took a short while to get it to actually move. Once it did, it began to scan over the immediate area, sending those pictures back to the computer and ultimately the screen that Barton was studying.

So far there had been nothing to see.

"I don't think there's anything out there," Craven began to mutter.

"Then how do you explain that blip?" Zaheer asked.

"Could be anything, a rock, some scrap metal left over from the satellite's processing days?" Craven replied.

Zaheer snorted. "If it was then surely it would have shown up on the radar before?"

"Maybe," Craven replied absently.

The camera continued on its sweep of the outside area. As it turned a little further so it picked up on a shimmering object. One minute the outline of something large was there; the next it was gone.

"Stop it there!" Barton demanded.

Immediately, Craven halted the camera and turned his attention to the screen.

"What is it?" Zaheer asked. He'd snapped his attention back to the screen the moment Barton had spoken, but he couldn't see anything.

Barton frowned. "There was something there, I know there was. I saw it," he stated.

Simons checked the radar again. The eight blips showed up – then, nothing.

"Are you sure?" Zaheer questioned.

"Of course I'm sure," Barton snapped. "I'm not senile yet," he growled.

Zaheer opted to remain silent on that one.

"Well, there's nothing there now that I can see," Craven stated. "I'll pan the camera around a little more just to be sure." The tech turned back to the computer and typed in the commands. The camera began to sweep the area again.

"Sir?" Simons asked to any of the three that would respond to him.

"What is it now?" snarled Barton.

Simons visibly paled and shrank back into his seat. "The blip that was on the radar? It's no longer there."

"What?" Barton stormed over to the tech and the radar screen.

"Ah, there are the shuttle blips," Simons stated and pointed to where six blips were now showing up on the radar.

"I thought there were eight shuttles," Zaheer said.

"There are," Simons replied.

"Then how come only six are showing up?"

"The other two have landed and are in the bay area for the troops to embark."

"Ah. I see." Zaheer scratched his chin and turned back to Barton. "It could just be a glitch in the radar, or maybe one of the shuttles got a little lost on the approach to the shuttle bay," he said.

Barton remained silent for a moment as he contemplated Zaheer's words."That could be true," he said slowly. "However, I'm not convinced that there's nothing out there."

"The camera didn't show anything," Craven stated.

"I _know _I saw something," Barton hissed.

Craven wasn't all that sure that the boss wasn't losing his sanity. "If you say so, sir."

Barton gave the tech a disdainful look. "I'd watch my mouth if I were you, Craven. You're not irreplaceable."

Craven swallowed – hard and nodded his head. Turning back to the console and screen, he did another scan around with the camera, deciding to keep his thoughts to himself in future.

"Note down the coordinates," Barton ordered. Turning to Zaheer, he announced, "I want a couple of the suits to go outside the dome and check those coordinates. If there's nothing there then I'll accept that I need to get my eyes checked."

"As you wish, sir," Zaheer said and once he had the coordinates, he left the control room to contact the suit hangar and have a couple of pilots go out to check.

Barton tuned back to the console. "How is the troop loading going?" he questioned.

"Only four more shuttles to load, sir," Craven replied.

"Good. The others?"

"They are all loaded and have left for earth, sir."

Barton gave an evil smirk. "The dawn of the new era is about to begin."

# # #

[Preventer Shuttle 221]

Wufei made it back to the transport shuttle without detection and once he'd re-pressurized, he entered the main body of the shuttle to be greeted by Zechs; the other four pilots a few moments behind him.

"Do you think we evaded detection?" Zechs asked.

"Not sure but the cloaking is working again, the shuttles cannot be seen," Wufei replied.

"I guess if we have been spotted, we will know about it somewhere in the next half hour," Quatre said.

"What about the other shuttles?" Trowa asked.

"I'm betting they're loading up with the troops for earth," said Duo. "It's all a part of Barton's master plan."

"Should we try to stop them?" asked Zechs.

"It's a little late for that," Wufei sneered. "Half of them have already left, besides, the Commander has given us strict instructions we are to apprehend Barton and bring him in alive."

"I'd suggest we contact Une and let her know of the incoming. I doubt that Preventer or anyone else for that matter will be able to detect them given the Firecell," Heero said.

"Good point," Wufei conceded.

"I'll put in the call If you like," Zechs said and went to move off to the cockpit.

The rest of the group agreed and followed Zechs back. They had only gone a few meters when the shuttle's alarms began to go off.

"What is it?" Heero asked as the group broke into a sprint for the cockpit.

"Not sure," Zechs replied. "It's the perimeter alarms again so something is approaching."

"I thought we'd managed to get far enough out of the way of the shuttles?" Quatre stated.

"We have," Zechs replied. "Oh fuck!"

"What is it?" Heero demanded and looked over Zechs' shoulder. "Shit!"

"Are you two going to share or are we going to have to play twenty questions?" Duo asked, the sarcasm clear in his voice.

"Gentlemen, we have incoming mobile suits," Zechs stated quietly.

tbc...


	87. Chapter 87

**Thank you for reading!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 87

[Preventer Transport Shuttle 221]

"How many?" Heero asked as he tried to pick up the incoming suits on the radar.

"Looks like five or six," Zechs replied.

"I guess that someone has an inkling we're here," Quatre muttered.

"Only five or six?" Duo questioned.

"That's all I can detect at this point," Zechs replied.

"Hmm." Duo's head cocked to the side as he thought.

"Duo? What are you planning?" Heero asked his lover.

Duo's face lit up into a positively evil grin. "I can take down five or six suits," he said.

"But - "

"No, listen, Heero. I'll go out in Deathscythe and take them down. I can use the hyperjammers so they won't know what's upon them until it's too late. That way we might buy ourselves a little more time too."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Wufei stated.

"I don't know," Heero began.

"Heero, I know you care about me, but I'm a good pilot, let me do this."

"I think it's a good idea," Trowa said. "Logically thinking, Deathscythe is the best one to take them down; with his hyperjammers in play it makes perfect sense to let him take them out."

Seeing he was outvoted on this one, Heero gave a deep sigh and nodded. "Okay."

Duo gave a wide grin before enveloping his lover in his arms. "I promise to be careful out there, Heero," he said softly.

"I know and I trust you, Duo. I'm sorry if I seem a little overprotective, but I've only just gotten you back; I don't want to lose you again."

"Shhh... It's okay, Heero, I understand."

"Gentlemen, I think you need to get mobile somewhere in the next thirty seconds, these suits are coming in rapidly," Zechs informed.

"On my way." Duo departed the cockpit area, Heero with him.

"We need to contact headquarters and warn Une of what is coming, plus update her on the situation," Wufei stated.

"No problem. I'll patch in the communications for you now," Zechs replied.

"I think we should head to the cargo bay and be prepared to assist Duo," Trowa said in his quiet tone.

"I agree. Once those suits are destroyed, Barton will know for sure that we're here and most likely release the rest of the suits," Quatre replied.

"You two head for the cargo bay and get ready to deploy. I'll make the call to Une and bring her up to speed before I join you. Inform Yuy of the plan too," Wufei instructed.

"On our way," Trowa replied as both he and Quatre left to go to the cargo bay.

"Communications line is open and ready whenever you are, Chang."

"Thank you, Merquise."

# # #

[Preventer Headquarters]

"Shuttle 221 this is headquarters. We read you loud and clear," Forrest said. Turning in his seat, he motioned to Agent Sky.

Sky walked over, the question in his eyes. "What's up?"

"Fetch the Commander for me, I have a feeling this is more than important and she left strict instructions we were to inform her immediately when either of these two shuttles called in."

"Right on it," Sky replied and left the communications room at a jog.

"Preventer headquarters, we need to speak with Commander Une urgently," Chang informed.

"I have one of the agents fetching the Commander as we speak, Agent Fire."

"Good." Wufei paused for a moment then in a quiet voice he asked, "What is the situation really like down there?"

Forrest gave an audible sigh. "Not good, Fire. Since this Firecell was deployed the citizens have pretty much rioted. Everything is falling apart, nothing is working properly, the economy is crashing and the police and Preventer haven't a snowball's chance in hell of containing any of it. They're calling for the resignation of the ESUN senators."

"I see." Wufei frowned. "Where are the senators?"

"Not completely sure. From what I know, some are currently under Preventer protection in safe-houses. Senator Peacecraft is here at Headquarters, but as for the others, I really don't know all that much. The Commander was trying to get any available agents that are out in the field to come forth and protect those senators that are currently without any form of protection."

"Doesn't sound too good at all."

"It isn't, Fire."

Commander Une entered the communications room at that point and Forrest informed Chang of her arrival, handing over the head set to the woman.

"Agent Fire, this is Commander Une. What information do you have for me?" Une demanded.

"Commander, we have a situation here."

"Situation? What is going on, Chang?"

"Barton has decided to deploy his troops. There are currently eight shuttles en-route to earth with troops aboard. I do not know how many troops, but suffice to say, each shuttle is fully loaded."

Une knew that would mean roughly eight hundred soldiers.

"I don't know how much of the data base Yuy managed to convert and if the radar systems are a part of the conversion, but the shuttles are on their way as we speak and I'm estimating they should arrive on earth somewhere in the next twenty-four hours."

"Do you know where they were headed?"

"Negative. Going on what information Agent Night has given, I'd say it's a safe bet they're going to be landing at shuttle ports somewhere near the ESUN headquarters."

"Damn. The transport systems are completely down, we have no way of monitoring any incoming shuttles." Une thought hard for a moment. "I think we should try to get the remaining senators out of the danger zone."

"I agree, Commander."

"How is the rest of the mission coming along? Are you any closer to apprehending Barton?"

"Ah."

"Fire, what is going on up there?" Une's voice held an edge to it and Wufei knew the Commander would want all the facts, no matter how bad they seemed.

"At this point we haven't managed to infiltrate the base and locate Barton. Our only way in right now is through the shuttle port and with Barton having his troops all assembled there for transport to earth, we haven't been able to risk it. We have had to move the shuttles as it is and are pretty sure that Barton knows we are here."

"And what makes you say that?"

"Errr... we currently have six mobile suits on course for where the shuttles are cloaked."

"Shit!"

Zechs' eyebrows rose at the expletive coming from the normally unflappable Commander.

"Agent Night is about to leave the shuttle in Deathscythe and take out the threat."

Une gave a loud sigh. "Fire, I don't know the complete story going on with you all up there and right now I don't have the time for it either. I trust you all to use your discretion and do what you have to. I also expect you to locate Barton and the professor as previously stated. I will continue to monitor what is going on and also get things moving down here to have the senators all relocated to a safe place."

"As you wish, Commander."

"I don't know what we're going to do about this army though."

Zechs picked up the second head set and put it on. "Commander?" Zechs butted in.

"Agent Wind?"

"May I suggest something here?"

"By all means, Wind. I'm fresh out of ideas at the moment."

"This might sound a little crazy, but I'd suggest that Preventer does nothing in regard to the army. Get the senators to a safe place and guard them closely, let the army worry about keeping the people under control. Once Barton has been taken into custody I'm sure the army will fold like a deck of cards."

"You do raise a valid point, Wind." Une thought about the suggestion.

"Night did say something about the training with the troops not being up to usual standard and that the army was made up largely of criminals from L2," Wufei stated.

"Once the army knows Barton is no longer in charge and that the Firecell is being destroyed, those criminals will revert to their former ways, disperse and disappear," Zechs mused.

"I think you could be right, gentlemen. Okay, I'll see what I can do in regards to the senators and leave the army to its own devices, unless of course they try to attack any of the senators or Preventer headquarters." Une paused for a moment. "I expect you to keep me updated with the progress on the satellite."

"Of course, Commander."

"Okay. Good luck, agents."

"Thank you, and good luck to you too, Commander," Wufei replied.

"Thanks, I think we're all going to need a miracle," Une muttered. "Preventer communications, out."

"Shuttle 221, out." Wufei passed the head set back to Zechs who hung it with the one he'd picked up. He ran a hand over his face before taking a deep breath. "I'm going to the cargo bay to see what is happening with Maxwell and those suits. We will need to formulate some sort of plan for getting inside that base and locating Barton."

"I agree with you, Chang. I'll stay here and monitor things unless you have something else you would prefer me to be doing?"

"No, I think staying here and keeping watch will be best."

"No problem."

"Thank you, Merquise." Wufei gave a slight bow and exited the cockpit.

Zechs watched him leave, a small, amused smile on his face. Once Chang had disappeared, Zechs turned his attention back to the window, view screen and instrument panel where the mobile suits could be seen almost upon them.

# # #

[Cargo Bay - Shuttle 221]

Duo was quickly down the catwalk and by Deathscythe's hatch, Heero right behind him. The hatch opened with a hiss and Duo turned to embrace his lover.

"You be careful out there, Duo," Heero said, his tone soft but full of worry.

"Don't worry, Heero. I'm not about to take any unnecessary risks. I have way too much to live for," Duo replied.

"Come straight back in once you've finished those suits off."

"Aye, aye, captain." Duo pulled Heero closer to him and nuzzled the soft skin of Heero's neck. "Once this is all over I want to spend some time alone with you. Just you, me, a bed and a tube of lube."

"I think that can be arranged," came Heero's husky reply.

"Good." Duo proceeded to kiss his lover senseless. "I'll be back before you know I'm gone," he said as they broke the embrace.

Heero watched as Duo took his place in the pilot's seat, the hatch hissing closed. His lover gave him a warm smile and the thumbs up; Heero returned the smile and mouthed 'I love you' to his partner before exiting out of the cargo bay so Zechs could open the doors.

Once Duo was in the pilot's seat, he quickly strapped himself in. He'd had to let the harness out quite a bit as he'd grown since he'd last been in the mecha. It was a tight squeeze, but he managed to fit in okay. Hands flew over the familiar console, pushing buttons and flipping switches.

The console glowed for a moment and then it began to light up as all systems came on line. Duo began the power up sequence for the thrusters and whilst they were coming on line, he contacted Zechs in the cockpit.

"Zechs, this is Night. Deathscythe is ready for engine fire up and departure. Please open the cargo bay doors."

"Agent Night, confirm cargo bay is devoid of any other presence."

"Cargo bay is all clear."

"Thank you. Will commence door release."

"Thrusters on idle, hyperjammers ready to go. This is 02, ready for departure."

"Good luck Maxwell."

"Thanks, Zechs." Seeing the cargo bay doors starting to open, Duo increased the power to the thrusters and began the charge up for the thermal scythe. With everything set to go, he flipped one last switch and Deathscythe shimmered, then faded from view.

Watching from the observation deck on other side of the cargo bay, behind the safety of the bulkheads, Heero couldn't help the small knot of fear from lodging in his gut. His mind knew Duo was the best pilot for this job, Deathscythe had the cloaking ability that would allow it to sneak up on its opponents and render them useless before they knew what had hit them. It didn't mean he had to like it though.

As Deathscythe shimmered and faded from view, Heero swallowed the lump in his throat. "Come back safe to me," he whispered as he pressed a hand to the thickened window.

With the cargo doors open wide, Duo engaged the thrusters and eased the huge suit from its resting place. He maneuvered the mecha towards the doors and ramp they now formed. He could see the inky darkness of space, the pale gray, powdery surface of the satellite and the incoming suits.

His brow furrowed as he stepped out of the shuttle and onto the satellite surface. He sincerely hoped that the code the professor had given him to install in the suit programs had done its job and corrupted the doll side of the suits. The only way he would know for sure though was when the rest of the suits were engaged in combat. With there only being six now, he wouldn't have a proper chance to see if the doll side had been taken out or not.

Hands gripped the familiar controls and Duo gave a loud whoop as he launched the mecha into space.

The incoming suits couldn't see anything untoward. Nothing showed up on their scanners and there wasn't anything to see through the small view ports either.

"I think this is a wild goose chase," one pilot stated.

"I agree, but you know the boss."

"Yeah. He won't be happy until we've checked the area out," sighed another pilot.

"Any fool can see there's noth-" The pilot stopped in mid sentence and brought his suit to a stop.

"What is it?" asked another pilot.

The air in front of them seemed to shift and blur.

"Oh, fuck."

All six suits came to a halt as their worst nightmare shimmered and appeared before them.

Noting exactly where the other suits were, Duo cautiously flew Deathscythe to meet them. He paused a few meters away and lowered his head as the mecha hovered. His eyes closed and lips moved in a silent prayer. A hand came up to touch the cross at his throat, a deep breath was inhaled and then released very slowly. The chestnut head came up, the eyes opened and the violet fire that sparked within promised nothing but the depths of hell.

The black Gundam hovered before the suits, Duo turning the hyperjammers off and allowing the suit to materialize. Engaging the loud speakers, he spoke in a calm but icy tone. "Shinigami has come for your souls."

The six pilots looked on in horror at the now visible Gundam. The eyes glowed green then the cold voice, one that came from the depths of hell itself, spoke.

"Shinigami has come for your souls."

Duo flipped the switch to the thermal scythe, the weapon humming and then flaring into life. Green fire danced from the end of the 'blade' as Duo gave a couple of experimental swings.

Summoning up courage from only god knew where, the lead pilot raised his version of the buster rifle and shouted down his comm unit to the rest of the pilots. "All of you, attack. He can't possibly take down six of us if we all attack at once!"

The rest of the pilots drew on their leader's courage and raised their own rifles up.

"Attack!" came the order and the six suits shot forward.

Purple eyes lit up, the mouth curved into a feral grin as Shinigami took over. The scythe sliced through the air, swinging around and cutting neatly through the first suit. The end of the scythe was pushed backwards and connected with the middle of the suit that was coming in to attack from behind. Sparks flew around before Duo shook the scythe, pulled sharply and dislodged the suit. Spinning around, the thermal beam cut through another suit, then arced back to remove the arm of a fourth.

A rifle blast managed to connect with the back of Deathscythe, shaking the big mecha but not doing any damage. Duo rocked in his harness and bit his lip in an effort to stifle the moan of pain from his abused ribs when they were jarred by the restricting harness. Anger was written into every line of his face and he swung around to meet the other suit.

Back on the shuttle, the other pilots were all watching the battle outside with keen interest. Trowa and Quatre had joined Heero in the cargo bay as Duo had departed, Chang joined them a couple of minutes later. The four watched the battle outside through the viewing windows in the shuttle's fuselage. To watch Deathscythe suddenly materialize from nowhere was a chilling sight. The black mecha with its glowing, green eyes and thermal scythe looked as though it had come from hell itself.

Heero bit his lip as he watched the six suits attack. His natural instincts were to get out there and protect his husband, so to have to stand here and watch was simply agonizing for him. Quatre could feel the emotions conflicting within Heero and placed a gentle, reassuring hand on the stoic man's arm.

"He will be fine, Heero," Quatre whispered to the blue eyed man as Heero looked at him.

"I know he will. He's an excellent pilot and I have no problem with his skills. I just..."

"It's hard, Heero, especially when you've just found him again. Trust me when I say he doesn't want to be apart from you either, that he wishes all this would just go away. Unfortunately, it won't." Quatre gave Heero a sympathetic look. "Believe in him, Heero, trust him and with any luck all this will be finished soon."

Heero nodded and looked back out the window where Duo was in full battle with the six suits.

Another lucky shot hit the big suit from the side, jolting Duo in the pilot's seat again. He gave a sharp gasp of pain before narrowing his eyes and turning to the suit that had managed to get the shot in. With a roar of anger, he dove forward, scythe swinging through the air and slicing the suit in two like it was a stick of butter.

Turning around, Duo lined up the remaining two suits. One was still sparking from where it had lost the arm, the other seemed to hang in mid air, unsure of what to do.

"Oh shit," the pilot muttered as the glowing green eyes of the mecha turned slowly in his direction. Hands shaking, the pilot gripped his controls tightly and raised the buster rifle. He managed to send a jet of power at the black machine before his world exploded into green flame and white sparks.

Noting he was the only suit left, and disabled at that, the one armed suit paused in the air, deciding what to do. Mind made up, the pilot turned and fired the thrusters to full, doing his best to high tail it back to the dome and safety.

Seeing the last suit turn tail and run, Duo gave an evil laugh. "Oh no you don't," he muttered and sent Deathscythe after the fleeing suit. The Gundam was far superior and soon drew alongside the retreating suit. Duo never paused; with Deathscythe still keeping pace, he raised the thermal scythe and brought it down.

The suit separated into two pieces, a shower of sparks and following explosion attesting to its end. Duo brought the Gundam to a halt and looked around. The pieces of the suits had either disintegrated in space or lay scattered on the surface of the satellite.

Satisfied with the job, Duo turned his mecha back to where the shuttles should be located.

"Shuttle 221, this is 02. Inbound and request coordinates for cargo bay doors."

Zechs had also watched the battle from the cockpit and hearing the request, he was quick to reply. "02, this is shuttle 221. Will send coordinates through to you now." Zechs punched a few keys on the console and sent the information directly to the mecha.

"Thanks, Zechs. Am approaching cargo bay now." With the coordinates logged into the Gundam's data base, Duo let the mecha take over and practically 'land' itself. Once the foot touched the ramp, the shuttle became visible to Duo again and he brought the suit inside and back to its resting place.

Once Duo was safely back inside, Zechs hit the buttons to close the cargo bay doors. The doors closed and sealed themselves, the pressure equalizing and then the all clear light flashed to let the other pilots know the cargo bay was safe to enter.

Heero was the first one into the bay area, aiming directly for the black machine and his lover. The hatch hissed as it opened, Duo unbuckling his harness and preparing to scramble out after powering down. Duo winced slightly as his ribs reminded him of their presence and he hoped he hadn't done any further damage to them.

Catching the slight wince, Heero frowned. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" Heero extended a hand to his partner, Duo taking it and hauling himself out to stand next to Heero.

"I'm okay. Just got a little shook up and put more pressure than I would have liked onto my ribs," Duo replied honestly.

Trowa caught the last part of the conversation as he and Quatre arrived. "I can take another look at them and re-strap if necessary."

"Ah..." Duo could see the look in Heero's eye and swallowed. He'd neglected to tell his husband the true extent of his injuries.

"Duo?" Heero questioned. "I think we need to talk."

"Errr... Yeah."

"Now, Duo."

"Okay, right with you Heero." Duo sheepishly followed his lover from the cargo bay, tossing Trowa a look over his shoulder as he went.

Trowa simply shrugged. It wasn't his fault, Maxwell should have informed his partner of his injuries. Idly, Trowa wondered if Duo would also let Heero know of his probable pregnancy too.

Once they were clear of the cargo bay, Heero took Duo to one side. "Now, how badly have you been hurt? I want the complete truth too, no trying to evade with half truths." Heero was well aware of Duo's ability to dodge the truth. Whilst he didn't out and out lie, he was a master of deception.

Knowing he wasn't going to get out of this one, Duo came clean and let Heero know all that had happened to him. "I'm fine now though, Heero. Trowa checked me out and fixed me up."

"Hn." Heero wasn't satisfied and grabbed the hem of Duo's shirt, pulling it up.

"Heero!" Duo squeaked and tried to pull his shirt back down. "There's a time and place for everything," he stated.

"Baka! I'm just trying to get a look at the strapping on your ribs, see if it needs redoing," Heero replied with a shake of his head at his lover's antics.

"Ah, okay."

With a soft snort, Heero proceeded to check Duo's ribs and the bandage that was wrapped securely around them. His fingers ran gently over the strapping and to the skin below. He frowned again when he noticed Duo's middle seemed to be a little bigger than usual and his mind shot back to Nurse Brown and her comments on Duo's condition. Straightening up, Heero pulled the shirt back down and raised his cobalt eyes to meet with cautious violet.

"Duo?"

"Yes, Heero?" Duo looked at his partner and knew he wasn't going to be happy with whatever it was Heero was about to ask.

Heero opened his mouth to speak, only to be cut off by the intercom system and Zechs' insistent voice.

"Gentlemen, we have incoming mobile suits, too many to calculate. I suggest you all get in your Gundams and prepare for battle."

tbc...


	88. Chapter 88

**Thank you for reading!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 88

[Satellite XRB 23 – Control Room]

Barton and Zaheer watched the shuttles launch off on their journey towards earth and once they were fading from view, Barton turned to Craven and asked. "Have the suit pilots been dispatched?"

"Yes, sir. They are in the hangar and ready to go when you give the order."

"Send them out. I want them to do a complete recon of the area, make sure there isn't anything at all out there." Barton turned away. "I know I saw _something_," he muttered to himself.

Craven turned to his console and contacted the hangar where the suits were currently kept. "Suit pilots, you may leave when ready. Do a complete recon of sector 586 through to sector 589. Report anything at all regardless of how insignificant it may seem."

"Roger that, control. Any idea what it is we're looking for?"

"Errr... The boss thinks he saw something out there..."

"I didn't _think_, Craven. I _did_ see something and I want it checked," Barton snapped.

Craven swallowed. "Yes, sir." He turned his attention back to the suits. "The boss saw something out there and we cannot pick it up on the cameras. We need a first hand scout of the area to confirm."

"Okay, control. Will do as requested. Suits are ready to leave."

"Then get going," Barton hissed.

"Suits are leaving now."

"We will follow your progress as best we can with the camera and the radar will track you at all times," Craven informed.

"Roger that. Suits are on the move."

The communication was cut as the suit pilots concentrated on maneuvering their mecha out of the hangar and into the void of space and satellite. Once they were clear of the domes, the thrusters were fully fired up and the six headed for the area coordinates they had been given to search.

Inside the control room. Craven manipulated the camera to follow the suits. The image was projected onto the larger screen and Barton watched with keen interest.

The view showed nothing but barren landscape, the gray dust of the satellite's surface stretching out ahead, dotted with the odd rock formation here and there.

Craven had his doubts and was seriously starting to question his boss's sanity. Anyone could see there was nothing at all out there. The conversations between the suit pilots was monitored and Craven was sure to keep the conversation passing through his head set only. It wouldn't pay for Barton to hear some of the comments. It seemed the suit pilots were of the same opinion as Craven – there was nothing out there and this was simply a wild goose chase.

Simons kept a close eye on the radar screen. The shuttles had completely disappeared from his radar range and were well on their way to the earth. The radar now showed six, small blips, each blip representing a mobile suit. "The suits are approaching the area where the unexplainable blip was recorded," Simons informed Craven.

"Thank you." Craven adjusted the small mic on his head set. "Suit pilots, you are entering the area where the," Craven paused for a moment, searching for the right words. "Where the apparent object was sighted. Please scan around carefully."

"Roger that," replied the leader.

All six pilots watched their scanners and looked carefully out of their view ports. Nothing was showing up.

"I think this is a wild goose chase," one pilot stated.

"I agree, but you know the boss."

"Yeah. He won't be happy until we've checked the area out," sighed another pilot.

"Any fool can see there's noth-" The pilot stopped in mid sentence and brought his suit to a stop.

"What is it?" asked another pilot.

The air in front of them seemed to shift and blur.

"Oh, fuck."

All six suits came to a halt as their worst nightmare shimmered and appeared before them.

Craven was following the suits with the camera, Simons tracking them on radar when the suits all stopped and hovered in mid air.

"Sir? I'm getting something weird coming over the radar," Simons announced as he struggled to make sense of the shape that was appearing, then disappearing on his radar screen.

Craven was about to move and see what had the tech so upset when the camera started to pick up on something. Ignoring the tech for the moment, Craven turned his attention back to the screen where the very air itself seemed to be moving.

Barton and Zaheer had also picked up on the unusual happenings and crowded around the view screen.

"What the hell?" Craven said as his eyes focused on the shimmering air.

"Well, fuck me," Zaheer stated, eyes riveted to the screen where a large, black object was starting to appear and take shape.

"Still say I'm seeing things?" Barton snarled. His eyes widened a moment later when the object came completely into view. "It's a fucking Gundam!"

Silence descended over the control room, all occupants completely focused on the screen and what was happening.

The six suits shot into action, each one attempting to take out the large mecha. Craven gasped as the green, thermal scythe cut through the suits as if they were butter. Barton gave a smirk that was short lived when one of the suits managed to get a shot to connect with the enemy.

"Where the fuck did that come from?" Zaheer asked, still unable to comprehend what he was seeing.

"I'd like to know that too," Barton snapped. "If my memory serves me correct, that is the suit known as Deathscythe."

"Deathscythe?" Zaheer questioned, his eyes still watching the carnage on screen.

"Yes, Deathscythe. It was operated by pilot 02. Zaheer, I think we have found your missing prisoner," Barton stated, his voice angry.

"But..." Zaheer was clearly at a loss.

"It seems your prisoner did have assistance to escape," Barton growled and turned to look at Craven. "What I want to know is who provided that assistance, how did they manage to get here and where the hell did that Gundam come from? There's been no approach to the satellite of any sort, or so I've been told."

Craven looked at his boss. "I'm not aware of anything landing here on the satellite, sir. If something had approached, Simons would have picked it up on the radar."

"Well, it obviously had to come from somewhere, it certainly wasn't here on this satellite before," Barton replied, the sarcasm clear in his voice.

"Yes, sir, I realize..."

"Shit!"

Everyone's attention swiveled back to Zaheer and noted the man was staring intently at the screen. All eyes turned to the same screen. The black Gundam had disposed of the six suits, wreckage lay all around on the surface, some of the smaller pieces defying the minimal pull of gravity that the satellite had and floated off into space. But that wasn't what had caught Zaheer's attention.

Everyone watched in stunned silence as the Gundam moved off, landed and began to walk forward; then it completely disappeared.

"What the hell?" Barton said and blinked his eyes.

"Where the fuck did it go?" Zaheer questioned and reached for the camera controls to have the machine swing round and check the immediate area. Nothing.

"It can't have just vanished into thin air," Barton muttered. "Simons, radar report, now!"

"Ummm, the radar isn't picking up on anything, sir. One minute the Gundam was there and the next... gone."

"There's got to be an explanation for this," growled Barton and looked to the techs around.

Everyone suddenly found their consoles very interesting. Professor Hawkins sat in the corner with his ever present guard and snickered softly to himself. He had a pretty good idea of what was going on. He'd done some work for the ESUN just after the war in relation to developing a cloaking device, but had abandoned it after a while when it became obvious the peace was there to stay and such a device wouldn't be needed. That was when he'd left the government department and gone out on his own; securing a job as a lecturer at the University and free to pursue his own interest; namely research into the Firecell theory.

Unfortunately for Hawkins, Barton heard the snicker and homed in on the professor.

Moving across the room with large strides, Barton stood in front of the professor, lowering his face until he was almost breathing directly onto Hawkins. For a moment there the professor was worried that Barton was going to kiss him, or give him mouth to mouth! Not that the professor had anything against gay people – he just wasn't into that scene himself.

He didn't think Barton was either.

"You know something," Barton stated.

"I know lots of things," came the reply.

"Don't get smart with me," Barton snapped. "You forget I hold your life in my hands."

"Not much of a life," Hawkins muttered and then grunted as a blow landed to his cheek, forcing his head to the side and causing his teeth to draw blood on his bottom lip.

"You know something," Barton repeated. "Tell me, how did that Gundam get here? How did it manage to just disappear?"

"I haven't the foggiest idea of what you're talking about," Hawkins replied, doing his best to stall for time. He knew the young man he'd spoken with a while back had something to do with this attack and the professor intended to give the youth as much time as he could.

"Zaheer, I think our friend here needs his memory jogging," Barton snarled.

"Yes, boss." Zaheer cracked his knuckles and approached the professor.

Hawkins swallowed, hard.

A few minutes later, Barton had his answer. Zaheer had 'persuaded' the professor to talk, Hawkins only giving the minimal amount of information away.

"Cloaking device, hmmm?" Barton rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "If that's true, then there has to be some form of transport there as well for that Gundam to hide in." Eyes glittered as his mind worked overtime. "Craven!"

"Yes, sir?" The tech scrambled to face the boss.

"Get me the exact coordinates of where that Gundam began to fade from sight."

"Yes, sir. Right away." Craven, along with Simons, worked quickly to note down the exact coordinates.

"Zaheer?"

"Yes, sir?" The burly man appeared beside his boss, wiping the blood from his knuckles on his handkerchief.

"Have all the suit pilots into their suits and ready to fly. Once I have the coordinates from Craven, I want the entire fleet to head out there and blast those coordinates to kingdom come. There's no way a Gundam can possibly take on all my suits and survive." Barton's lips turned up into a cruel smile.

"On to it now, sir." Zaheer moved to another console to contact the suit hangar.

"I have the coordinates, sir," Craven stated and passed them over to Barton.

"Thank you." Barton in turn passed the coordinates to Zaheer. "Tell them these are the coordinates they are to fly to. Once there, they may deploy any and all weapons at their own discretion. I want that son of a bitch taken down; and whomever is helping him."

Zaheer passed the information on and then joined his boss to watch the drama unfold on the screen.

# # #

[Preventer Transport Shuttle 221]

"Shit!" Duo cursed.

The pair turned and sprinted for the cargo bay and their Gundams, Heero glanced at his partner as they ran. "You're not off the hook Duo. I still have a question for you and I think you know what it is."

Duo nodded in reply, shoving all thoughts of the possible life within to the back of his mind and fixed his attention on just getting back to Deathscythe.

They burst into the cargo bay, feet skidding on the metal scaffolding as they took the steps down to the the catwalk two at a time. Trowa, Quatre and Wufei were all settling themselves into their own Gundams.

"I take it you guys all heard Zechs?" Duo yelled out as he opened Deathscythe's hatch.

Three affirmatives came back at him.

Sliding into Wing's chair, Heero's hands flew over the console, his mind on auto pilot. The start up sequence was as familiar to him as eating dinner. The controls felt as if they had never left his hands. "Everyone copy?" he asked down the comm.

"Sandrock copies loud and clear."

"Heavyarms here."

"I hear you, Day."

"Yeehaw! The god of death is ready to rock and roll!"

"Maxwell! Can you be serious for a moment!" Wufei snapped.

"Not sure about that, I'll have to get back to you," Duo snickered.

"Shuttle cockpit reads you loud and clear, Yuy," Zechs said, breaking up what was shaping up to be an all out tormenting session if Duo had his way.

"Zechs, we will need you to monitor the domes and satellite surface for us. The Gundams will concentrate on eliminating as many of the suits as we can. Does the shuttle have any weapons of defense?" Heero asked as his Gundam powered up.

"Minimal," came Zechs' reply. "Just a couple of beam rifles."

"Be prepared to use them if necessary."

"Roger that," Zechs said. "How long until you're all ready to go?"

"Sandrock is fully operational," Quatre informed.

"Heavyarms is almost fully charged."

"Shenlong is ready to leave, trident power currently at seventy-five percent and climbing rapidly. Estimate it will be fully functional in another sixty seconds." Wufei checked the console again, noting the power building in the thermal trident.

"Wing is ready to go; buster rifle at full power."

"I am ready to go reap me some souls!"

"Maxwell!"

"Let me rephrase that. Deathscythe is completely functional, the thermal scythe is running at maximum power and the hyperjammers only need to be engaged. Fuel cells are full, life support systems all okay and the coffee machine is in fine form."

Wufei resisted the urge to bang his head on the console. He didn't know which was worse; Maxwell being a complete idiot or Maxwell reeling off all the stats in a calm, boring tone.

"When did you get a coffee machine installed in 'Scythe?" Quatre asked.

"Winner!"

"What, Wufei?"

"Don't encourage him."

"But I only wanted to know..." Quatre stopped as the realization hit him. "Ah, I guess that's what you call sarcasm."

Duo could be heard snickering madly.

"I'll explain it all later, Quatre," Trowa's calm voice stated.

"Gentlemen, I suggest you forget about the espresso's, we have a swarm of express suits coming in at ten o'clock," Zechs informed them.

"Roger that. Open cargo bay doors as soon as you can, Zechs." Heero had opted to ignore the bantering and concentrate on the job at hand. He was already well aware of Duo's penchant for making jokes to cover up his distress at having to fight. None of them had ever wanted to be soldiers, but the sad fact was, they had been and still were.

Unfortunately, they were too skilled at what they did to be left alone to enjoy the peace they had fought so hard for.

"Opening bay doors now. Good luck everyone. God speed and stay safe." Zechs punched the button on the console.

The five suits waited patiently as the large bay doors began to open, forming a ramp for them to walk down. All pilots were well aware that as soon as they stepped off the ramp they would become visible to their enemy. All except Deathscythe of course. Duo was more than ready to engage the hyperjammers and have a little 'fun' with the enemy.

"These suits, didn't you say they were a hybrid, Duo?" Trowa asked as they waited for the ramp to settle on the surface.

"Yes, they are. They can operate in pilot or doll mode," Duo replied. "When I programed them, I inserted a code into the data banks, a code that will hopefully have been released into the suits when Barton released the Firecell."

"What will the code do?" Trowa questioned.

"In theory, once Barton released his Firecell, the code should be activated and take out the doll side of the suit leaving them relying on the pilot only to fly and fight."

"Has it worked?" Heero asked.

"Don't know," came Duo's reply. "Those six suits I took out before weren't around long enough for the pilots to try and switch to doll mode. I guess we're about to find out though."

The ramp was fully down and the pilots could see the incoming suits.

"There's a fucking load of them," Wufei exclaimed.

"No shit. We did estimate there would be roughly three hundred based on the information we had," Quatre stated.

"Make that two hundred and ninety four now, Quat!" Duo snickered.

"Is everyone ready?" Heero cut in.

"Ready and raring to go," Duo replied on everyone's behalf.

"Good luck to each of us. See you all back here soon." Heero took a deep breath and walked Wing down the ramp, firing up the thrusters as soon as he was on the satellite surface.

Trowa followed with Heavyarms, Quatre right behind him, shotels at the ready. Wufei was next, the trident glowing slightly with the contained, thermal power.

Duo fired up his scythe, engaged the hyperjammers and followed his fellow pilots into the lion's den.

# # #

[Preventer Headquarters]

"Are you okay, Commander? Sky asked. Once the call had been terminated, the Commander had slumped in her seat, her face pale, eyes haunted.

Une raised her head and did her best to pull herself together. She could collapse later, once this was all over – if it ever ended. "I'll be fine, Sky." Taking a deep breath, Une sorted through her mind, all the information swirling around and not in any logical order. "Have you managed to contact any of the agents out in the field we can utilize to protect the senators?" she asked Forrest.

"At this stage we have only managed to engage three agents, Commander. We are still trying to get two other agents to the remaining two senators, but they are having trouble getting through the rioting crowds," Forrest replied.

"What about the senators on the colonies?"

"All are confirmed safe at this point."

"Good. Forrest, keep trying to get those remaining agents to the senators," Une ordered and then turned to Sky. "I want you to try and make contact with those agents currently guarding the senators, Check on their safety and how they are coping. We need to try and get them all to a safe, secure location."

"Yes, ma'am," Sky replied.

Forrest shook his head, there was no way in hell they would be able to move the senators without the public discovering it and given the current state of affairs, the public were out for blood; specifically the ESUN"s blood.

"I'm heading for the planning room to see what we can work out in regards to moving these senators. Sun, contact any agents that are in the planning section and have them meet me there. Keep me updated on the rest of your progress, gentlemen. And like before, should the shuttles 121 or 221 call in again, I want you to fetch me immediately."

All four agents nodded in the affirmative and then turned back to their tasks.

Une made her way through the building to the planning room, her head fit to burst with all the thoughts swirling through it.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 Control Room]

Barton sat back and rubbed his hands together, his eyes remaining locked on the view screen. His mouth curled into a smirk as he watched the army of suits leaving the dome hangar. He held no doubts that the suits would be able to take out that bastard Maxwell; and the hidden help he'd had.

"Suits are approaching the coordinates now, sir," Craven relayed.

"In just a few moments we should get to see exactly who and what has managed to get in here and assist that son of a bitch," Barton muttered. "Then blow them all to kingdom come."

Zaheer was also watching intently. He was still coming to terms with the fact that someone or something had not only managed to arrive on the satellite, but infiltrate the dome without being detected. At least the suits would take down Maxwell and that would be one thorn out of Zaheer's side. Zaheer would have preferred to have taken Maxwell down himself, the long haired man had seriously gotten under his skin and taking him apart would have been a fitting reward for the big set man. Unfortunately it wasn't to be.

At least he could watch the demise of his enemy though, and that was some small comfort.

On the view screen the cameras followed the many suits as they flew across the surface towards the spot where Deathscythe had disappeared.

The communications system crackled into life. "Red squadron, this is red leader. Form up and be ready to attack on my command."

The people in the control room all fell silent, listening to the conversations of the pilots as they formed up into their groups and readied themselves to unleash their power at the coordinates they were given.

The pilots all thought it was a bit of a joke. There was nothing but air at the spot they had been ordered to open fire on and destroy. Not about to question their orders though, the squadrons began to position themselves.

Suddenly the air before them began to shimmer.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph..."

# # #

[Inside Duo's Abdomen]

The small and helpless fetus floated in the protective amniotic fluid, completely oblivious to what was taking place outside its mother's body.

Like its brother before it, the fetus was content to move around a little in the confines of its watery world. It had all it needed to sustain its growing life so there was nothing for it to do but grow and develop.

The cells had multiplied and divided many times over, segregating off and developing the various body parts and organs as the DNA demanded. The fetus was recognizable as a tiny human but still had a while to go before it was fully developed.

Shifting slightly, the fetus felt a subtle change in its world. It could hear loud noises penetrate through its mother – and it didn't like them. It jumped from time to time as a sudden noise frightened it and it tried to curl up into a smaller ball. Fear began to lodge in its gut, although the fetus didn't know it was fear, it was simply reacting to the surge of adrenaline that coursed through its mother's blood stream and consequently crossed the barrier into its own.

A tiny thumb sought the mouth and took comfort in the sucking motion.

tbc...


	89. Chapter 89

**Thank you for reading and for the kind reviews! Feedback is very much appreciated.**

"Family Ties"

January 200 ShenLong

Chapter 89

[Preventer Headquarters]

Une reached the planning room and entered, her eyes immediately noting the three agents currently in the room. She nodded to them and moved to take a seat at the table. The three agents did the same, the curiosity evident in their faces.

The door opened again and a fourth agent entered, moving hastily to take a seat.

"Is this all the agents we have?" Une asked.

"Yes, Commander. All the other agents are otherwise indisposed," the agent called Snow informed her.

Giving a deep sigh, Une decided she'd better get started. "Agents, as you have probably already been made aware, our situation is quite precarious right now..." Une went on to explain in a little more detail the current state of affairs surrounding the earth sphere. "I now have information that Barton has dispatched his army to earth and the shuttles they are on should be here somewhere in the next twenty-four hours."

The four agents frowned.

"Commander, with all due respect, there's not going to be much that the Preventer group can do to stop an army of that predicted magnitude," Agent Hail stated.

"I am well aware of that, Hail. I do not intend for Preventer to even try and attempt to stop them."

"Then what is it you want us to do?" Hail questioned.

"Barton wanted the ESUN board to stand down with the intent of taking over the ESUN, putting his own people on the board and running things himself," Une replied.

"I see."

"Agents, our problem and task is this." Une looked to the four expectant faces. I am pretty certain that once the army lands they will try to take out the board senators. With the people rioting right now and fully aware of what Barton wants, they are blaming the ESUN senators for their current state and as such, are out for blood. I have several agents out in the field that have been called back to protect those senators that currently do not have protection assigned to them. I do not intend to lose any of the senators or my agents. Gentlemen, we need to find a safe, secure location to move the senators to until this fiasco is brought to a close."

"Do we know where and when this army will be here?" Agent Frost inquired.

"Not exactly."

Frost and the others raised their eyebrows in question.

"As I said earlier, I have been informed by another agent currently out in the field that the army is on its way and he estimated twenty-four hours before they would arrive." Une looked to her watch. "I'd say that's now twenty-two hours. As for where, I have no clue. We cannot track the shuttles, all our radar and scanning equipment is non functional thanks to Barton and this Firecell. I think I would be pretty close though in saying I expect them to arrive somewhere in our vicinity given the senators and the ESUN headquarters are here."

"I think we need to move pretty fast on this," Agent Ice said.

"I agree," replied Snow.

"Commander, do we have any access to the data base here at HQ?" Ice asked.

"Minimal," Une replied. "Agent Day did develop a program to convert the filing system, however the Firecell struck before all the files could be converted."

"We need to see if we can locate some of the safe houses, check them out and make sure they would be capable of securing the senators until this blows over," Ice stated.

"Then let's get to it, agents," Une ordered.

The agents split into two groups, Ice and Frost moving to the computer console on one side of the room, Snow and Hail, the other. Communicating between themselves, they brought the computers on line and scanned through to see what they could and couldn't access in regards to the safe house records.

It wasn't easy as only a small part of the data base was able to be used, but after checking on what they had, combining the knowledge of any other safe houses they knew of in the areas, they did manage to locate four that could be suitable.

"Commander? We have managed to come up with four places we think the senators can be safely hidden in, but we need to contact the agents assigned to overseeing the places."

"The good news is, the communications network is still up and running," Une informed the agents, getting four sighs of relief in return. "I'll have Sky patch you through." Une went to the terminal in the corner of the room and spoke with the communications department. Within moments Sky had patched Frost through and he'd confirmed his intentions with the agents out in the field.

"All four safe houses are secure. We can move the senators there as soon as you wish, Commander," Frost informed.

"Thank you. I'll have Sky contact the agents out protecting the senators, you can speak with each of them and pass on the coordinates. Have the agents check in once they are secure in the safe house."

"Yes, Commander."

Moments later all the information had been passed on to the respective agents. With there being nothing more they could do for now, the Commander left the four agents to continue their liaison between the secure locations and Headquarters. She had more pressing issues to deal with.

# # #

[Preventer Transport Shuttle 221]

"Crap, crap, crap," Zechs muttered to himself. His fingers flew over the console, locating the beam rifles and bringing them on line. He'd really hoped he wouldn't have to use them, but that hope had been futile once he'd seen the sheer number of suits approaching.

There was no doubt at all that Barton knew they were there, if he'd not spotted them when they'd moved the shuttle, then the decimation of the six suits would have told him something was there. Zechs could tell by the way the suits were coming in and forming up they intended to apply their full power at the area the shuttles were both currently sitting in.

He needed to have the beam rifles charged and on line, ready to use. The Gundams would only be able to take on so many at once and it wouldn't be long before the shuttle would become visible to Barton and his men. He needed to strike now, utilize the element of surprise and with any luck, take out quite a few before they could rally.

He just hoped and prayed that the other shuttle would remain cloaked and stay unharmed – they would need some form of transport back to the earth and he wasn't too sure if the Transport shuttle would manage to survive an attack of the magnitude he could see flying towards them.

The console beeped, telling him the beam rifles were fully powered and ready for use. The rifle control sticks rose out from the side of the console and Zechs took them in his hands, feeling the familiar contours of the sticks. Zechs then turned and picked up the helmet, slipping it on. The visor darkened before his eyes and then cleared to show him the full view outside the shuttle.

He was ready.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 Surface]

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph..."

All the suit pilots hung in the air, unable to come to terms with what they were seeing.

"Do you see that?"

"I think so."

"Isn't that a fucking different Gundam?"

"I believe it is."

"Well, fuck me."

The shocked conversations flew back and forth between the suit pilots.

"Shit! There's more."

"How many of the bastards are there?"

"Four that I can see."

"Don't forget that other one, the one that disappeared."

Back in the control room, the techs, Barton and Zaheer all listened to the conversations flowing back and forth. None of their eyes left the screen as the air began to shimmer and several large objects began to take shape.

The first to appear was a predominantly white suit, thrusters pushing it upward to hover before the incoming suits. A red suit then black and gold suit followed, also engaging their thrusters and forming up alongside the white Gundam. Lastly, a mostly green suit appeared.

The visible four Gundams formed a line ahead of the incoming suits. Behind them, a cloaked Deathscythe hovered, watching their backs and waiting to see who would make the first move.

"How many are there?" Craven whispered.

"I think that's all of them," Zaheer stated.

Barton stood, transfixed for a moment, then a feral smile began to form on his face. "Well, I must say this is a pleasant surprise."

"Pleasant?" Zaheer questioned with a raise of his eyebrow. He couldn't see for the life of him how four Gundams materializing could be pleasant at all – in fact, it was more like down right freaky!

"Yes, pleasant," Barton snapped. "Isn't it obvious? We now have all of the Gundam pilots here. That means they will be much easier to dispose of."

Zaheer could see where the boss was coming from, but still... Zaheer was familiar with the Gundams from the war, although he'd never had anything to do with them himself. He could recall the destruction they left behind, the skill of the pilots flying them and the fear they instilled in those that opposed them.

Seeing the Gundams paused in the air, Barton looked to where his own troops were similarly hovering in the air. The two lots facing off, sizing each other up. Patience running thin, Barton moved to Craven's console and grabbed the microphone.

"Well! What are you waiting for you idiots? You outnumber them by almost seventy to one. Attack you fools, ATTACK!" Barton yelled down the microphone.

The suit pilots were jolted from their stupor with Barton's command and hastily scrambled to get themselves back together and ready to fight.

The squadron leaders pulled themselves together, ordering their squad to have their weapons at the ready. Then they split up and attacked.

"Here they come," Heero announced and fired up the buster rifle.

"Do we take them on as a group or fight individually?" Trowa asked as he raised the gattling gun and prepared the rockets for launch.

"I'd say split up, take out as many as we can but protect the shuttle," Quatre answered and swung his shotels in the air.

"I'm with Winner," replied Wufei as the trident flared into life.

"You four take on the masses and do your best to keep them at bay. I'll stay by the shuttle and remain cloaked for as long as I can to protect it," Duo stated.

"Okay. Are we all agreed?" asked Heero.

"Agreed," came the replies.

"Then let's stop them."

The four visible Gundams broke ranks and with their thrusters engaged, they shot towards the incoming suits, weapons at the ready.

The pilots of Barton's suits watched as the Gundams began to head towards them, each group facing off against one, large mecha.

The red squadron paused to eye up their opponent and then they attacked. Trowa remained calm in his seat, Heavyarms responsive to his slightest touch. The gattling gun came forth and Trowa engaged it.

Wufei swung the trident around and managed to take off the leg of a suit. The hairs on the back of his neck bristled and with a roar of rage he spun the suit around, firing off the dragon arm at the same time. "Dishonorable cur!" he snapped. "No soldier worth the title would shoot a fellow soldier in the back!" The dragon arm struck its target, burying itself inside the chest of the suit and rendering it completely useless.

"Please. Lay down your weapons and surrender. I have no wish to harm you," Quatre said as he tried to reason with the suits that surrounded him.

His pleas fell on deaf ears though, the shot from a beam rifle hitting Sandrock in the arm. With the lucky strike, the rest of the pilots took courage and opened fire.

Shaking his head, Quatre closed his eyes for a moment and sent a silent prayer to Allah to look after their souls. Eyes open once again and the 'angel' image was gone. Teal eyes glowed with the mind set of battle, the warrior behind them all too familiar with what had to be done. Quatre focused on the enemy, Sandrock's hands bringing the shotels above his head and then striking down with them. The mecha spun and twisted in a deadly dance.

Heero was too preoccupied with his own attacking group to worry about what the others were doing. He was surrounded by suits, all of them pointing their beam rifles at him. His eyes hardened, a cold mask dropped into place and Heero raised his buster rifle. Taking aim, he shot two suits out of the satellite's 'atmosphere'.

With the Gundams occupied in fighting the suits, a few other pilots had regrouped to attack the coordinates they had been given. Having witnessed the Gundams materializing before them, they no longer doubted that there was something there.

"Gold squad, form up and prepare to fire."

The suits all scrambled to form a semi circle around the coordinates. Rifles were aimed at the one spot, the weapons all charged and ready to fire.

"On my call," the gold leader instructed.

The air before them moved subtly and then there was a huge, black mecha with glowing green eyes between them and their target.

"Oh shit," said the gold leader, a few of his squad taking the statement literally.

Duo raised the thermal scythe, paused for a moment and closed his eyes to say a silent prayer for the ones he was about to destroy. Purple fire shone in those normally amethyst depths as Duo let his alter ego come through to allow him to do what he had to. "Prepare to meet your maker," he cried and launched the black mecha forward, scythe slicing through the air.

The gold squadron scattered, breaking their formation as they did their best to evade the thermal weapon but still get a few shots in themselves.

The blue squadron leader panted as he fought his suit, doing his best to dodge the shotels and bring the suit around to take a shot at the gold and black Gundam. He was exhausted from the battle and knew his squad wasn't much better off. He flipped the switch to the comm unit and yelled into it, "Switch to doll mode. All suits switch to doll mode!"

Around him, those suits that were still fighting heard the order and instantly did their best to activate the doll mode of the suits.

The Gundam pilots also heard the order.

Duo could only pray and hope the codes he'd embedded would do what the professor said they would.

Having activated the switch, the blue squadron leader pushed deep into his seat and relaxed his arms, looking forward to the break he would get to recover some of his energy whilst the machine took over.

All around, other pilots were similarly relaxing a touch, grateful for the break to be able to re-energize themselves.

The computers took over, data running through the systems and engaging with the doll program. The codes Duo had installed awoke and began to run through the computer banks of the suits.

Within seconds all the suits appeared to 'stall'.

"What the hell?" screamed the blue leader and punched the doll mode button again. The suit remained unresponsive. "Fuck!" he growled and grabbed the controls, a relieved sigh escaping his lips as the suit began to move again. Around him, other pilots were also discovering their doll mode wasn't functioning and the airwaves were thick with the cries and exclamations of many pilots.

"The doll program isn't working!"

"The suits aren't going into doll mode!" were some of the frantic calls.

"All pilots listen up. The doll mode has obviously suffered from a glitch. Switch back to pilot only, repeat: switch back to pilot only!"

An evil chuckle came down the communications lines. "I guess the coding worked."

"It sure looks like it," Quatre replied.

"Excellent work, Duo," Heero praised.

"Thank you, Maxwell. This should make quite the difference, combat on an equal footing."

"I hate to break up the party, but don't you think we should do something about these remaining suits?" Trowa interrupted. "It would be a shame to let all of Duo's hard work go to waste."

"Ain't that the truth." Duo gave a loud war cry and spun Deathscythe around, slicing through a suit with the thermal blade.

Inside the shuttle, Zechs was sweating, watching the dramas unfolding before him. The Gundams were completely engaged in battle and the shuttle shook from time to time with the force of the explosions going on around it. Sapphire eyes darted everywhere as Zechs did his best to keep an eye on his enemy should one be able to try and take the shuttle out.

Then the unthinkable happened.

With the Gundams occupied in taking down as many suits as they could, the gold leader saw a chance and took it. A couple of his team noted his movements and joined him. The three suits managed to get behind Deathscythe whilst Duo was under attack from several mecha. They homed in on the coordinates and raised their rifles.

"Fire!" yelled the gold leader.

All three suits fired as one.

Zechs saw the incoming beam and grasped his own controls tightly. He swung the rifles around but didn't get the chance to activate them before the beam hit.

The shuttle rocked on its very axis, sparks flying from the console as Zechs yanked the visor of his helmet up and grappled with the fire extinguisher. The force of the strike moved the shuttle slightly and the tentative touch the wing tip had with the other shuttle was broken.

The transport shuttle began to shimmer and appear.

Zechs managed to get the situation under control, checking the console quickly to see what he still had available to him. Noting the rifles were still up and running, He pulled the visor back down, grasped the controls again and swung the rifles around. With a roar, he let fly with a volley of shots.

"Yes!" crowed the gold leader as the beams all seemed to hit something. That something began to materialize before their eyes.

"It's a fucking shuttle," exclaimed one.

"Go to the top of the class, idiot. Of course it's a shuttle," the gold leader snapped. "What did you think it was? The fucking tooth fairy?"

The pilot promptly shut up.

"It's a Preventer shuttle," cried the other pilot.

"Preventers?" the gold leader questioned and moved his suit slightly. There, emblazoned on the side of the shuttle was the Preventer logo. "Shit! Take it out!" he yelled down the comm link.

The three began to power their beam rifles again, ready to fire another round at the shuttle. Before the rifles could fully charge, the gold leader spotted something from the corner of his eye.

"Shit, take evasive action, that shuttle is armed!" he cried out as the rifles on the shuttle turned to lock onto their target.

"Oh, crap," muttered one pilot as one of the beams from the shuttle rifle hit his suit hard. He grasped the controls, desperately trying to bring the suit back under control, but the beam had hit in the suit's most vulnerable spot; the power cells.

The suit didn't respond and the pilot felt himself plummeting to the satellite's surface.

The other two watched in horror as their comrade connected with the surface, the suit managing to survive the impact but completely out of commission.

With an angry cry, the gold leader turned his now fully charged rifle back to the shuttle and opened fire, the other suit joining in seconds later.

Zechs returned the fire as best he could.

#

In the control room, Barton continued to watch the battle taking place, Craven monitoring the air waves. He was quietly confident that his suits would overpower the Gundams, regardless of how good they were, he had the sheer weight of numbers on his side.

So far it looked a pretty even fight though and Barton knew the skills his pilots had were not up to the standard of the Gundam pilots. "Why the fuck don't they switch to doll mode?" he muttered.

Craven overheard his boss and turned to the other man. "Shall I tell them to switch to the doll mode, sir?"

"I think you'd better. If we wait for them to think of it themselves there won't be any suits left to change over," Barton sneered.

Just as Craven was about to tell the suit pilots to switch over to the doll mode, the blue squadron leader's voice came over the comm unit, ordering all the pilots to switch their suits over.

Barton heard the call and watched the screen intently. "Now we should really see some action," he said as his eyes glittered.

The rest of the people in the control room watched with baited breath as the suits prepared to switch over.

The suits all seemed to freeze and hang in the air.

"What the hell?" Barton exclaimed when the suits didn't move after a few seconds. "The doll mode should have kicked in by now."

"I think we have a problem," Craven mumbled to himself. "Pilots, report. What is happening?" he asked.

"Craven? What is going on?" Barton barked.

"I'm not completely sure, sir," Craven replied.

Before Craven could question the pilots on what the problem was, several panicked voices came down the comm lines.

"The doll mode isn't working."

"What the fuck is happening?"

" I can't get the doll mode to engage!"

"It would appear the doll program isn't working, sir," Craven muttered and then winced as the verbal blows rained down on him.

"I can hear that for myself, Craven! I want to know _why_ the doll program isn't working."

"Ah, yes sir, I'll get right onto it," Craven mumbled and pulled out the keyboard.

"How can the doll program not be working?" Barton asked Zaheer.

Zaheer shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea, but I did say it was a bad idea to have that Maxwell working on the programming."

Maxwell.

Barton felt the rage building up inside him. He spun around. "I want to know who was the person watching Maxwell whilst he programmed the suits," he snapped to Zaheer.

Thinking back through his mind, Zaheer replied. "I think Young and Tewson were two of the ones that guarded him. I'm not sure if Patterson or Matthews did."

"That bastard has done something to the suit programming," Barton yelled. "I want to know what and how he did it!"

"And just how am I expected to find that out?" Zaheer stated. "I don't have a crystal ball and I wasn't one of the people to watch him. Even you, yourself checked the programming once the suits were finished and there was no sign of Maxwell having done anything then."

Barton's anger was beginning to get the better of him. "Get Hawkins there to go through the programming and find out what Maxwell did," he said through gritted teeth. "And you'd better pray he finds what it is, I'm not feeling very charitable right now."

Noting the clouded expression, Zaheer thought he'd better do as asked and moved to the corner of the control room and Hawkins.

#

Having disposed of another suit, Duo twirled the scythe in his hand and turned the mecha around. He froze momentarily as he spotted the decimated suit, the other suits, and now visible shuttle. "Fuck!"

"Duo?" came Heero's voice.

"It's okay, Heero. A couple of suits have managed to get a few lucky shots in and the shuttle is now visible. Don't know what the damage is to it, but Zechs is returning fire. I need to assist him, there's too many for him to take out by himself."

Heero took a moment to look across to where his lover was fighting, noting the number of suits still attacking Deathscythe. "Any of you other pilots able to assist Duo?" Heero asked down the comm link.

"Negative," came Quatre's reply. "I've got too many here to handle."

"Unable to assist at the moment," Wufei said.

"Ah, shit. That fucking hurt," Trowa said as Heavyarms took a shot to the chest. "I'm a little too occupied right now. Take _that_ you bastard."

Heero caught the explosion of the suit that had dared to hit Heavyarms.

"Sorry, Duo. You're on your own right now. Will try to assist you as soon as I can." Heero swung Wing around and took out another suit.

"No problem," Duo replied. "I work better when under pressure," he snickered. A loud 'whoop' was heard followed by; "I hope you all have a good health plan or funeral plan, you're gonna need it!"

The black suit spun, swinging the scythe and cutting through a couple of suits as Duo aimed for the ones harassing Zechs. The suits that had been attacking him were hot on his heels.

tbc...


	90. Chapter 90

**Many thanks to all who are reading and hugs for the kind reviews – feedback is very much appreciated!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 90

[Satellite XRB 23 Control Room]

Hawkins had overheard the conversations flying around the control room and did his best to keep his face neutral. In his head he knew the coding had worked and silently praised the young man for his courage. He listened to the angry exchange between Barton and Zaheer and did his best not to snicker. Aside from the fact it would alert his captors to him, it would also be rather painful given he now sported a black eye, split lip, bruised cheek and bloodied nose.

When he heard Barton order the big man to come and get him, Hawkins paled.

Zaheer strode over to where the professor was sitting and stopped in front of the man. "Get over here to one of the consoles," he ordered.

The guard watching over Hawkins gave the professor a nudge with his gun when the man didn't move. "Shift it," he growled.

Reluctantly, Hawkins stood up and shuffled across the room to the console that Zaheer had moved to. He took a seat and stared at the screen.

"You will bring up the mobile doll program and start to go through the programming. There's something going on with the suits and I know Maxwell did something to it when he was programming the suits. I want you to find out what it was and fix it," Zaheer demanded.

"Do I have a choice?"

Zaheer cracked his knuckles again. "Yes, you do. You can do this the easy way by yourself, or I can persuade you to do it. Either way, you _will_ do it."

Hawkins swallowed. "Okay." He raised his hands to the console keyboard and paused.

"Why aren't you working?" Zaheer snarled.

"Ummm. I don't know where the doll program is on the computer."

"Idiot!" Zaheer snapped and shoved the professor aside to take up the keyboard himself. "Calls himself a professor and yet he can't even find the suit program on the damn computer," he muttered to himself.

Hawkins let the abuse go over his head. He was well aware of where all the programs were on the computers; but Zaheer didn't know he knew - and he wasn't about to tell him either. The longer he took to do their bidding, the longer the Gundams out there had to take down as many of the suits as possible.

"There," hissed Zaheer and handed the keyboard back to the professor. "That is the doll program for the mobile suits that Maxwell was working on. If you wish to keep your own teeth, I suggest you start going through it and locate whatever it was Maxwell did to it."

Hawkins swallowed and nodded, taking back the keyboard and scrolling through the information on the screen.

"Watch him," Zaheer ordered the guard and returned to his position by Barton to see how the battle was playing out.

# # #

[Satellite XRB surface]

Slowly but steadily the Gundams were cutting through the suits. The numbers were less, the pilots operating the Orion suits not as skilled as the Gundam pilots and without the doll program they were pretty much beginners as far as their fighting level went. Wherever possible, the guys were doing their best to disable rather than kill their enemies. There had been far too much killing in their short lives. Unfortunately in battle there were bound to be casualties, and this battle was no different.

Quatre had his shields up in an attempt to block out as much of the emotion as he could. The blonde hated the fight, but he'd done his best to give his enemy the chance to surrender, a chance they had declined. Now Quatre was forced to defend himself and take out as many as he could.

The surface of the satellite was steadily becoming covered with the broken suits. Some suits were simply disabled, their pilots unable to leave them and get back to the safety of the domes with the battle still raging around them. Others weren't so lucky.

Zechs was feeling the strain in his shoulders from operating the shuttle's beam rifles. They were different to the weapons used on a Gundam, a fact that was being brought home to the tall blonde. They weren't as quick to respond and Zechs had to adjust his thinking and tactics to allow for the slight delay in response. He did manage to get in several shots and render a few of his attackers disabled.

Unfortunately the shuttle also took several hits. Zechs wasn't sure what the damage was, but he could hope it wasn't too bad. He wouldn't be able to check though until the battle was over. Another hit to the side had Zechs rocking in his seat and he growled in frustration. Swinging the rifles around, he locked onto his target and let fly.

The suit managed to evade the beams and retaliated with its own.

Deathscythe appeared and swung the thermal scythe, cutting through the opposing suit and sending it spinning to the surface. A quick turn to the right and the scythe was again deployed, slashing through the metal and neatly removing both legs of the suit in question.

"Ah, shit," the pilot exclaimed as the sparks flew from the severed legs, hydraulic fluid spraying around as the suit lost all power and plummeted to the surface to join its legs.

"Zechs? You okay?" Duo asked down the comm unit.

"Still alive and kicking for the moment," Zechs replied. "Thanks."

"No problem." Duo swung around and blocked the beam from the rifle that was aimed at Deathscythe's cockpit. The beam was deflected off and Duo returned the attack. Another suit exploded, the fragments floating off into the void of space.

"Any idea of the damage?" Duo asked as he took a moment to catch his breath.

"Not at this stage. Weapons are still on line and none of the major alarms are going off so I'm pretty sure that the shuttle is okay for the moment."

"Good."

"DUO! Look out!" Quatre yelled down the comm link.

"Ah, fuck!" Duo cried out as he was slammed against the bulk head. His head spun for a moment, the harness biting deep into his shoulders and across his abdomen, then he felt the trickle of blood running down the side of his face. Gingerly he raised a hand to see what the damage was and winced when he found the cut in his hair line.

With a roar of anger, he spun the black mecha around to face the suit that had managed to get in the lucky shot.

The suit pilot saw the green flare of the scythe and swallowed hard. Yanking on the controls, he managed to get the Orion to spin and avoid the first sweep of the scythe but before he could turn the suit again, the thermal blade sliced through the metal of the cockpit. For the pilot it was a quick and painless end.

As the one suit was destroyed, so another came to take its place.

"Fucking hell!" Duo swore as he was again swamped with suits, all as determined as the other to take him down.

"Come on, squad," the gold leader called down his com unit and noting what remained of his squadron joining him. A few stragglers from another squadron flew over.

"We're joining you," came a voice down the comm unit.

"Who?" asked the gold leader.

"Green squadron. Our leader has been taken down along with most of our squad. Request permission to join you, sir."

"Permission granted," replied the gold leader. He took a quick look around, calculating the number of suits now in his squad and pleased at the result. "All suits to form up and attack on my command. Gold take the Gundam, green attack the shuttle."

Several replies in the affirmative came down the unit.

"Attack!"

The squad of suits split off, some aiming for Deathscythe, the others for the shuttle.

"Crap," Trowa muttered as he took stock of his ammunition supply. He still had a few rockets in reserve but the bullet situation was getting critical and there were still a lot of suits to disable.

"You okay, Trowa?" Quatre asked, hearing the soft expletive down the comm link.

"Not really. Ammo is running low," he offered in explanation. "Don't suppose there's any more on board the shuttle, that's providing I can get the time to go and reload?"

"Negative," came Heero's voice. "Sorry, Trowa, you'll just have to make do with what you have."

"Oh well, guess I'd better make each one count then," came Trowa's resigned reply. Taking a moment, he brought the army knife to the fore on the Gundam's right arm. Once the ammunition ran out he would need to use the knife to protect himself and take out any further suits that he could.

"You should all give up now, this fight is pointless," Wufei growled. "None of you have the skills to match ours and that makes this battle unjustifiable."

A suit pilot disagreed and managed to fire his rifle off, striking Shenlong in the left leg. Another pilot fired, hitting the Gundam in the right hip and sending sparks flying.

Wufei's eyes narrowed and he swung the mecha around. The dragon arm shot forward, taking out one suit whilst the thermal trident twirled and then embedded itself in the lower regions of the other suit.

"Are we making any difference?" Quatre called as his shotels grabbed and crushed a suit then spun around to slice the head clean off another.

"I hope so," came Heero's response, the buster rifle sending out its deadly beam and piercing through two more suits.

"They seem to keep on coming," replied Quatre and swung Sandrock around, neatly taking out another suit.

"All I can say is we're not cutting them down fast enough," Zechs put in. "The shuttle is taking quite a beating."

Duo didn't bother to say anything at all; he was too occupied with the suits that were swarming all over him. The scythe repeatedly swung through the air, cutting its way through metal, slicing away at the enemy and rendering as many as possible useless. But it seemed that for every one he disabled, there were another two waiting to take their place.

His shoulders were aching, his head throbbed from the blow it had taken and his abdomen was sore where the harness had pulled taut. A beam to the back of Deathscythe had him jolting in his harness again and a low hiss of pain escaped his throat as his bruised body took a further beating.

Heero could see the battle waging between his husband and the suits hell bent on destroying both Deathscythe and the shuttle. The worry flicked through blue eyes as Deathscythe took another blow and he resisted the urge to contact is lover. He would distract Duo if he did and Duo needed to concentrate all he could on the suits around him.

Gritting his teeth, Heero pushed his suit to the limit, determined to finish off as many of the suits around him as quickly as possible and go help his lover.

The buster rifle flared to life again, the shots being fired in rapid succession and taking out several suits.

Despite having his shields up and blocking out as much of the swirling emotions around him as he could, Quatre still felt some of them break through – particularly those from his fellow pilots as they were the people he was closest to. He could feel Wufei's anger still simmering away, Trowa remained calm, even though there was an undercurrent of worry there. From Heero he felt rage, pain, guilt and desperation; the rage and desperation directed at the suits that were keeping him from his lover, the pain and guilt for not being there to protect the one he loved more than life itself.

Duo's emotions were much harder to pick up, mainly as Shinigami was also lurking there. When Quatre was able to sense Duo, like Heero he could detect pain, guilt anger and desperation. The shuttle was desperately trying to protect itself, Deathscythe assisting in any way it could, but even to Quatre's eyes it was a battle they were losing. His mind searched for ways to assist.

"All pilots listen up," Quatre said down the comm link as he continued to battle the suits attacking him. "We need to protect the shuttle. Duo can't do it on his own, he's getting swamped."

"In case you hadn't noticed, we're not exactly twiddling our thumbs out here. Now that's justice," stated Wufei, the dragon flame snuffing out as the charred suit dropped to the satellite surface.

"I know that," Quatre sniffed. "I suggest we all join him, form up around the shuttle and continue this battle there. If we combine our firepower we should be able to take down more of them and quicker."

"I'm in," replied Trowa. "I don't have much left in the way of ammo though so most of my fighting will have to be done close range, suit to suit combat."

"I suppose the idea has some merit, Winner. Combine the forces and we stand a better chance," said Wufei. "I will join you as soon as you give the order."

"Just let me know where you want me," came Heero's response. He was relieved that Quatre's suggestion would unite them all and was the logical choice to take their enemy down.

"If you're coming can I suggest you hurry it up a bit? In case you'd forgotten there's a shuttle and suit here under major attack," Duo cut in. "Ah, fuck!" Duo jolted in his seat with the impact of the rifle on Deathscythe's upper left arm. "Dare to hit me would you, you shit pile of an excuse for a suit. Come here you fucker and take this!" The scythe swirled, the green, thermal energy making a deadly arc through the air and slicing the suit.

The other four Gundams made their way towards their fifth member, doing their best to fend off the continued attacks. Somehow they managed to form up around the shuttle in a sort of circle, backs to each other and the shuttle in the middle.

"Let them have it!" cried Zechs as he lined up the shuttle's beam rifles around the suits and prepared to fire.

All five suits dove into the fight once more.

# # #

[Somewhere on the Earth]

"Please, sir. We have to hurry," Agent Moon said as he tried to make the senator move a little quicker.

"I don't know why we can't stay here," muttered the senator.

"I have strict instructions from headquarters to get you to a safe location as quickly as possible. I cannot guarantee to be able to protect you here any longer," Moon replied in his 'patient' voice.

Senator Harvey continued to grumble as he tossed a few more items into the bag.

Moon glanced at his watch and with a sigh, turned back to the senator. "I'm afraid we have to leave _now_," he said and firmly took the senator's bag and closed it. The senator spluttered his outrage for a moment but the agent ignored it and grabbing the bag in one hand, he grasped the senator's arm with his other and steered the man towards the door and waiting car.

Once they were in the car, Agent Moon started the engine, slipped it into gear and left the senator's home. Picking up his comm unit, he contacted Headquarters. "Preventer, this is Agent Moon. Do you copy?"

"Agent Moon, this is Agent Sun, we copy."

"Sun, I have left Senator Harvey's residence and am currently en-route to the safe house coordinates."

"Roger that, Moon."

"Will advise once we have reached the safe house."

"Thanks. Agents Elm and Shadow are also en-route to the same safe house and should be there roughly an hour after you."

"Any change in the current situation?"

"Not at the moment. I will keep you advised. Take care and safe trip. Sun out."

"Thanks, Sun. Moon out." Agent Moon switched the comm unit to silent and concentrated on driving the senator to the safe house, hoping he didn't come across any resistance on the way.

Further afield, Agents Saturn and Granite were similarly transporting their respective senators to another safe house location. Granite was having a fairly good run, his senator living on the outskirts of the city and therefore he could travel across country and avoid the metropolis where most of the rioting was happening.

Saturn was having a much more difficult time of it. Senator Kinsen, whom he was to protect had been cooperative, understanding the need for such precautions and had packed quickly and efficiently, putting his trust in the Preventer agent to look after him.

Saturn climbed into the black car and drove out into the evening. The car was just your average, black sedan, something that wouldn't be conspicuous and Saturn was a good driver. Once they were on the road he contacted Headquarters.

"Preventer Headquarters, this is Agent Saturn. Do you read?"

"Agent Saturn, this is Agent Sun, we read you loud and clear."

"I have Senator Kinsen with me and am aiming for the safe house at coordinates 352 North, 67 East. ETA forty-five minutes."

"Roger that, Saturn. Agent Granite is about fifteen minutes out from reaching the same destination. I will advise him of your ETA."

"Thanks."

"Be careful, Saturn. You have a riot ahead of you in the town to get through."

"Roger that. Any other way around it?"

"Negative. The only road that leads out passes directly through the trouble spot. I'd suggest keeping the windows up and the foot down."

Saturn gave a chuckle. "I copy that. I'll do my best. Saturn out."

"Good luck. Sun out."

Saturn flipped the com switch and settled back in the seat to drive. Beside him, Kinsen stared out of the window.

They had traveled for roughly ten minutes when they could see the township up ahead. Saturn was concentrating on his driving when the senator spoke.

"Will you be able to get through the town okay?" he asked.

"Should do," replied Saturn.

"What about the rioters?"

"I'm pretty sure we will be able to dodge around them. I plan on taking a few of the back streets, avoid the main ones where most of the rioting will be taking place."

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Not really. Just hang on in case the ride gets a little rough."

Kinsen double checked his seat belt and pushed himself deeper into his seat.

"Here we go," Saturn muttered as they hit the township streets.

Keeping himself low in the car, Kinsen allowed his eyes to roam over the sights outside the window. He shuddered as he saw the people, unable to comprehend that they could turn into such savages. Wrecked cars were scattered along the streets, shop windows smashed and looting taking place. Everywhere one looked there were people arming themselves with whatever they could lay their hands on. Store keepers were trying to protect their property and being taken down as human nature went back to the Stone Age.

"Holy hell," muttered the senator.

"Not pretty, is it?" Saturn said.

"No, it's not."

"Shit!"

"What is it?" Kinsen's eyes widened a touch as Saturn stepped on the gas.

"Hang on tight, senator. What I said before about the ride getting rough? It's about to happen. We have several unfriendlies up ahead, armed and looking for trouble."

"I thought we were taking the back streets?"

"We are. I didn't expect to find this sort of resistance on them."

Kinsen grabbed hold of the handle above the door and hung on for dear life. Saturn floored the accelerator, the car bucking forward and careening slightly as the agent fought the wheel to try and avoid hitting any civilians. Brake and accelerator were applied alternately, the car slewing from side to side as Saturn did his best to dodge the rioting mob that seemed equally as determined to bring the car to a halt.

A body hit the hood and bounced off the windscreen; another connected with the front fender and went spinning off to the side. All around the mob continued to close in and chase the car.

Suddenly the driver's window exploded, glass raining down on the agent.

"Shit!" screamed Saturn as he was firstly covered in glass and then a chunk of wood caught him in the temple. He lost control of the car, the machine speeding off to the side, side swiping a power pole and ricocheting off to the other side of the road where it connected with a fire hydrant and came to an abrupt halt.

Saturn was slumped over the wheel, unconscious and bleeding from a wound to the head. Kinsen blinked his eyes open and tried to clear his foggy head.

The rioters were all over the car in seconds.

# # #

[Preventer Headquarters – Communications]

"What the hell is that?" Sun asked as a comm unit was activated but nothing except static was heard.

"What's up?" asked Sky and moved to where his partner was twisting a few dials on the Preventer receiver.

"Not sure," came the reply. "I could swear it's Saturn's com unit."

Sky punched a few commands into the computer. "It is Agent Saturn's comm," he said as the computer verified the unit.

"Put your head set on and tune into frequency ten eighty," Sun said.

Doing as he was told, Sky slipped on the head set and frowned. "What the hell is it?"

"I'm not sure. Sounds like screaming to me," replied Sun.

Sky listened very carefully, his brain doing its best to try and separate the many sounds coming through the head set and clarify them. "It does sound like someone screaming, but there's also a lot of other noise, kinda like yelling."

"I don't like the sound of this," Sun stated.

"Whereabouts should Agent Saturn be?"

"He's taking Senator Kinsen to a safe house. He should be meeting Agent Granite and Senator Denton there in the next forty minutes... Oh shit."

Both agents could distinctly hear Saturn's voice in the background.

"What the...?" Sky paled and swallowed hard.

The sound of a gunshot came over the comm unit, the background noise all fading into silence. Sun looked at Sky, Sky looked back at Sun, his eyes wide, mouth open in shock. Then a voice came over the unit, one neither agent recognized.

"Fucking Preventers. This is all your fault, you and the ESUN senators. Because of you lot we're all forced to live like animals. Well, you can listen to this..." The unit went quiet for a second or two, then another voice came over the line.

"This is Senator Kinsen." The voice was hoarse and raspy; sounding like the man had been using it quite loudly at some stage. The Senator continued, the words coming out rapidly. "They have killed the agent and they plan on killing me too. Tell Preventer and the other senators to fight, fight and take down Barton! Don't wor-" The voice was cut off abruptly, the previous voice coming back down the unit.

"Asshole. That wasn't what he was supposed to tell you," the voice snarled. "Tell Preventer and the ESUN to stand down, we, the people demand our rights and our lives back! It's only a matter of time before we find all the senators, Preventer and its agents will be next." Another gunshot rang out. "One down, the rest will follow." The comm unit went dead.

"Oh shit. We need to alert the Commander," Sky stated as he jerked the head set off and ran sweaty hands over his face.

"I can't believe they did that," said Sun who was obviously having a hard time coming to terms with what he'd just heard. His hands were shaking, the sounds of the gunshots echoing in his head and a shudder passed through him from head to toe.

"They killed them both in cold blood."

tbc...


	91. Chapter 91

Many thanks to everyone out there who is reading! Warm hugs for the reviews – feedback is always very much appreciated!

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 91

[Preventer Headquarters]

Sky took one look at his fellow agent who appeared to be going into shock. "Sun, snap out of it!" he demanded. "You need to keep monitoring the airwaves, find out how the other agents are progressing and if they have encountered any resistance. I'm going to get the Commander."

Sun shook himself, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Shoving all the thoughts to the back of his mind, he looked to his fellow agent. "Sorry. I'm okay now. I suppose... Look, I know agents get killed and injured all the time, but we hear about that through a second source and consequently it doesn't touch you, doesn't seem real. To actually hear it happen, live..." Sun shuddered.

"It's alright. I can understand how shocking it is. I reacted in a similar manner the first time I was involved with a fatal shooting. You just have to try and put it out of your head and move on with what has to be done, try to save the rest of the agents and people who are depending on us," Sky said, his tone soft and he gave a squeeze to the other agent's shoulder "There are counselors available if you need to talk. I found them to be a great help."

Sun looked up into the sincere eyes of his friend and fellow agent. "Thanks."

"I'm going to get the Commander, will you be okay?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine. Better get back to the job at hand." Sun straightened himself up in his seat and began to fiddle with the dials again, checking on the other agents. Once he was sure his partner was okay, Sky left.

"Yes, Fiona?"

"Commander, I have Agent Sky here, he wishes to speak with you, he says it's urgent."

"Send him in, Fiona." Une's brow furrowed wondering what could be so urgent to have the agent come to her office and not page her as was the norm. The door opened and the agent stepped inside. "Sky?" Une questioned.

"Commander, I'm afraid I have some disturbing information."

Immediately Une's thoughts went to the satellite and the agents currently there.

"I'm afraid it's to do with the agents and the senators currently being relocated."

"What's happened?" Une's voice was low, almost a whisper as her gut clenched. She had a feeling she wasn't going to like this.

"Agent Saturn who was assigned to Senator Kinsen," Sky paused to collect himself, Une noted the use of the word 'was'. "I'm afraid they were ambushed on their way to the safe house."

Une raised an eyebrow. "Ambushed?"

Sky dropped his eyes to the carpet, his voice low. "Yes. They were attacked by a group of rioters as far as we could tell. They're... they're both dead."

The air in Une's lungs left her with a whoosh, the room spinning for a second. "D-dead?"

Sky nodded. "I'm sorry, Commander."

"Are you sure?"

"Commander, with all due respect, I heard the gunshots myself. The communication is recorded as usual, I think you should listen to it."

"And why would you say that?"

"The rioters, they gave us a message just before they killed the senator."

Une lowered her head for a moment. "I see. Sky, go back to your station and have the recording ready. I'll join you in communications in a few minutes."

"Yes, ma'am." Sky turned and left, closing the door behind him.

Une cradled her head in her hands. "Oh god," she whispered. "Is this nightmare ever going to end?" A stray tear managed to escape and roll down her cheek. Une wiped it away and chastised herself for allowing it to happen. She couldn't afford to fall apart now, not when so many lives depended on her being able to coordinate her agents and the Preventer organization to do their best to save them all.

Scrubbing her face and taking a deep breath to compose herself, Une straightened her shoulders and stood tall. She could have her breakdown later, preferably in the sanctuary of her own home. In control once again, Une left her office, informing Fiona of where she was going.

Sun looked up as Sky returned. "What happened?"

"The Commander is on her way here. She wants to listen to the communication herself," Sky replied and took his seat again.

"Okay." Sun made sure to retrieve the recording and have it ready for the Commander.

"Anything new?"

Sun shook his head. "Not at the moment. I do expect to hear from Agents Moon, Elm and Shadow soon. I haven't contacted Granite yet, thought I'd wait until the Commander has been and then let him know of the current situation."

"Good idea." The sound of footsteps approaching had both agents turning to face the doorway, the Commander stepping inside a moment later.

"Sun, you have the communication for me?"

"Yes, ma'am. If you would take a seat over there and put on the head set I'll have it played through for you."

"Thank you." Une sat at the terminal indicated and slipped the head set on. Nodding to Sun, the ear piece crackled and then hummed before the static started. Une sat quietly through the entire recording, her eyes closing and head lowering when she heard the distinct screaming of Agent Saturn in the background and then the gunshot. Her skin paled as she listened to the Senator's words and then the next gunshot followed by the unidentified person's words. Communication ended, Une sat silently for a moment and then slipped the head set off.

"Commander? Are you okay?" asked Sun when the woman hadn't said anything.

Slowly, Une turned her head to face the two agents. "I will need to inform Agent Saturn's family, Senator Kinsen's family too," she whispered. "We will also need to try and organize to retrieve the bodies."

"Ah, ma'am, with all due respect, I don't think that would be a good idea right now. Sending more agents into the area to retrieve both men would be suicide," Sky pointed out.

"True, but we can't leave them there, we owe them that much. Sun, make a note of exactly where the agent and senator were when this happened. Once things calm down we will send in a team to retrieve them," Une ordered.

"Yes, Commander."

"Inform the other agents and senators of what has happened but do not go into details. Once they are all relocated I want to know exactly what security is in place to protect them all."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Thank you, agents. I'll return to my office." Une stood. "Has there been any further word from shuttles 121 or 221?"

"Not as yet. I can try to contact them if you wish?"

"That's okay, best to leave them be for the moment. If either one should call in I want to know immediately."

Sun nodded.

With a soft sigh Une left the communications area and returned to her office.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 - Control Room]

Professor Hawkins chanced a glance around the room, everyone was intent on watching the drama outside of the domes. His eyes returned to the screen and the large amount of data there. The programming for the mobile suits was intense. Not only did you have the general programming of life support, fuel, guidance and navigation, there were the weapons, coordination of battle strategies and the response of the suit to the pilot.

Scanning though pages of data, Hawkins found the doll part of the program and noted it became even more involved. Whilst he was no beginner when it came to programs, just the depth of what was involved with a mobile suit had a headache forming. He located the area the young man had slotted the code into and smiled internally. It was buried quite deeply and if you didn't know what you were looking for, you would never find it.

Not that Hawkins had any intention of letting this lot know he'd found it.

The professor had a few options open to him. He could inform Barton of the find which would then no doubt necessitate his being involved in removing the code. Or he could plead ignorance, state he couldn't find anything at all – he didn't think they would swallow that for a second. His last recourse would be to state he'd located the problem but to fix it would take time and involve shutting down the suits completely.

The professor's eyes lit up as he had an idea.

Checking he wasn't being watched too closely, Hawkins typed away at the console, doing his best to look like he was still locating the problem areas when in reality, he was loading in another code. This code, he hoped, would back up his notion of needing to shut down the suits. The code he'd given the young man would have fried the doll program within the on board computers of the suits and there was no way that the doll mode could be reactivated without a complete rewrite – but Barton and his cronies were not aware of that.

This new code, would in theory cause the suits to completely ignore their pilots and act on their own. Sort of similar to the doll mode, but where the doll mode would see the suits fighting on their own this code would have them pretty much dropping their weapons and 'dancing'.

Hawkins gave a soft snort as his mind supplied him with the vision of the suits all doing the can can or forming a conga line.

Unfortunately the snort drew Zaheer's attention back to him.

"What have you found?" Zaheer snapped and hung over the professor.

"Ah. I think I have found the problem," replied Hawkins.

"You've found the problem?" Barton growled as he spun around to face the professor.

"Errr... Yes?"

"Then fix it!" demanded Barton.

"It's not quite that simple," Hawkins replied. "Fuck!" he cursed as a blow to the side of the head from Zaheer sent his senses reeling.

"Of course it should be that simple. Just remove whatever it is he's programmed and the doll program should start to work again." Barton looked at the professor as if he were an idiot.

Hawkins pulled himself together and rubbed the side of his head, willing his eyes to stop bouncing around in his skull. When his vision cleared and he was able to speak again, he turned to address Barton. "I can fix the problem, but to do so will require all the suits to be shut down."

"Bullshit!"

Hawkins shrugged and then ducked as Zaheer went to clock him again.

"If you don't shut the suits down then the programming cannot be guaranteed to work. Anything could happen."

Barton snarled and moved to the console, shoving the professor aside rather roughly. His eyes raked over the screen and tried to make sense of all the data there. He wasn't all that savvy with programming, but he did know something of it. His eyes told him the suits could be reprogrammed to work in doll mode without the necessity of shutting them down.

"I can't afford to have the suits shut down. In case you hadn't realized, there's a bit of a battle going on out there. You can program them without them stopping so I suggest you start on it." Barton gave the professor a glare, "And don't do anything stupid."

Zaheer cracked his knuckles to emphasize Barton's point.

Hawkins swallowed. "Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you." He turned back to the console and began the task of supposedly reprogramming the doll mode.

With the professor engaged in getting the doll program up and running again, Barton turned back to the screen to see how the battle was faring. He noted the five Gundams had all joined up and formed a circle with the shuttle in the center. The Orion suits were continuously pounding them with their beam rifles, darting in to get a shot at the shuttle when the opportunity arose. With a quietly confident smirk, Barton could see how his suits still outnumbered the Gundams and it would only be a matter of time before they were completely taken down.

"Craven?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Notify all the remaining suit pilots that the glitch with the doll program is being fixed and they should shortly have that option available to them again."

"Yes, sir." Craven went back to his console and did as requested.

Continuing to work on the doll program, Hawkins snickered to himself. It would only be a matter of a couple of minutes before everything went down hill.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 Surface]

The suit pilots had all received the communication and were relieved to know they would be getting the doll side of their suits back shortly. The battle was starting to tell on them, they weren't as fit or as trained as a suit pilot usually was. Had they been given the proper length of time to continue their training then they would have been more than fit and ready enough. However, with the plan having been moved forward something had to be sacrificed.

The gold leader wiped the sweat from his forehead and rolled his aching shoulder muscles. He was tired and it seemed they weren't getting much further with their attempts to take out the shuttle or the other suits. Hearing the communication from the control room, he gave a sigh and hoped it wouldn't be too long before the doll program was working again.

Focusing back on the Gundams, he managed to get a lucky shot in and then ducked and pivoted as the Gundam returned fire. The comm link crackled and Craven's voice came down the line.

"All suit pilots listen up. The doll program should be reactivated. All pilots switch to doll mode. I repeat, all pilots switch to doll mode."

The five Gundam pilots also heard the transmission.

"Fuck!" Duo cursed. "How the hell did they find the code?"

"Maxwell, can they reprogram the doll mode?" Wufei questioned.

"Not that I know of. The code should have fried the doll mode that's programmed into the suit computers. It should take a complete rewrite to have that system running again," Duo replied.

"Yuy?" Chang asked.

"I agree with Duo. Based on what he's told us, the suits would need a rewrite," Heero confirmed.

"Guys, I'd suggest we forget about the 'how' and the rewriting, regardless of what you have told us, Duo, it would appear that these suits are about to become automatic and we're really going to have our work cut out for us," Quatre stated.

"I'm open for suggestions," Duo replied.

"Errr... Is it just me or do the rest of you see what I'm seeing?" Trowa asked, the confusion clear in his voice.

"What the fuck?" Wufei scratched his head.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say those suits just discovered what used to be known as disco dancing," Duo snickered.

"Guys? What the hell is going on?" Zechs asked over the com link.

"Looks like the suits are having a party," Quatre stated, his eyes wide as he took in the sight.

All the mobile suits had ceased in their attacks and were currently jerking around, arms and legs moving in short, sharp bursts.

The suit pilots were just as confused.

"What the hell is going on?"

"My suit won't respond!"

"Shit! Why isn't the doll mode engaging? What the crap is this?"

The exclamations and questions flew thick and fast. In the control room, Barton felt his anger rising and spun on his heel to face Hawkins.

"What the hell did you do?" he spat.

Hawkins held his hands up in mock surrender. "I did what you asked me to do. I did say the suits would need to be shut down for the reprogramming to be done, but you insisted they wouldn't. This is what happens." Hawkins felt rather smug and stole a glance at the screen where the suits were still 'waltzing' around.

"Fix it and fix it now!" Barton yelled, his face turning red with the rage he was barely hanging onto.

"Okay," Hawkins replied and began to type away. "I can return the suits to pilot only, as I said before, I'll need to have the suits shut down to reprogram for the doll mode."

"Whatever! Just do it," Barton snarled. "Watch him," he snapped to Zaheer and then turned back to the screen. "Hurry it up," he added a moment later as he watched the suits being cut down.

Back out on the surface, the Gundam pilots had observed their enemy for long enough. "They aren't responding to their pilots for some reason," Heero stated as he watched the suits carefully.

"You're right, Heero," Quatre stated.

"Then why are we sitting here and watching the show? Shouldn't we be taking out as many as we can whilst they're all trying to perfect the fox trot?" snickered Duo.

"Good point, Maxwell." Wufei couldn't help but smile at the picture the suits all made in their weird way.

"I agree with Duo. We don't know how long they will be like this for so let's use it to our advantage," Trowa said.

"Right. Everyone, attack," Zechs said and turned the beam rifle to send off a volley of shots.

"Yeehawww!" Duo yelled and fired up the scythe, swinging it through the air.

Quatre raised his shotels and began to systematically slice through the suits around him, disabling them as best he could. Wufei used his thermal trident to similarly disable as many suits as he could. Trowa was relieved to be able to make each and every remaining bullet count, using his ammunition to fire through the vital parts of the Orion suits and send them crashing to the satellite surface.

Heero was doing his best to take out as many suits as possible with the buster rifle. He spun Wing around, sending the deadly beam piercing through the head section of two suits, then turning to fire off again at another suit. Zechs was also using the temporary lull in the suits' fighting ability to send several to the surface minus various 'body parts'.

Deathscythe was having a field day, Duo systematically cutting through as many 'limbs' as he could. He took some comfort in the knowledge that he wasn't destroying life, merely incapacitating it for a while.

Back in the control room Barton was turning a very unhealthy shade of red. His outrage at the way his suits were being decimated about to blow up when Hawkins thought he'd better shut down the code he'd embedded. He calculated the Gundams had managed to destroy around another eighty suits whilst said suits had been 'partying'.

"How much fucking longer?" Barton demanded, his eyes almost popping out of his head in fury.

"Should be back to pilot only now," Hawkins replied and hit the enter button.

"All pilots, you should have control over your suits again," Craven yelled down the com when he overheard the conversation between Barton and Hawkins.

"About fucking time!"

"What the hell was that?"

"Damned if I fucking know, but it's time for payback!"

With control now being reestablished, the Orion pilots scrambled together to take stock of their numbers and re think their attack.

The Gundam pilots also took advantage of the lull to do their own regrouping.

"How many would you say are left?" Trowa asked as his eyes scanned over the mass of suits hovering a short distance away.

"Unsure, but it looks to be about half of what they started with," Quatre replied.

Zechs did a sweep of the enemy with the shuttle radar system, freezing it in place as it lit up with the suit 'blips'. His eyes scanned the screen, mentally adding up. "I make it roughly one hundred and twenty suits, give or take about ten."

"Thanks, Zechs," Quatre replied.

Heero sat in the pilot seat, his mind ticking over. "Everyone, listen up. Do you think you can continue to take out the suits between yourselves if Deathscythe and Wing were no longer in the battle?"

"Eh?" Duo was clearly confused. "Why wouldn't Deathscythe, or Wing for that matter be fighting?"

"Yeah, I'd like to know the answer to that too, Yuy," came Zechs' voice over the comm link.

"What are you planning, Yuy?" Wufei questioned.

"Une's orders were to locate and bring in Barton alive. Now would be the perfect time to do that. His army is on its way to earth, the suits are almost finished off and what remains I'm sure you four can take care of. Duo and I can slip inside the Domes, locate Barton and arrest him."

"Um, Heero? Whilst I agree it's a good idea, something tells me you won't be able to just waltz right in there and slap a pair of handcuffs on Barton," Quatre stated.

"I know that," Heero growled. "Duo knows his way through the Domes, therefore he's the logical one to take to navigate and locate Barton."

"But why you, Heero? Why not Chang, or Trowa?" Zechs asked.

"No offense to either of them, but I'm much better suited to the job." Heero neglected to add he wanted to dish out a little of his own payback to Barton before the man was taken into custody.

"He does have a point," Trowa remarked.

"As much as I don't like it, I have to agree," Wufei said.

"Then I take it we are all okay with the idea?"

Four affirmatives came back to him along with a grunt from Duo.

"Good. I think we should make a move now, it looks like the enemy is about to commence round two," Heero said, causing the others to check their visual.

"Okay, how do you want to do this, Heero?" Duo asked as they began to break up a touch and prepare for the battle to recommence.

"Bring Deathscythe closer to Wing, we need to have them touch so you can engage the hyperjammers and cloak Wing too."

"Ah, I get it. Sneaky bastard, aren't you?"

Heero grinned, despite no one being able to see it at that moment. "The best way into the satellite domes is through the shuttle port,correct?"

"Yes," Wufei replied. "You will need to get into the depressurization chamber, then enter the dome from there."

"Incoming, people," Zechs interrupted.

All pilots looked to their view screens and noted the suits rapidly approaching, weapons at the ready.

"Let us know when you're going to disappear," Quatre said as he swung Sandrock around and brought the shotels to the fore.

"Will do." Duo managed to dance Deathscythe a little closer to Wing and took out another suit on the way.

"Keep in contact whilst in the dome," Chang ordered, Shenlong spinning to slice through the arms of one suit, the dragon arm piercing another.

"Remember what Une said, Yuy. She wants Barton alive. Please make sure you leave enough of him intact for her to rip to pieces," Zechs told the Wing pilot, the shuttle sending off another round of beam rifle fire and taking a minor hit in return.

"Good luck," came Trowa's voice.

"Thanks, guys." Duo maneuvered a little closer. "Almost alongside you, buddy."

"Okay," Heero replied and shot off another beam to take out a suit that had dared to strike Wing.

"Coming in on your left. Reach out with Wing's left hand," Duo instructed. Heero obeyed, keeping the buster rifle in his right hand and randomly firing. "Almost there..."

Deathscythe leveled up with its companion, the left hand of Wing extended out. Duo switched the scythe over to Deathscythe's left hand, sweeping it through the air and taking out another suit. He lined up the giant hands and then closed Deathscythe's fingers around Wing's hand. Once the hands were touching, Duo hit the switch for the hyperjammers and opened the com link to the other suits.

"Hyperjammers engaged. See you guys soon."

The giant, black mecha began to shimmer and fade from view, the white one beside it following a split second later.

tbc...


	92. Chapter 92

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 92

[Preventer Headquarters]

"What is it, Fiona?" Une asked as the intercom unit beeped.

"Agent Sky asked me to let you know that they have heard from all but one of the agents currently guarding the senators, ma'am."

"Thank you, Fiona. I'll go down to communications in just a moment."

"Yes, ma'am. Commander, will there be anything else today?"

Une glanced at the clock, her eyes widening when she saw the time. "No, Fiona, that's all for today."

"Okay, ma'am. I'll take my leave then."

"Fiona?" Une called sharply.

"Yes, Commander?"

"You can't leave the building. With the Firecell having been deployed it's absolute chaos out there. Headquarters is under complete lock down, no one out and no one in."

"But, Commander..."

"I'm sorry, Fiona, but you will have to remain here at Headquarters until further notice, it's for your own safety," Une replied.

"I see."

"Look, go down to the cafeteria and get something to eat. I'll see what I can do in regards to getting some sort of accommodations set up here at HQ." With everything that had been going on, Une had completely forgotten that something would need to be organized in the way of temporary sleeping arrangements for the Preventer staff

"Ma'am?"

"Yes?"

"If it's okay I'd like to stay and help. I can sort out and organize something for sleeping arrangements. Probably the gymnasium would be a good place, it has the mats we can use for mattresses and it's a large area so it should be able to accommodate several employees."

"Fiona, that's very kind of you, but your shift has finished, it's not fair to ask you to continue to work."

"I don't mind. Besides, it will give me something to do other than twiddle my thumbs and you have enough on your plate to deal with."

Une gave a chuckle. "Okay, I'll hand all that over to you then. Fiona, I'm sure that Senator Peacecraft would be willing to give you a hand."

"The senator? But I don't think that this is really a job a senator should be doing, ma'am."

"Trust me, Relena will be more than happy to help out." Une gave a wry smile as she thought abut the woman. Relena was certainly keen to assist in any way she could, but up until now Une hadn't found anything the senator could really do.

"If you're sure, Commander."

"I'm sure. I'll find her and give her the run down. I'll get her to meet you in the gymnasium. First though you are to go and eat."

"I think I'll pass. Have you eaten the cafeteria food lately? If I'm going to eat that then I'm probably better off taking my chances outside with a rioting mob; at least that death would be quicker and a lot less painful."

"Point taken," Une replied with a laugh. "Take one of the com units with you, I'll talk to you soon and let you know when to expect the senator.."

"Thanks, Commander."

The intercom unit went dead and Une took a moment to close her eyes. She was so tired, couldn't remember the last time she'd slept; or eaten. Her mind suddenly switched to Sally. The doctor was staying with Nurse Brown and the agents' son at the mansion and given the current state of affairs, there was no way the doctor could make it safely back to Headquarters. Une hoped and prayed that they would be all right - not that she doubted the skills of the security staff Quatre Winner had in place. She made a mental note to get Sky or Sun to contact the doctor and bring her up to speed with what was happening, and tell her to remain exactly where she was until further notice.

Opening her eyes again, Une reached for her com unit to locate Relena and let her know of Fiona's current task and see if the woman would assist her.

[Preventer Communications]

"Commander approaching," Forest stated as he entered the communications room and spotted Sky.

"Thanks." Sky braced himself.

"I'll be in the other room monitoring the internal network," Forest said with a grin and made haste towards the door.

"Chicken."

"You'd better believe it." With a final wave, Forest was gone.

"Agent Sky, what do you have?" asked Une as she entered the main communications room.

"Commander, I've received word from agents Elm, Shadow and Granite. All have made it to the relevant safe houses with their assigned senators. Agent Moon is yet to arrive but we expect to hear from him somewhere in the next half an hour."

"Good." Une breathed a sigh of relief. "Did they give any indication of the situation out there? Any problems at all?"

"The general information was that the citizens are still panicking, running riot and demanding the ESUN still stand down. None of the agents encountered any problem in relation to getting to the safe houses that I'm aware of," replied Sky.

Une breathed a small sigh of relief. "Not much we can do about the ESUN other than to keep them safe for now."

"Ma'am?"

"Yes, Sky?"

"I don't mean to be forward or anything, but just how the hell is this all going to end?"

Une gave a shake of her head, sat in a chair and lowered her eyes. "I wish I knew, Sky."

[Satellite XRB 23 Surface]

Three Gundams and one shuttle watched as the two other Gundams shimmered and disappeared from view. All four were thinking the same thing, Quatre the one to give voice to those thoughts.

"I hope they remain safe."

"I'm sure they will," Trowa replied, his voice calm and soothing.

"Then I suggest we also do our best to remain functional. Incoming," Wufei stated and all three pilots returned their attention to the battle.

Whilst the number of Orion suits had diminished significantly, those that were left were fighting with a renewed and desperate vigor; and there was nothing more dangerous than a desperate man – especially when he was in a mobile suit.

"Where'd those other two suits go?" one pilot asked.

"Don't know," replied the Gold leader.

"They've faded from view and I"m not getting anything on my scanners," came the voice of one of the blue squadron.

"Better watch your backs," called the Red leader. "Come on, regroup and let's take these bastards down."

"I resent that remark," Quatre muttered, his communications unit having picked up on the conversation between the Orion pilots. "I had a mother and a father."

Zechs snickered at the comment.

"Watch out, 04, attack coming in from seven o'clock," Wufei informed the Sandrock pilot, swinging his trident around to parry with another suit that had dared to sneak up on him.

"Thanks, Wufei." Quatre spun the black and gold Gundam around, shotels sweeping through the air and neatly severing the suit into two pieces.

"Just a little closer," Trowa muttered as he watched the incoming suits intently, finger hovering over the button. The console beeped and the screen showed him the suits were in range. Depressing the button, Trowa released the last of his missiles at the Orions, scoring a direct hit with one and the blast taking out another three. "Successful strike for the Gundams," he said softly.

"Bloody hell! Don't they ever give up?" Zechs growled as he was again rocked in his seat, the shuttle taking a hit to the starboard side. He aligned his rifles and sent forth a beam, the suit he was aiming for dodging and returning fire. "Une, you owe me big time for this. Take that you asshole!" This time the beam rifle found its mark.

"You want a piece of me? Then come on, fight me honorably," Wufei snarled, swinging Shenlong around and sending the dragon arm forth yet again.

"Just another walk in the park," Trowa mumbled as he prepared to line up his next target. Heavyarms raised the gattling gun, took aim and then let fly – or tried to. "Fuck!" Trowa hit the controls again, to have the same result. The incoming suits realized the red Gundam was having a problem and within seconds they were swarming for him.

"Oh, crap. This is gonna hurt," Trowa whispered as he eyed up the incoming suits.

"Trowa? You have major incoming," Quatre informed his lover.

"No shit," Trowa replied as his fingers again flew over the computer console.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm clean out of ammo."

"Oh. That does pose a bit of a problem."

"You think?"

"Trowa! There's no need to be sarcastic," huffed Quatre and swung the shotels again to take out another suit.

"And there's no need for you to state the obvious," Trowa returned as he pulled forth the knife Heavyarms carried for moments such as these.

"I know you're under a lot of stress, we all are, but try to remember your manners," Quatre fired back and spun around to decimate another suit.

"Manners? Fuck the manners, Quat. I'm in quite a lot of shit here," Trowa snapped.

"You'll be in a lot of shit with me too afterwards if you don't watch your language. Just remember the couch," Quatre sniffed.

"Fuck the couch."

"That's all you'll be getting too."

"If you two could stop your little spat and settle on the divorce later, I think we'd all appreciate it. In case both of you had forgotten, we have several enemy suits intent on taking us out here," Wufei interrupted.

"They're married?" Zechs questioned.

"Not for much longer," Quatre muttered.

"I heard that."

"Barton! Use your knife, I'll come over and try to help you. Winner, shut the fuck up and concentrate on slicing and dicing," Wufei snarled, putting an end to the verbal sparring match.

Winner and Barton, married? Zechs was having a little difficulty in wrapping his head around all the sudden information. Not to mention the sudden appearance of Wufei's sense of humor. Slicing and dicing? Now that was something he expected Maxwell to come out with. The shuttle shook as another beam connected with the hull and Zechs hastily put his mind back on the job at hand.

Trowa had the knife ready. He could see Wufei steadily making his way closer to him, but he wouldn't be in time. The Orions would beat the Chinese man. Trowa waited patiently until the first suit was within range, then he sent Heavyarms forward, knife flashing through the air.

The pilot was taken unaware, thinking it would be a simple case of getting close enough to the red mecha and releasing the beam rifle at almost point blank range into the cockpit. He didn't count on the knife.

Heavyarms used its free arm to grab the opponent and draw the suit even closer, enabling Trowa to plunge the knife deep into the hydraulic system of the Orion. Pushing the suit away, he watched as it flew out of control to hit the satellite surface.

"Never underestimate your enemy," Trowa muttered, a small smile on his face. That smile soon disappeared though as several suits all attacked him at once. "Ah, fuck."

"Attack!" cried the Red leader, noting the red Gundam was only armed with a knife now. "Watch out for that right hand, stay clear and take this sucker down."

With a whoop, five other suits joined in on the attack. Heavyarms was completely enveloped in the swarming suits.

"Trowa!" screamed Quatre and spun Sandrock around, shotels blazing as he swung them through the air, cutting down anything in his path as he hit the thrusters and sped towards his husband.

Inside Heavyarms' cockpit, Trowa was being tossed around in his harness like a rag doll. The Orions were using everything they had and throwing it at the Gundam. Alarms were going off all over the place, Trowa unable to silence them as he did his best to keep the other suits from landing a strike to the cockpit.

A blast to the Gundam's right side had Trowa thrown to the right, cracking his head and tearing the ligaments in his left shoulder as his body strained against the harness. A sharp cry left his throat and he bit down on his lip to try and offset the pain. Another shot had him jolted back to the left, his right ankle getting caught between the pedals and wrenching it.

"Attack my husband would you?" Quatre screamed and unleashed the fury of Sandrock upon the six suits currently doing their best to take Trowa down.

The black and gold Gundam moved so fast it appeared to be a blur in the atmosphere. Shotels arched through the air, cutting first one way, spinning and cutting the other way. Within seconds, the six suits were no more.

Wufei and Zechs both watched the scene unfold, their mouths open in shock as Quatre systematically tore through the six suits.

"I think Winner has gone Zero on us," Wufei whispered.

"Holy shit, it's like a mother protecting her young," Zechs stated, unable to believe that the normally calm, serene blonde, who was a strong activist for peace, could be such a ruthless, cold blooded warrior.

Wufei heard the words and gave a snort. "You have no idea of the mother hen streak Winner has within."

"Something tells me I don't want to either," Zechs replied.

"Trowa? Trowa? Are you okay? Trowa! Acknowledge!" Quatre all but screamed down the com link.

"Did anyone get the number of that truck?" Trowa groaned.

"Trowa, thank Allah." Quatre gave a relieved sigh. "Are you okay?"

"Um, I think so."

"Status report 03," barked Wufei.

"Strained shoulder, possible broken ankle and one hell of a headache. Still functional though."

"Functional, my ass!" came Quatre's voice.

"My ass _is_ still functional," Trowa retorted.

"Boys, oh, boys... I suggest we get these suits finished off as quickly as we can and then take stock of the situation," Zechs butted in.

"Right you are, Zechs," Quatre replied. "Don't think you're off the hook yet either, Trowa. I'll sort you out after." Sandrock spun and with a burst from the thrusters, went on the attack again.

Trowa gave a sigh, rubbed his head with his good hand and turned his attention back to the battle.

Wufei shook his head. "By Nataku, if I ever survive this I swear I'm going to take a long vacation, preferably to Mars."

Zechs would just be happy to get back to the Black Ops - a lot less stressful.

[Satellite XRB 23 Domes]

Duo carefully guided Deathscythe towards the shuttle bay entrance, Wing's hand still enclosed within the black mecha's. "What's the plan?" he asked Heero as he dodged a couple of stray suits and landed Scythe just outside the entrance.

"Get inside, find Barton and arrest him. Then see if we can find this professor and reverse the Firecell," Heero replied and adjusted Wing's thrusters to assist Duo in bringing them both safely to the surface.

"I see. It's not going to be easy. Barton has a couple of really good bodyguards with him."

Heero snorted.

"Hey! You haven't seen the size of one of them; he makes Rashid look like a dwarf."

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall," came Heero's reply.

Duo rolled his eyes. "We're not all superman," he muttered. Eying off the entrance to the shuttle port, Duo sent Deathscythe's scanners forth and grinned when they came back clear. "Looks like we're in luck," he stated.

"Hn."

Carefully, Duo edged closer and slowly brought the two Gundams to the ground just outside the entrance. The pair walked their way inside and moved to the far section beside the depressurization chamber. "Seems to be all clear," said Duo as he looked around.

"It would appear so," agreed Heero and began to power down Wing.

Deathscythe also powered down, Duo leaving the mecha in standby mode. Grabbing his helmet, he slipped it on, wincing as the collar brushed against the cut to his head. With the helmet secure, he flipped the comm switch. "You ready, Heero?"

"Hai." Heero also had his helmet in place, Wing powered down to standby mode as well.

"As soon as we step off the Gundams, we're going to become visible," Duo warned.

"I know." Heero checked his gun and slid it back inside his flight suit, double checking he was completely sealed inside before hitting the switch to release the hatch. Releasing the harness, he got himself out of the pilot's seat and stepped onto the hatch.

Duo similarly released himself from his harness and stepped out onto Deathscythe's hatch. Grasping the handle to the small wire, he allowed it to drop him steadily to the ground. Once he stepped away, he became visible. Heero appeared at his side within a couple of seconds.

"Which way?"

"Through here," Duo replied and led them both to the chamber.

A couple of minutes later they were standing inside the corridor of the Dome. Heero removed his helmet, Duo doing the same and they hid them in a corner, away from prying eyes. Keeping his braid tucked down the back of the suit, Duo pulled his gun from within the suit and checked the safety was off.

"I'm betting that Barton is in the control room," Duo said, keeping his voice low as he looked around.

Heero had also removed his gun and flipped the safety off. "How many can we expect in the control room?"

"Not sure. This way." Duo moved off down a corridor, keeping himself in the shadows, silent feet traversing the Dome. With a grunt, Heero followed.

Duo led them through a maze of corridors and deeper into the Domes. Eyes and ears remained alert, neither man wishing to risk an encounter with any personnel that may still be on the satellite. Duo knew that Barton wouldn't have sent all his people to the earth, there were certain to be quite a few still left on the satellite. As he drew upon his memory of the satellite layout, he also did his best to remember roughly how many personnel there would most likely be inside the control room. He knew Zaheer would be there, the man didn't stray far from Barton at all. Sampson would most likely still be around too and so would several of the techs and with any luck, Professor Hawkins.

As they progressed closer to their target, it became a little more difficult to remain hidden. They came across a couple of small patrols, avoiding them by the skin of their teeth, ducking into whatever doorway, closet or hiding spot they could find.

"How much further?" Heero asked as they proceeded down yet another corridor.

"Not too far now." Duo paused for a moment to get his bearings. "If memory serves me correct, the way to the hangar where the suits were housed is down that way. The holding cells were along those corridors and that means the control room is down this way."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Duo nodded and reached to tuck a few stray hairs that had escaped his braid back behind his ear. His eyes widened when Heero reached out and ran his fingers gently through Duo's bangs. "Heero?" Duo winced as Heero's fingers found the cut to his scalp.

As Duo had tucked the stray hair away so Heero had seen the traces of crimson in some of those locks. His fingers moved forward, doing their best to locate the source of the blood. He knew he'd found it when Duo winced. "You're hurt," he stated simply.

"It's not much, just a small cut. Ow!"

Heero pulled his lover closer and parted the locks to get a proper look at the injury. "Hn," he muttered as some of the hair that was stuck to the wound pulled free, causing Duo to yelp. "Looks like it could do with a couple of stitches."

"Yeah, well, when this is all over I swear I'll let Sally doctor me all she likes." Without waiting for his lover to reply, mainly because he knew from the look in Heero's eye the man was about to bring up something he really didn't want to discuss right now, Duo headed off down the corridor towards the control room.

With a glare to his husband's back, Heero began to follow, only to be brought up short when Duo suddenly froze and motioned for him to also freeze. Sidling up behind his lover, Heero dropped his voice to a whisper. "What is it?"

"Listen."

Heero strained his ears. Seconds later he heard the soft, muted tones of talking. He quirked an eyebrow at Duo.

"That's Wainright's voice," Duo whispered.

"The senator?"

"Yeah. He's got company too, probably Richards."

Heero's eyes gleamed. "We need them alive."

"We have time to make a pit stop?"

"Hai. We do for these two. There's several charges awaiting them back on earth."

"Fine with me. How do you want to do this?"

Heero's eyes gleamed.

"Silly question," Duo muttered and rolled his eyes as he took up position on one side of the doorway, gun drawn and ready.

Heero took the other side, gun also drawn. He counted down with his fingers, Duo following the movement and then opening the door. Immediately the door was open, Duo dropped to the floor, Heero stepping forth with his gun raised and voice speaking.

"Freeze! You're all under arrest."

Wainright and Richards jerked in their seats as the door to their room was suddenly thrust open and they found themselves staring down the barrels of two loaded guns. Both men raised shaky hands into the air, the wine glasses they held threatening to spill their contents.

Raising himself from the floor and keeping his gun trained on Richards, Duo carefully approached the senator, noting Heero doing the same, but to Wainright. Wainright wasn't going to take this easily though.

"Who the hell are you? What right do you have to come barging in here and why am I under arrest? On what grounds?" Wainright spluttered.

"Preventer Agent Day," Heero stated, keeping the gun aimed directly at the senator's forehead. "You are both under arrest to answer charges of disturbing the peace, theft of government funds, defrauding a colony, conspiring to take over the ESUN, associating with known criminals and intentions of starting a war."

"You forgot kidnapping," Duo added with an amused smile.

"Hn. I thought it was Barton who kidnapped you?"

"Yeah, he did, but these guys were in on it too."

"You are also charged with being accessories to the kidnapping of a Preventer Agent." Heero turned to look at his lover. "Happy now?"

"Yup."

Richards hung his head in defeat, Wainright's eyes narrowed and his face turned red, but there wasn't anything he could do, not when faced with a loaded gun and all he had in the way of a weapon was a wine glass.

"Cuffs?" Duo asked.

Heero shook his head. "I don't have any, do you?"

"Nope. I thought you might have been able to pull some out of that spandex space of yours," Duo snickered.

"In case you hadn't noticed, I'm wearing a flight suit, not spandex," Heero deadpanned.

Duo took a quick look around the room. "That should do," he said and began to walk over to the archway that passed between the bedroom and the current living room of the senators' quarters. The curtain was held back by a length of cord, cord that Duo quickly cut from its moorings. Slicing the cord in two, he passed Heero a length and then began to tie the wrists of Senator Richards together and secure him in a chair.

Copying Duo and securing Wainright to a chair, Heero disappeared into the other room and returned seconds later with a pair of socks. He handed one to Duo. "Gag," he said by way of explanation.

"I hope they're clean," Duo mumbled and shoved the sock into the senator's mouth. Richards also hoped they were clean.

"Now what?" asked Duo.

"Make a note of the room position and call it in to Zechs and the others. We need to get to the control room," Heero replied.

"Okay," Duo replied and pulled out his com unit to contact the shuttle.

tbc...


	93. Chapter 93

**Thank you to all who are reading and warm hugs for the kind feedback!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 93

[Preventer Shuttle 221]

Zechs heard the sound of the comm unit beeping over the sound of the battle still being waged. Mind still focused on the battle and the suits he was engaged with, he hit the button. "Shuttle 221."

"Zechs, it's Duo."

"What's up?"

"Just checking in. Day and myself are safely within the Dome and on course for the control room. Have encountered a few unfriendlies on the way and managed to avoid detection so far. We also came across the two senators missing from the ESUN and wanted by Preventer to answer questions regarding the skimming of funds from the Colony Rebuilding Project."

"I see."

"Both senators have been apprehended and restrained and are now awaiting collection when it's possible."

"Restrained? You didn't injure them, did you?" Zechs' voice was calm despite his churning stomach. He knew Une wouldn't be at all happy if any of her suspects were damaged too badly.

Duo snorted. "No, Zechs. The pair of them are perfectly fine, although they may need a good dose of mouth wash."

"Pardon?"

"Don't worry, I'll explain later. Senators are in Dome one, section G sector 56."

"Thanks, Night. I've made a note of that. Ah, shit!" Another blow managed to make it to the shuttle skin, rocking Zechs in his seat and setting off further alarms.

"You guys alright out there?"

"We're doing okay," Zechs replied through clenched teeth. "Slowly knocking them all off, but I'm not too sure about the damage to shuttle and Gundams."

"The other shuttle?"

"Still cloaked and as far as I can tell it's okay. I've not seen any direct hits to it at this stage."

Duo heaved a sigh of relief. "With any luck it will remain that way and we will have some form of transport off this floating rock."

"Where are you, you asshole?" Zechs muttered and scanned the atmosphere for the suit that had hit him.

"I'll leave you to it, Wind. Will report in again once we locate the control room. Night out."

"Okay, Night. Good luck. Wind out. Come here you motherfucker, and take a dose of this!"

Chuckling softly to himself, Duo pocketed the com and turned to his partner. "Let's go."

Nodding, Heero followed his partner back out and into the Dome.

###

[Satellite XRB 23 Control Room]

Those still present in the control room watched as the battle continued outside on the surface. No one dared to speak, just the occasional soft grunt and from time to time a wince passed through several of the room occupants as a suit was taken down or a blast connected.

"How many are left?" Barton snapped, watching his mobile suit army being decimated before his eyes.

Craven scrambled to do a quick calculation. "Approximately one hundred and twenty suits, sir."

"_What_!"

Everyone ducked for cover.

Barton whirled around. "Are you sure?" he demanded.

"Give or take five or ten," Craven squeaked.

"Fuck! This can't be happening." Barton's mind began to run wild with thoughts. This wasn't going the way he envisioned. "We might have to leave a little earlier than planned to meet up with the army on the earth," he muttered as his eyes turned back to the screen.

"Sir?" Craven inquired as he heard the soft words.

"This is not going the way it should. That shuttle shouldn't have managed to land here without being detected; but it did. Those Gundams... they were destroyed, and yet they're here. I think it might be time to cut our losses and get out of here. We need to get to the earth, take the program with us and continue on from there. The citizens won't allow the ESUN and Preventer to continue on for much longer and we will need to be there to take over."

"But what about the suits?" Craven dared to ask.

"Leave them. There's not much we can do. What the...?" Barton's eyes widened as he stared hard at the screen. Two Gundams had vanished. "Craven! How many Gundams are out there?"

"Um, fiv-..." Craven paused as his eyes scanned the screen showing the current battle on the surface. "There were five," he muttered and did his best to maneuver the cameras to scan the battle area.

"I know there were five,' Barton smirked, "but there aren't now."

"Shit. I only count three Gundams, sir."

"Where the fuck are the other two?"

"Ah..."

Barton whirled around. "Sampson, take Tewson, Young and Peterson with you. Those two Gundams have disappeared and I have a feeling they can be found in the shuttle bay area. That means the two pilots are somewhere inside this structure. Find them and take them out. Let me know when that is done."

"Yes, sir," Sampson replied as he stood up and nodded to the other three men to follow him.

Barton rubbed his hands together and smirked as the four left the control room. Turning to Craven, he spoke. "Have the security cameras scan the Domes and locate those two pilots. Once you find them let Sampson know where they are. Once Sampson reports back in and confirms those two have been disabled I want you to contact the smaller satellite and have the last shuttle sent across."

Craven nodded and turned back to his computer.

Barton took a seat and once more watched the battle outside. Zaheer stood in the shadows, watching and seething. He knew who was inside one of those Gundams that had disappeared, and he'd wanted the opportunity to kill that long haired freak. Right now, Zaheer was not amused with Barton's orders.

###

[Satellite XRB 23 Dome]

"Down here, Heero," Duo whispered and turned a corner, keeping himself flat against the wall.

"Cameras," Heero noted and also kept himself to the shadows. "I can shoot them out."

Duo shook his head. "No. We do that and Barton will know exactly where we are."

"Put them on a loop?"

"No time to stop and do that either. It sounded like the guys were taking a battering outside when I spoke to Zechs. We need to get Barton as quickly as we can."

"Okay." Heero didn't look happy about it, but there wasn't a whole lot he could do about it right now. "Keep out of sight as much as possible then."

"Yeah. Come on, this way."

Heero continued to follow his lover along corridors, remaining out of sight of the cameras as much as possible. There wasn't any way they would be able to dodge all of them but they could hope and pray that any sign of them the cameras did pick up would go unnoticed. With any luck the attention of those watching the cameras would be focused on other things.

_'Yeah and Une might dance the can-can in a tutu' _his mind laughed at him.

"Not far now,' Duo murmured as he went to step around another corner. "Ah, fuck!" The speed with which Duo back pedaled had him almost crashing into Heero.

"Duo?"

The sounds of yelling came from around the corner.

"Better find somewhere to make a stand; we've been sprung," came Duo's reply as he spun around.

"Shit!" Heero exclaimed and looked around for somewhere to do just that. "Back there," Heero stated and began to run. Duo glanced at where Heero had motioned and took off after his partner. The pair dived into the small alcove just as the four men came around the corner in a flat out run.

Heero and Duo both opened fire, sending the four scurrying back around that corner.

"Friends of yours?" Heero asked.

Duo grunted. "If memory serves me correct, the big guy is called Sampson; he was part of the crew that brought me here. The other three babysat both Duric and myself at various times."

"Are they needed alive?"

"Preferable, but not completely necessary."

"Hn. I'll try not to hit anything vital then."

"I'm sure both Une and those guys would appreciate that," Duo muttered, the sarcasm going right over Heero's head.

#

Sampson and the others were moving through the corridors keeping their eyes and ears open. "Any sign of where they are?" Sampson asked down his com unit.

"Negative," came Craven's reply. "I'm still checking through the cameras and if I find anything I will let you know."

"Thanks." Sampson tucked the unit away and the four continued on their way. Rounding another corner, the group was halfway down when Young's eyes opened wide. He saw a familiar figure for just a second up ahead before it disappeared back around that corner.

"That's him!" Young yelled.

"Where?" asked Sampson and pulled his gun forth.

"Up there." Young pointed to the corner ahead and began to run. The other three followed, guns drawn and ready.

Reaching the corner, Sampson shot around, only to dive back again within a second, knocking Young over and almost sending Tewson and Peterson with him. Gunfire rang out, bullets whizzing past with a couple lodging in the Dome wall.

"Shit!" Sampson exclaimed as he picked himself up off the top of Young. A crimson stain was appearing on his right shoulder.

"You've been hit," Peterson said, stating the obvious.

Sampson took a look at his shoulder; the bullet had creased his collarbone. "It's just a nick," he replied and turned his attention back to the pair he was intent on capturing.

"What now?" Tewson questioned.

"Now we exchange bullets until we either kill them or disable them," Sampson replied in a sarcastic tone.

Around the corner, Duo and Heero were having a similar conversation.

Barton must know we're in the Dome," Duo stated.

Heero looked down his nose at his lover. "You think?"

Rolling his eyes, Duo continued. "We need to do something about them and fast. We don't have a lot of time."

"We need to be careful too. The last thing we need is for a stray bullet to pierce the skin of the Dome."

Duo visibly shuddered at that thought. If a bullet were to pass through the Dome skin it would be curtains for them all and personally he didn't fancy being sucked through a hole the size of a button and into the cold of space. "Yeah," he muttered.

Heero took a chance and peered around the edge of the alcove... and ducked back immediately as a bullet screamed past his head, ruffling his bangs as it passed. "That was close," he mumbled.

"Too close," Duo growled and leaned forward to press a kiss to the back of Heero's neck. "Be careful, Heero. I love you too much to lose you."

"Don't worry, Duo. I have no intentions of going anywhere if I can help it."

"That's a comforting thought."

"On the count of three." Heero took a deep breath. "One, two, three..."

Guns drawn, the pair reached around the edge of the alcove and squeezed off a few rounds. They were lucky.

At the time they both fired, Tewson had taken the same moment to chance a glance around the edge of the corridor - and caught one of the bullets.

"Ah, fuck!" he yelped and pulled back, blood streaming down the side of his face. The bullet had caught him on the ear, removing a chunk of flesh.

"Here," said a pale Peterson and pulling his shirt over his head, handed it to the other man. "Put that up against it to stop the blood."

"Thanks."

Over the course of the next five minutes, gunfire was traded between the two groups, bullets flying back and forth but neither side gaining any ground. Tewson took a second hit, this time to the arm which rendered him pretty much useless as it was his gun arm that took the bullet. Heero caught a nick to the back of his hand, and had to suffer through Duo's berating him for taking an unnecessary risk. Both groups paused for a moment to reload and take stock.

"End of round one," Duo snarled. "Now what? We can't stay here all day and fire at each other."

"I agree," replied Heero and sat down.

"Huh? What are you doing, Heero? Now isn't the time to take a break you know!"

"I know. Keep your shirt on." Heero slipped a hand inside his flight suit and began to feel around.

Duo's cheeks blushed red. "I don't think we have the time for _that_ either."

Heero gave his lover a glare. "It's not what you're thinking, baka!" He pulled an object from inside and held it out for Duo to see.

"Ah, sorry,' Duo said sheepishly.

"Think that will work?"

Duo took the object and studied it a little closer. "Only one way to find out," he replied. "Cover me."

Heero had to scramble to fulfill the request, sending off a volley of shots whilst Duo pulled the pin and tossed the item with deadly accuracy down the corridor.

Immediately the gas grenade was tossed, both men ducked back into the alcove for cover.

Young and Tewson snapped their attention to the item zooming through the air and landing with a clang at their feet.

"Ah, crap... RUN!" yelled Tewson and took off.

Peterson and Sampson were a little slower to react; staring dumbly at the canister that suddenly gave a popping noise, then hissed and released its gas.

"Fuck!" growled Sampson and did his best to scramble away from the canister. Unfortunately, Peterson was also doing his best to get away and not watching where he was going. In the ensuing melee, a gun was discharged and Peterson dropped like a stone. Before any of the others could check on Peterson they were overcome with the gas.

Heero's ears pricked up when he heard the gunshot and he looked inquiringly at Duo. Duo gave a shrug of his shoulders by way of reply.

"What sort of gas?" asked Duo.

"Sleeping," replied Heero.

Taking note of the time, Duo watched the minutes tick by until five in total had passed. Raising himself to his feet, he offered a hand to Heero and pulled his partner upright. "Should be all clear now."

"Hn." Heero pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and passed it to Duo before retrieving another for himself and putting it over his nose. Whilst the gas should have cleared from the area completely, it wasn't worth taking any chances.

Duo gave his lover a 'look'. "Thought you said you didn't have spandex space," he muttered as he followed Heero down the corridor, handkerchief over his nose and mouth, keeping close to the wall and gun at the ready.

Choosing to ignore the comment, Heero led the way inching cautiously along until they reached the corner. Duo dropped to a crouch, Heero reaching with his gun first around the corner and when nothing happened he followed it slowly with his head. Fingers were ready to squeeze the respective triggers at any second, but the sight that greeted Heero's eyes put a satisfied smile on his face.

"All down but unsure if disabled," he told his partner. "Proceed with caution."

The pair carefully slithered around and approached the first of the bodies lying on the floor.

"Sampson," growled Duo as he poked the man's side with his foot. There was no response. He crouched by the man's side and felt for a pulse. "Unconscious," he informed and removed the gun and spare clips from Sampson's form.

Heero had moved to the next prone figure, this one lying face down with a pool of blood rapidly enlarging around him. He felt for the pulse and removed the gun and clips. "Dead," he told Duo.

Duo snorted. "Guess we know where those bullets went then."

The pair moved further down the corridor to the other two figures. As they neared the hairs on the back of Duo's neck began to stand up. "Something's not right," he whispered.

"Hn. They look to be sleeping," Heero replied and inched closer.

Duo couldn't shake the uneasy feeling as they drew closer and all his senses were on alert and screaming at him to get the hell out of there. Heero pushed at one of the men with the toe of his boot, the body moving slightly but not stirring. As Heero turned to speak it seemed as if everything went into slow motion for Duo.

The other prone form suddenly raised a hand, the gun going off. Spotting the slight movement, Duo screamed. "Heero!" His feet were moving before he knew it and he slammed into his lover, sending Heero flying. The bullet shot past, clipping Duo's hip.

Heero was quick to react, the gun bucking in his hand as he sent four bullets in quick succession slamming into the form ahead and stilling it instantly and permanently. With the threat gone for the moment, Heero scrambled to check his lover.

"Duo? Are you hit?" Heero cried and began to run his hands over Duo's body.

Groaning, Duo pushed himself up. "I gotta stop doing this," he moaned. "Fuck, that hurt."

Spotting the blood on Duo's hip, Heero's attention was diverted and his hands began to run gently over the area. "Of all the stupid, fucking moronic things to do," he muttered under his breath. "I think it's just a flesh wound, Duo," Heero added a moment later when he'd had the chance to check his lover properly.

Duo glanced down at where Heero was prodding and poking. His skin paled and his heart jumped when he saw how close the bullet had come to hitting him in the abdomen. He batted Heero's hands away to check for himself. "Fuck that was close," he mumbled. Duo's eyes glazed over slightly and he ran a protective hand across his abdomen, completely forgetting Heero was sitting next to him. "You okay in there, munchkin?" he whispered.

A hand settled on his shoulder and Duo froze.

Slowly, violet eyes wandered up to stare deep into cobalt that were looking at him with a burning question in them.

"Duo?" Heero said softly. "Is there something you wish to tell me?"

Duo swallowed - hard. "Ummm..." He knew he couldn't get out of this; it was time to come clean. "Ah, Heero... I don't quite know how to tell you this..."

"Try just coming out with it," Heero replied dryly.

"Errr... You know just after I'd had Keitaro and we decided I'd like to keep my female bits, that a little brother or sister down the track might be nice to have for Keitaro..." Duo peered up through his bangs to see how Heero was taking this.

Cobalt eyes gave nothing away.

Duo ploughed on. "Well, I kinda think that idea might be a bit more of a reality. I'm pretty sure I'm pregnant again, Heero. I know Sally said I shouldn't have another child so soon after Keitaro, the risks are rather great, but I don't know how it happened... well I do, but I don't as we used protection and I played the role of seme... and I'm starting to babble now aren't I?" Duo shut up and gazed through his bangs at his lover and husband.

"Duo, it's okay," Heero replied softly and placed a protective hand on Duo's abdomen.

"You -you don't mind?" Duo's eyes were wide.

"I can't say I'm not worried about you, or the child, for I am. This entire situation is putting all of us at risk; you even more so as Sally did say it would be dangerous for you to fall pregnant again so soon. But, Duo, I'm here for you all the way." Heero's words were whispered and when he'd finished, he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss upon those sweet lips.

"Oh, Heero." Duo melted into the kiss. "I love you so much."

They sat close together for a moment, just savoring the idea of becoming parents again and then Heero shifted.

"Come on, we need to get moving and locate Barton."

"What about these guys?" Duo questioned and nodded to the four men.

"Two of them aren't going anywhere. The other two will be sleeping for a while yet. I don't think that one will be going far once he wakes up either, not with those wounds," said Heero as he glanced towards Tewson. "As for the other one..." Heero stood up and taking his gun with him, he walked to where Sampson still lay unconscious. Raising the gun, he lined up his target and sent one bullet clean through Sampson's kneecap.

Sampson's body jumped but the man didn't wake.

"Heero!" Duo squeaked. "Une wanted them alive."

"Hn. You didn't say anything about them being injured, just not dead if I could help it. He's not dead, just disabled, so what's the problem?" Heero shrugged and slipped the guns he'd commandeered from the group into his flight suit.

"I swear, you can be the one to front Une and explain, I'm pleading temporary insanity and citing medical reasons so she can't attack me," Duo muttered. "I think even Une would draw the line at attacking a pregnant man." Duo looked across at Heero.

"I don't know, Duo. She can be a psychotic bitch at times." Heero replied, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Thanks. Thanks a lot, ex buddy," Duo huffed and tucked the two guns he'd retrieved into his flight suit, wincing as the hip wound made itself known again.

"Come on. The sooner we find and arrest Barton, the sooner we can be going home to Keitaro and Nurse Brown." Heero turned and continued on down the corridor.

"That's one thing I love about you, Heero. Your compassion." Duo muttered and followed along.

###

[Inside Duo's Abdomen]

The watery world it was living in cushioned the small baby against the violent movements its mother made from time to time. The loud noises that managed to permeate the womb still caused the fetus to jump from time to time, but the thumb in the mouth gave it a small measure of comfort.

Adrenaline began to flow across the placental barrier, flooding the fetus' blood stream and causing it to become restless.

Tiny limbs unfurled, little feet kicked out in protest as arms and hands flailed in the amniotic fluid. None of it did any good though, the adrenaline was still present and the small child felt 'pumped' up.

It tossed its limbs around some more, enjoying the movement and testing out undeveloped muscles.

Gradually the fetus wore itself out a bit and curled into a small ball once again. The thumb sought the mouth and latched on. The fetus began to feel sleepy, unaware of the dramas unfolding outside its sanctuary. It trusted its mother to keep it safe from harm as it drifted off into a restless sleep.

###

[Satellite XRB 23 Control Room]

"Shit!" Craven muttered to himself as he finally managed to pick something up on one of the cameras. He toggled the small machine and turned the camera around a bit to get a clearer picture. "Shit, shit, shit."

Simons heard the soft expletives and turned in his seat. "Something up?" he asked.

"You could say that," replied Craven.

"Anything I can help with?"

"Take a look."

Simons got up from his own console and moved around to where Craven was standing. "Shit!"

"Exactly."

"But, how? Are they dead?" Simons stared at the screen that showed Sampson, Young, Tewson and Peterson all lying prone in a corridor. There was a certain amount of blood spread liberally about and none of the men were moving.

"I don't know," whispered Craven.

"Someone needs to go check. And let Barton know."

"You volunteering?"

Simons looked across to where Barton was watching the decimation of his mobile suits outside the Domes. "I'll pass."

tbc...


	94. Chapter 94

**Thanks for reading and warm hugs for the kind reviews!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 94

[Somewhere in Space]

"Shuttle leader to all shuttles, do you copy?"

"Shuttle leader, this is shuttle four, I copy."

"Shuttle two, copy."

"Shuttle five reading loud and clear."

"Shuttle three here."

"Shuttle eight copy."

"Shuttle seven has you coming through just fine."

The airwaves were silent for a moment.

"Shuttle six? Repeat, shuttle six, do you copy?"

"Shuttle... ix... hav...difficulty... breaki...p..."

"Shuttle six, this is shuttle leader. Adjust frequency until you can copy."

"Ro... W..ill... tr..."

"Shuttle six, leader will continue to transmit. Keep adjusting frequency and check in at end of transmission. All shuttles, approach to target landing areas should be coming up on computers in the next hour. All shuttles confirm with leader once you have your coordinates."

Six replies in the affirmative were received. "Shuttle six, did you copy any of the transmission?"

"Still... hav... prob... Wi.. con... inue..."

"Roger that, shuttle six. Will keep this frequency open and assist you in any way."

The captain of the shuttle turned to the officer monitoring the airwaves. "Keep the frequency open and help them all you can to sort out the problem. I'll be in my cabin going over the final details of Barton's plan. Contact me as soon as we have the coordinates for landing."

"Yes sir." The officer turned back to the communications console, the captain leaving seconds later.

###

[Satellite XRB 23 Surface]

"Surely there can't be many more of them," Quatre stated as Sandrock cut another suit in half and received a blow to the back for its trouble.

"Scanners suggest roughly fifty or sixty suits still out there," came Zechs' reply down the comm unit.

"Is that all?" came Trowa's sarcastic reply as he struggled to fight off yet another suit with only the use of the knife.

"Barton, start to retreat towards the shuttle, Winner and I can handle most of these remaining suits. Wind, cover him as best you can." Wufei spun Shenlong around and sliced the trident neatly down through the leg of another suit, the upward swing removed the arm of yet another that had tried to get in behind him.

Too weary and beat up to argue, Trowa simply agreed. "I'll make my way back now."

"Come in from the port side," Zechs stated and sent off a blast from the beam rifle. "Take that, asshole." The suit dropped like a stone.

The red Gundam slowly but steadily made its way back to the open ramp of the shuttle, Trowa still forced to defend himself against another four suits that could see his retreat and did their best to stop him. A beam from one of their rifles cut through the hydraulics on Heavyarms' left arm, the large appendage swinging uselessly by the mecha's side.

With gritted teeth, Zechs did his best to cover the Gundam, the beam rifles firing off in a never ending volley, the shuttle body taking a few hits itself.

"Come on, Sandrock," Quatre muttered, "We need to finish this and get to Trowa." The blonde was worried about his partner; those last few attempts of Trowa's at defending himself were getting weaker and clumsier. The shotels blazed again, each arcing independent of the other as Quatre cut a path through the oncoming suits.

The dragon arm and trident continued to move about the form of the green Gundam as Wufei put all he had into finishing off the last of the Orions as quickly as he could. He ached from head to toe, his shoulders hurt from being wrenched around in his harness, his left knee had taken a whack and so had his head. He longed for a hot cup of green tea and to close his eyes and sleep for a week.

Unfortunately he wasn't about to get either for quite some time yet.

"Why can't you all just line up so I can take you out like a set of skittles?" he mumbled and whirled around, the arm of the Gundam blocking the strike before slicing the trident through the center of the Orion.

Sandrock and Shenlong continued their deadly dance above the satellite surface, doing their best to cover Trowa's retreat and decimate as many of their opposition in the shortest time they could. The shuttle also added to the fire power, but Zechs was getting tired too.

"Approaching ramp now," Trowa stated over the intercom.

"Acknowledged," replied Zechs as he struck another suit. The shuttle lurched as another beam found the skin. "Come on, girl, hold together for a little longer," he muttered.

"Am entering hold," came Trowa's voice.

"Roger. Barton, I can't close the ramp and depressurize right now. I need all of the shuttle's power for the beam rifles. Will you be okay to wait until the battle is over?"

The Gundam's foot rested upon the ramp as Trowa hit the comm again. "No problem, Zechs. I think I'm gonna need a hand to get out of the cockpit anyway."

"Copy that. Will let you know when I can close up."

"Thanks, Zechs." Trowa managed to walk the mecha up the ramp and into the belly of the shuttle. Carefully he maneuvered the red Gundam to its place, bringing it to a halt and starting the powering down sequence when a scream came down the comm unit.

"Trowa! Zechs! Look out, there's a suit trying to get into the hold of the shuttle," Quatre yelled.

Quatre had taken a second to make sure his lover was safely in the hold when he spotted the Orion that had somehow managed to get through their defenses and was now attempting to get into the hold after Trowa.

"Fuck! There's nothing I can do from here," cried Zechs.

"I'll take care of it," Trowa replied and checked the scanners. He noted where the Orion was trying to get in and brought all Heavyarms' systems back on line. The beam rifle of the Orion was raised and ready, Trowa knowing he couldn't let that shot get fired off inside the hold. If he did it would be the end of the shuttle and Zechs, not to mention himself too.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Trowa grabbed the controls and pushed the heavy mecha forward, torn muscles screaming in protest as they were forced to work. Heavyarms responded admirably. For a large machine, it was quite agile and it shot forward taking the Orion completely by surprise. The two collided with a loud clang, Trowa managing to push the other suit back and off balance it. The Orion toppled and then skidded back down the ramp.

Trowa took advantage of his Gundam's superior speed and maneuverability, firing the thrusters to their limit and colliding again with the other suit. The right arm came forth, knife at the ready as Trowa waited for an opportunity and opening to strike. The Orion fought back, large arms grappling with the other mecha and doing its best to keep the knife away.

Heavyarms was a heavier suit and Trowa used the weight to force his opponent further back down the ramp and onto the satellite surface where they continued to wrestle with each other, no mean feat on Trowa's behalf as he only had the use of the suit's right arm and legs.

Casting nervous glances from time to time at the battle below him, Quatre felt the fear rising in his chest. He could _feel_ Trowa, sense his desperation and he wanted nothing more than to go to his husband's aid. Unfortunately he was dealing with a few too any suits himself to be able to do that right now. All he could do was continue to fight and hope his lover would be okay.

Zechs could also see the position Trowa was in. With an evil smirk, he toggled the beam rifle and lined up the target. "Barton, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear Zechs, but I'm a little preoccupied right now."

"I know that. Listen, when I say duck I want you to drop your suit to the ground."

"Eh?"

"Just trust me and do it."

"Roger that."

Zechs followed the movement of the pair, rifle trained on the Orion. Then, he had his chance. "Duck!"

Trowa wielded the controls, Heavyarms responding and dropping to the ground. Once the red suit was falling, Zechs opened fire.

The beam shot forth and caught the Orion right in the chest. Taken completely by surprise, the suit was sent flying backwards with the impact. It collided with another suit and the pair exploded with a spectacular shower of sparks.

"Thanks, Zechs." Trowa brought his Gundam back to a standing position and once more started to head for the ramp.

"No problem."

Above them Quatre and Wufei both breathed sighs of relief.

###

[Approach to Earth]

"Captain? Sorry to disturb you but the coordinates for the landing have come through."

The captain of shuttle one raised his head from the notes he was studying. "Thank you. I'll be on my way in a moment."

"Yes, sir."

Standing, the captain tucked the report away and set off for the cockpit. Arriving a few moments later, he took in the sight. Out the starboard window he could see the blue planet spinning slowly on its axis. A small smile graced his lips as he thought how peaceful it looked from out here in space and how that look was deceptive. He knew there would be panic and anger awaiting them once they landed, but the panic would subside, the anger would be directed at the ESUN and Preventer and the troops were simply there to make sure it happened.

"The coordinates?" he asked the first mate.

"Here, sir." The mate moved to the side of his console so the captain could see the screen clearly.

Noting the longitude and latitude, the captain brought up the stellar maps and combined with the earth maps, pinpointed the place they were to land. "Program it all into the computer," he told the first mate.

"Yes, sir."

The captain moved aside and approached the communications officer. "How is the link with shuttle six now?"

"Not good, sir. I've tried everything I can from here to assist them, but I think the problem lies within the on-board computer itself."

"I see."

"I can't be certain, but I think the computer on shuttle six has problems with the Firecell that Barton released. The files and system do not want to respond the way they should. I'd even go as far as to say the file system is corrupt, sir."

"Hmmm." The captain rubbed his chin in thought. "Then if that's the case, there isn't a lot we can do."

"No, sir."

"Okay, you've done all you can. Contact the other shuttles and confirm they have their coordinates for landing."

"Yes, sir." The officer turned back to the communications system and began to transmit. Within a minute or two, he'd had all shuttles report in; all except shuttle six.

"All shuttles except six have confirmed they now have their coordinates and have transferred the information to their on board computers," the officer informed.

"Thanks. Please connect me to the other shuttles; I need to speak with them all."

"Yes, sir." The officer returned to his console for a moment then handed the small headset to the captain. "Frequency is open and ready for you to broadcast."

The captain took the headset and slipped it on. "All shuttles, this is lead shuttle. All of you have your coordinates logged into your computers. In ten minutes begin your descent through the atmosphere and to those coordinates. Once all shuttles are safely on the surface, report in your respective positions and wait for further instruction from there."

"Roger that, shuttle leader. Shuttle five out."

"Shuttle two, acknowledged. Will report in after landing."

"Shuttle four here. Will contact after landing."

"Roger, shuttle eight will comply."

"Shuttle three. See you all on the ground."

"Shuttle seven copies."

"Shuttle six? Did you receive transmission? Repeat, shuttle six, did you receive transmission?"

The airwaves remained silent for a moment, then a short burst of static. "Sh... ix... ackno... Will ... ur... bes..."

The captain frowned as the shuttle report came through. He didn't like the idea of one of the fleet having these problems, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. "God speed and may all of you have a safe landing. Shuttle leader out." The captain handed back the headset to the officer and gave a deep sigh. "Thank you. Let us all hope we pull this off."

The officer nodded and slipped the headset back onto his own head.

"Coming into the atmosphere now, sir," the pilot announced.

"Good." The captain came over and took up residence in the pilot's seat, the current pilot sitting in the copilot's position. "Let the computer take over and bring her in."

"Yes, sir." The pilot leaned forward and pushed a few buttons on the flight console. Lights flickered, some went off and some came on. The computer took over and the shuttle began its descent to the earth surface.

In the bellies of the respective shuttles, the soldiers that made up Barton's army all settled into their seats and strapped themselves in. The excitement was felt in the air, each man ready to do what he'd joined up to do - take down the ESUN and make a better place for the colonies.

It wouldn't be long now before they got to put their skills to work and stamp out any resistance they may come across.

Several shuttles began to break through the atmosphere; heat shields were pushed to the limits as they skimmed through the invisible barriers and finally broke through. The surface of the planet appeared below and the shuttles dropped steadily in height, the computers guiding them in and following the programmed flight paths to their respective destinations.

Pilots kept a close eye on the navigation systems, each ready to intervene should it become necessary. Slowly but surely, seven shuttles made it to the surface and landed without detection.

The eighth shuttle: shuttle six, met with the earth atmosphere and bounced lightly before managing to break through, the angle not quite right. The heat of the entry tore at the fragile craft, managing to damage some parts of the heat shields. Alarms went off in the cockpit, the pilot struggling to cope with the data being fed to him from the computer. Deciding he didn't want to trust the artificial intelligence after the problems they'd been having, he took the yoke back and switched to manual control.

The systems were on line, the damage report showing the heat shields were barely holding together, some were starting to crack under the extreme pressure of the angle they'd come through at. In the belly of the craft, those in the back section were feeling the heat as the temperature began to rise. The fluid in the hydraulic lines started to bubble and then boil, the heat causing some of the lines to rupture.

The surface of the planet was fast approaching and the pilot started to hit various buttons, plying the engines to slow down and raising the wing flaps for more drag. The flaps began to move and then stopped as the hydraulic fluid spurted from split hoses. Engines screamed, the pilot desperately trying to slow them down and keep the craft level.

Wheel doors jammed, fuel lines started to rupture and all around was the oppressive heat. The belly of the shuttle began to glow, first orange, then yellow and finally white. The soldiers in the rear section were beyond help, the intense heat incinerating them within seconds.

The fuel tanks were scorched, the heat resistant material finally succumbing to the force of the flame and splitting. The gases that propelled the shuttle exploded, engulfing the shuttle in a ball of fiery red, blue, green and white flame. The large craft shattered, breaking into pieces ranging in size from a microchip to chunks that of a car.

The pieces rained down to cover the surface of the earth it had intended landing on in clumps. Parts scattered over a large area and setting small fires in their wakes.

Aboard shuttle one, the captain watched, helpless, as one of his fleet disintegrated before his eyes.

"My god," whispered the officer behind him and averted his eyes.

Lowering his own eyes, the captain said a silent prayer for the hundred odd souls on board.

###

[Satellite XRB 23 Surface]

Heavyarms limped into position in the belly of the shuttle. Once the mecha was in position, Trowa again began to power down the suit. With Heavyarms now in standby mode, Trowa allowed himself to slump in his harness. Emerald eyes closed and he let go a soft sigh of both relief and pain.

Drawing on what little strength he had remaining, he fumbled with the harness, the muscles of his left shoulder complaining loudly with the effort. After a couple of futile attempts, he gave up and let his head slip back. He closed his eyes and fought to stay conscious.

"Another one bites the dust," muttered Wufei as he sent another Orion to oblivion. Spinning Shenlong around, he raised the trident and took out another suit. A beam rifle shot caught the Gundam in the upper leg and knocked it off balance. Wufei did his best to bring forth the dragon arm to fight off his attacker when a slice of green fire tore through the suit and split it in half, revealing a gold and black Sandrock directly behind.

"Thanks, Winner," Wufei breathed.

"No problem, Wufei." Quatre turned and with a spin of the shotels, sliced through another suit. "To quote Duo: Are we there yet?" Quatre asked as he paused the large mecha and took a look around.

"I think we might be," replied Wufei. "Zechs, can you see any more of the assholes?"

"Scanning now." Zechs watched the screen carefully. "All clear," he announced with a sigh.

"Thank Allah for that," came Quatre's soft tone.

Wufei took a moment to take a look around the satellite surface. Scattered as far as the eye could see were the remains of Barton's mobile suits. Wufei gave a soft sigh. Quatre also took a look at the carnage left behind and noted that the majority of the decimated suits still had the cockpit intact and that gave him a small measure of comfort. The death toll could have been a lot larger.

Here and there the pair could see a pilot scrambling from his suit and hightailing it back across the surface towards the sanctuary of the domes.

Yes, the loss of life could have been a lot greater.

"Let's return to the shuttle and take stock," Wufei stated.

"Roger that, Fire. Right behind you." Quatre was fidgeting in his harness with his need to get back to the shuttle and check on his husband.

"Wind, do you copy?"

"Wind here, Fire."

"Agent Space and I are returning to the hold. Once we are inside could you close the hold and re pressurize. Once the all clear is given we will extract Agent Air from his suit."

"Roger that, Fire. Will be on standby and awaiting your confirmation."

"Fire out."

"Wind out."

The two large mecha picked their way across the landscape and found the ramp to the shuttle. Quatre had to remind himself to take it easy as he walked Sandrock up the ramp and into its place beside Heavyarms. He reached forth with his empathy and gasped as he felt the pain and lethargy rolling off his husband. Fingers flew over the console as he powered down the suit. "Thank you, Sandrock," he whispered and ran a loving hand over the controls. Was it his imagination or did the suit's console glow just a touch in response?

Wufei brought Shenlong up the ramp and into its resting place. Powering his suit down, he also sent a silent prayer to Nataku for keeping them relatively safe. "Suits are in position, Zechs."

"Roger that. Closing ramp now." Zechs had switched the shuttle's weapons to standby and flipped the switch to close the ramp to the cargo bay. Steadily the hydraulics brought the ramp up and sealed it off from the outside atmosphere.

"Trowa?" Quatre opened the comm link to Heavyarms. "Trowa? Are you okay?"

A soft groan came back down the unit. "I've been better."

"Hang on, Trowa. Won't be long and we will have you out of there."

"I suppose asking for a long vacation on a remote beach is too much?"

Quatre laughed. If Trowa still had his sense of humor then he wasn't too badly off. "I'll see what I can do."

"Cargo bay sealed. Starting depressurization now." Zechs pushed a few buttons on the console and the cargo bay began to even up the pressure. Gases hissed out as the shuttle hummed softly

"Pressure equalized," came Zechs' soft voice. "All clear to exit Gundams. I'm on my way."

Quatre wasted no time. The hatch to Sandrock hissed open, the blonde quick to release himself from his harness and grab the wire. He shot to the ground, landing next to the foot of the large mecha and was instantly running towards Heavyarms.

Alongside him, Wufei was similarly exiting Shenlong. "Barton! Open the hatch," Wufei yelled.

Hearing the communications and Wufei's yell, Trowa managed to lean forward and release the hatch. He also had the thought to send the wire down.

Grabbing the handhold of the wire, Quatre shot up and landed on the open hatch, immediately releasing that wire for Wufei to follow. He stepped inside the cockpit and took his first proper look at his husband. "Oh, Allah," he cried and reached forward to undo the harness.

Trowa was looking pretty banged up. Dried blood was on the side of his face, matting his bang. The tall man held his shoulder at a slight angle indicating how sore the muscles were. Bruises were here and there and Trowa's right foot was sitting at an awkward angle.

"It's okay, I'm here, Trowa," Quatre whispered and pressed a tender kiss to his love's lips.

"Hurts" whispered Trowa. The tall youth gave into the pain. He didn't care if he sounded petulant, he deserved a little fussing over and he knew Quatre would do just that.

"Come on, let's get him out of here," Wufei stated.

Between the pair of them they managed to get Trowa out of the pilot's seat and to the hatch. With Trowa's good arm across Wufei's shoulders, Quatre had the injured one tucked against the Latin's side and wrapped his arm around Trowa's waist to support him. Zechs appeared below and motioned for them to send the injured pilot down.

"Can you hang onto the wire?" Quatre asked.

"Yeah, I can manage," replied Trowa and did his best to half hop, half limp to where the wire was waiting. Putting his good arm through the hold, he managed to take his weight on it and the wire lowered him steadily to the ground where Zechs was waiting.

"I've got him," stated Zechs and pulled the youth's hand and arm from the hold so as to send the wire back up for the other two.

Moments later, Wufei and Quatre were both on the ground.

"Status?" questioned Wufei.

"Injured?" replied Trowa.

Wufei gave a low growl. "I know that. What is the damage?"

"At a guess, I'd say the ankle is fractured, shoulder muscles torn and one hell of a headache."

"Good."

"Good?" questioned Quatre. "How the heck can that be good?"

"He's just told us the exact same injury list as earlier, that means no concussion."

"Ah."

"Come on, let's get him to the medical bay and sort him out. I'm expecting Heero and Duo to make contact again shortly," Zechs told them.

With Trowa supported between the three of them, they made a slow procession to the medical bay.

###

[Satellite XRB 23 Main Dome]

Duo waved for Heero to slow down, Heero flattening himself against the side of the corridor and slipping into a doorway.

"What is it?"

"Control room up ahead."

"Aa."

"Plan of attack?" Duo asked.

"Not sure."

Duo rolled his eyes. "Great, just great. Looks like we're flying by the seat of our pants again," he muttered.

tbc...


	95. Chapter 95

**Thank you for reading and warm hugs for the kind feedback!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 95

[Preventer Shuttle 221]

Once Trowa was safely in the medical bay, Zechs took over.

"I'll take a look at Trowa first and then I'll treat you two for any injuries. Help him onto the bed," he ordered, Quatre and Wufei quickly assisted the Latin. "Remove his boots and undo the top of his flight suit," Zechs said from where he was investigating the contents of the supply cupboard.

"I'll take the boots," Wufei stated with a small blush.

"No problem." Quatre moved to his husband's side. "I need to remove your flight suit so Zechs can check you over," he told Trowa. "Wufei will take off your boots."

"Okay." Trowa shifted a little.

Carefully, Quatre began to undo the catches and then lower the zipper to the flight suit. The material was clingy, wanting to stay stuck to Trowa's skin. The suits had to be that way in order for the pilot to function with minimal hindrance.

Quatre decided it would probably be easier if he could get the suit off Trowa's good arm first, that way he'd have a little more material to work with when removing the sleeve from the injured arm. He did his best to work the sleeve off, but Trowa still winced and the occasional moan escaped even though he grit his teeth. "I'm sorry," Quatre murmured. "I'm not trying to hurt you."

"I know."

"Zechs? Is there any morphine in that supply kit?" Quatre asked.

Wufei froze. Slowly his onyx eyes raised themselves and he darted a glance at Winner first, then Barton.

A brief flash of amusement passed through emerald as Trowa caught the silent question. Knowing how Quatre reacted to morphine and the experiences Wufei had gone through with the blonde 'under the influence' Trowa could hardly blame the man for his look of fear.

"Don't worry, Wufei. Morphine doesn't have that effect on me," he whispered.

Wufei gave a soft sigh of relief and visibly relaxed.

Zechs stepped over, a phial and syringe in hand. "Yes, there is. I'll give him a shot of the morphine now. It should start to work in a few minutes." With the syringe now containing the drug, Zechs located a vein close to Trowa's wrist as he couldn't access his arm as yet, and injected the drug.

Tossing the used items into the trash and the needle into the sharps container, Zechs stepped back and observed the pilot closely. Within a couple of minutes he noticed the eyes starting to take on a glassy look and knew the drug was working. "Okay, I think you can continue now."

Gently, Quatre managed to get the left arm free then he had a little more room to work with and removed the right arm, Trowa only crying out in pain once.

With the flight suit now removed from Trowa's arms and pushed down to encompass his torso, Wufei set about getting the boot off. He managed to remove the boot from the uninjured foot and then turned his attention to the other one. Releasing the zipper and catch from the side of the boot, he took it firmly in both hands and began to try and work it off Trowa's foot.

"Ow!"

"Sorry." Wufei studied the boot and ankle again before attempting to remove it once more. Doing his best to keep the foot still, he pulled lightly.

"Fuck, Chang! You trying to remove my entire foot?" Trowa cried out.

"I'm sorry, I'm not doing this on purpose," Wufei huffed. "I have to get the boot off before the ankle swells too much."

"Let me try," Zechs said and stepped forward. Wufei moved to the side, happy for Zechs to have a go at removing the boot. Taking the heel in one hand and the toe in the other, Zechs did his best to manipulate the boot off the injured foot.

"Shit! Fucking hell!" Trowa cursed as white hot pain lanced up his calf and through his ankle.

"Trowa! Watch your language!" Quatre snapped.

"Ouch, Ohhh, but that really hurts," Trowa hissed, his voice dripping with sarcasm, teeth gritted against the waves of pain.

"There's no need for that, either," Quatre sniffed.

Zechs barely managed to hold the snicker.

"It bloody well hurts!" Trowa protested.

"I'll give you a little more morphine," said Zechs in an attempt to diffuse the situation and also get the boot off.

"Is that wise?" Quatre questioned.

"I don't care if it is or it isn't, just give me the damn pain killers," Trowa growled. The pain in his ankle was intensifying with the attempts to remove the boot and if they were insisting they remove it, then Trowa wanted all the assistance he could get to handle the pain. He wasn't a wimp by any means, but he couldn't see the logic in suffering any more than he had to if there was something he could have to lessen the pain.

Zechs prepared another injection, careful to make sure the amount was still within the maximum dose range allowed and sent the drug into Trowa's blood stream. After a couple of minutes, he ventured forth to see how his patient was feeling. "Pain starting to go?" he asked. "I really need to get that boot off as soon as possible; I'll have to cut it off otherwise."

Clouded emerald looked at the tall blonde. Trowa swayed a little on the bed. "Did anyone ever tell you, you're a striking looking man, Zechs?"

There was stunned silence.

Trowa spoke again, his voice taking on a dreamy tone. "Yes, you're quite handsome. All that long, lovely hair, gorgeous blue eyes..." Trowa swallowed and let his eyes rake over the tall form of Zechs who was turning an interesting shade of red. "Oh, and that body..." Trowa licked his lips.

A discrete cough came from the side.

"Mmm... That body," Trowa continued, completely oblivious to anyone or anything other than his own ramblings, the morphine coursing through his system loosening his tongue and sending his brain into a world of dreams. "I'll bet you taste just as good as you look." The monologue was brought to a halt as a hand waved itself in front of Trowa's face.

"Excuse me. Remember me? Your husband?" Quatre stated in a flat tone. Clearly he was _not_ amused.

Clouded emerald turned and locked onto the body of his lover. "Ohhh, another blonde, cute too." A soft sigh left Trowa's lips. "I have a thing for blondes," he told Wufei, turning to look the Chinese agent in the eyes. "Not that you're not hot, you are; all that golden skin, black locks and exotic features."

"TROWA!"

"Huh?" Trowa turned to face his husband once more.

"May I remind you that _I_ am the one _you_ are married to, not chopped liver." Quatre's tone was quite strong as he voiced his annoyance.

"But of course my little snuggle bunny," Trowa said as he again swayed slightly on the bed, eyes drifting in and out of focus.

The tips of Quatre's ears turned red.

"Snuggle bunny?" Wufei whispered.

"If you value your life, don't ask," Quatre growled in a low tone.

"Nothing wrong with appreciating another male body. Especially ones that are this hot, as long as I look but don't touch," Trowa continued to waffle. "Don't be jealous my Tinkerbell, you are still the number one blonde for me." He added a few smooching sounds to the dialogue and caused Quatre to turn beet red.

"I've got it off," Zechs said to which three sets of eyes turned in question towards him. "Um, the boot," he clarified and held Trowa's boot up high for them all to see.

Two relieved sighs and one soft thump were his reply. Trowa toppled back onto the bed, his eyes closed.

"Is he okay?" asked Wufei.

"He'd better be, I fully intend to rip him a new one when he comes around," Quatre stated in a tone that clearly said he wasn't joking.

"I think he's just passed out for a moment from the pain and the amount of morphine in his system," Zechs supplied. "Can someone give me a hand, please?"

"Hopefully, for the sake of his health he will stay under for quite some time," Quatre muttered.

"I thought he said morphine didn't affect him?" Wufei questioned as he held the ankle for Zechs to examine.

"No, he said it didn't affect him the same way it affects me," Quatre replied. "Usually Trowa is fine with morphine, it must have been the extra amount. If he does have too much he tends to get... shall we say, a little amorous and free with his comments?"

At hearing those words, Wufei turned his attention back to Zechs as his mind went into overdrive. "Merquise, can you hurry it up and do what's necessary for him, we need to get into the Dome and assist Agents Night and Day." Wufei really didn't want to be anywhere around Barton when he woke up, in fact, he'd rather be as far away as possible until the morphine was completely out of the Latin's system. Somehow, seeing Barton, who was a normally quiet man, suddenly turning into a sex kitten sprouting all sorts of endearments was not what he really wanted to witness – it was almost as bad as Winner and his button and switch fetish. Wufei shuddered.

"Hold your horses, Chang. I'm almost done in my preliminary examination," Zechs replied as he continued to poke and prod gently around. Straightening his back after a minute or so, Zechs looked at the other two. "Without x-rays I can't be completely certain the ankle isn't fractured. I'm pretty sure the shoulder is just strained and the blow to the head looks worse than it actually is. I'll strap the ankle for now and also the shoulder. The head wound needs to be cleaned but I think we will get away without having to stitch it." Zechs paused for a moment. "I'll strap everything that needs to be strapped and then leave you to clean the head wound, Quatre. Wufei and I really need to get into the Dome to assist the other agents."

Quatre nodded. "That's fine with me."

"Good. I'll get started now." He turned to Chang. "I intend to check you too," he said.

"Me? I'm fine," sniffed Wufei.

"You might say you are, but I distinctly noticed a very slight limp when you were helping Trowa."

Wufei turned a little red. "I took a whack to my knee but I'm not compromised," he stated stubbornly.

"No one is saying you are. I just want to check it and make sure you won't do any further damage. The longer you argue with me, the longer it will be before we can assist Heero and Duo. I will not allow you to continue on without being assessed first," Zechs informed, equally as stubborn.

"Fine." Wufei glared. "But hurry up."

Zechs hid the smile and fetched the items he would need.

Ten minutes later, Trowa's ankle was firmly bound and an ice pack in place. His shoulder was similarly wrapped and all through the procedure, the Latin had remained semi- conscious, only embarrassing Quatre once with his outspoken endearments, much to the blonde's relief.

Zechs checked Wufei's knee and found a bruise and swelling making its presence known. He dealt quickly with it, strapping Chang's knee so it was supported but wouldn't interfere with the agent's mobility. Satisfied he'd done all he could for the moment, he stood and addressed the agents.

"Chang, you and I will head for the Dome, locate and join Night and Day. Winner, I want you to stay here with Barton, clean the head wound and once he's stable I want a full diagnostics check on the shuttle and Gundams. All damage is to be noted and repair what you can. We're going to need this bucket of bolts to get the Gundams back to earth. I'll also leave you some pills for Barton to help keep the pain to a minimum – and they're not morphine based," he added quickly when he saw the look on Quatre and Wufei's faces.

Both Quatre and Wufei nodded.

"Good. Chang, do you still have your palm top with you?"

"Yes."

"Bring it; we will need it to locate the other two. Grab a couple of communicators whilst you're at it and a few sets of handcuffs. I'll meet you back here in five minutes. I'm going to the cockpit to contact Heero and find out where they are. I'll also put in a call to HQ and ask them to have Une report to communications. Winner, I'll leave you to fill the Commander in completely on the status to date. Also, see what you can find out in regards to Barton's army, if it's arrived yet and what their status is."

"Roger that," Quatre replied and took another glance at his half-awake husband. Trowa seemed to be settling a bit better now.

"Good. Let's move out, agents."

Zechs departed for the cockpit, Wufei disappeared to get his palm top, handcuffs and communicators that Zechs had requested whilst Quatre fetched a bowl of warm water and sprinkled a liberal amount of antiseptic in it.

Setting the bowl down next to his lover, Quatre picked up the piece of gauze, dipped it into the liquid and then brushed Trowa's bang back out of the way. Then he began to swab.

"Ow, that stings!" Trowa protested as he was jolted from his fantasy world of blonde hair and gorgeous bodies.

"Stop being such a wimp and act like a man my little angel cake..."

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 Control Room]

Barton was not happy. In fact, he was downright pissed off. His suits were taking a hammering and he hadn't heard from Sampson and the others for a while. Pulling his eyes away from the carnage on the screen, he turned to locate Craven. Spotting the man by a console, he opened his mouth. "Craven!"

Craven almost wet himself when he heard his name barked out. "Sir?"

"What is going on with Sampson and the others? Have they caught those two bastards yet?"

Swallowing hard, Craven looked at Simons who promptly shrugged his shoulders. "I don't get paid enough to play with lions," Simons stated.

"Thanks," muttered Craven before taking a deep breath and deciding it would be best to just get this over with. Turning to face his boss, Craven began to speak, doing his best to keep his voice from shaking. "Ah, we have a slight problem with the intercepting party."

Barton raised an eyebrow. "Slight problem?" he asked, the anger simmering in his voice. "What sort of a _slight _problem?"

"Well, you see, we've only just managed to pick up on the party, sir; and they're... errr... that is..."

"Craven..." Barton's voice was low and dangerous.

"The patrol is incapacitated, sir." The words left Craven's mouth in a rush.

"Incapacitated? What the hell are you rabbiting on about?"

"We can't tell if they're dead or injured – sir."

Simons ducked for cover under his console as he felt the tension in the room shoot up.

"Dead or injured? What the hell do you mean by that sort of statement? Where? How?" Barton spun around and charged across the room. "You were supposed to be following them with the cameras, alerting them to where those pair of ass wipes are," Barton thundered.

"I was, sir," Craven squeaked in his own defense. "It took a few minutes to bring the cameras up and then locate where they were. By that stage it was too late."

Barton shoved the tech aside from the console and stared at the screen. His mouth was set in a grim line. "Zoom it in," he ordered.

"I don't kno-"

"I said, zoom it in," Barton repeated, his tone icy.

"Ah, yes, sir. Right away, sir." Craven took up the console again and did his best to get the camera to zoom in closer and still keep some reasonable focus. "That's the best I can do, sir."

"Zaheer, get over here," Barton ordered.

The hulking man stepped out of the shadows and across the room to stand beside his boss. He stared at the screen, face impassive as he took in the sight.

"Well?" Barton demanded.

"This is what happens when you send incompetent fools to do a man's job," Zaheer sneered. "I'd say that Sampson is wounded, Tewson looks like he's still breathing, but the other two..." Zaheer peered closer. "Most likely dead, _sir_."

Barton's temper was beginning to get the better of him, his eyes turned hard as he listened to the voice of Zaheer. "If I wanted a lecture, I would have asked for one," he snapped. "Just remember who you are talking to, Zaheer." With the large man suitably put in his place, Barton turned to Craven again. "I want to know exactly where the group is."

"Of course." Craven fiddled with the console for a moment. "They are in corridor eight, sector thirteen, section J in Dome one," Craven rattled off.

Barton stared off into the distance, a thoughtful look on his face. "Bring up the blueprints of the Dome," he ordered. Turning to Zaheer, he spoke, "I think it's safe to say they are obviously on their way here."

"Brilliant deduction," Zaheer whispered under his breath.

"Blueprints are up," Craven informed and Barton turned back to the console screen.

"This is where Sampson is," he stated and pointed to a spot on the map. "And this is where we are," he continued and pointed to another place on the map. "We are in section M, sector seven which means they are only a couple of sections away. Hmmm..."

Zaheer waited patiently. He knew what would be coming and he could barely hold the smirk.

"Zaheer, take Matthews with you and stand guard outside the control room door. Do not let anyone in at all."

The smirk intensified. "As you wish." He turned and faced Matthews, giving the other man a nod.

Matthews removed his gun from the holster and checked the clip, leaving the safety on for the moment. "All set," he told Zaheer.

With his own gun in hand, Zaheer started to move towards the control room door, Barton's parting words halting him for a moment.

"Kill them, Zaheer. I don't care how you do it, just kill them."

Zaheer gave a nod, the glint in his eye telling how pleased he was with that order and that it was one he was really looking forward to carrying out. The thought of taking down that long haired nuisance warmed him and he fully intended to make the man pay. Yes, Zaheer would have his revenge, he would be sure to make that bastard's last minutes alive hell on earth. By the time Zaheer was done, that freak would be begging for his death.

With Matthews by his side, Zaheer and the other man stepped out of the control room and into the corridor.

# # #

[Shuttle 221 Cockpit]

"Agent Day, this is Wind, do you copy?"

"Copy, Wind."

Zechs heaved a sigh of relief. "Mission status?"

"All still go ahead. Night and myself have had a slight altercation with four of Barton's henchmen since leaving the senators. We assume they were out to locate us."

"What happened?"

Heero gave Zechs a brief outline of their encounter with Sampson and the group. "Two are confirmed dead, the other two are unconscious and injured, nothing immediately life threatening."

"That's a relief," Zechs said with a touch of sarcasm. "Need I remind you that Une wants them alive."

"I know that, Wind and we did everything possible to incapacitate and not kill. One was shot by their own group."

"Really?"

"I'll put it all in a report later. Right now we don't have the time."

"What is yours and Night's status?"

"Minor injuries, mainly cuts and scrapes." Heero just managed to stop himself from adding his husband's pregnancy to the list. "Both still functional although Duo does have a nasty bullet crease to the hip."

Zechs heard what sounded like a growl and several curse words directed at Day. "What is your location?" he asked and ignored Duo's background sniping.

"On our way to the control room. We should be a couple of corridors away."

"Roger that. Agent Fire and myself are coming in to assist you. All mobile suits have been taken out; Space and Air are remaining in the shuttle. Air has some minor injuries and a happy disposition. Space is okay and taking care of him; both will check the shuttle and effect any necessary repairs they can whilst we are coming in to back you up."

"Happy disposition?" Heero questioned.

"Never mind, I'll tell you later. Fire and I are on our way now. Will contact again soon. Wind, out."

"Roger, Wind. Day out."

Zechs placed a quick call to Preventer Headquarters and requested Une's presence in the communications room for Quatre to speak with as soon as was possible. His communications taken care of, Zechs departed the cockpit and headed back to the medical bay and Wufei.

# # #

[Outside Corridor to the Control Room]

Heero ducked into the alcove, his comm unit beeping softly. Reaching for it, he answered the call. A couple of minutes later he tucked it back into the pocket of his flight suit. "Fire and Wind are on their way to join us and should be here soon. Air and Space are remaining at the shuttle and repairing any and all damage that they can. Suits have all been taken out," he informed his partner.

Duo breathed a soft sigh of relief, then switching his mind back to the present situation, he rounded on his lover.

"I can't believe that you haven't got something planned," Duo berated his lover as they hid as best they could in the alcove.

Heero glared at Duo. "Why does it always have to be me that comes up with the plan?"

"You were the one that came here with the orders from Une to locate and arrest Barton."

"That still doesn't answer my question," Heero returned.

Duo gave a long suffering sigh. "Look, we can argue about the planning, or lack of, later, right now we need to figure something out. We can't exactly waltz in there and demand Barton to give himself up."

"True. We don't know how many are in there, if they are armed or not and if so, how many are armed and how many are just the grunt or tech staff. Une was quite specific about avoiding casualties wherever we can. She wants as many alive to stand trial as possible."

"I'm all for avoiding killing anyone if we can. What did she say about injuring, inflicting non- fatal wounds, maiming?" Duo's eyes held a glint to them as he spoke.

Heero knew that look and raised an eyebrow. "Nothing, why?"

"Oh, there's just a certain person or two I'd like to settle a score with. As long as Une doesn't mind them being a little banged up then I'm happy to comply to a point." Duo's eyes darkened as Shinigami appeared for a moment. "But I'm telling you now, Heero, there is one person, and if I see him, all bets are off."

Heero nodded. "I understand. There are a few people I'd rather see six feet under, but whether that happens will remain to be seen," he growled.

"Okay, buddy. We're agreed then. Now, next thing is how the hell do we get in there?"

Blue eyes darkened as Heero thought about that.

"Shh… I hear something," Duo suddenly said and flattened himself into the alcove.

Heero followed suit, keeping himself out of sight and silent. He watched as his partner slowly inched his head forward and took a peek around the edge of the alcove, only to pull his head back sharply. Duo turned to face Heero and the Japanese man saw the unholy fire that was Shinigami sparking in those purple depths. "What is it?" he whispered.

"You remember me telling you about that person that if I saw them all bets were off on?"

"Hai."

"He just stepped out of the control room and into the corridor."

# # #

tbc...


	96. Chapter 96

**Thank you for reading and for the kind comments. The feedback is very much appreciated.**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 96

[Preventer Communications]

"Roger that, Agent Wind. I will have the Commander report here as soon as possible. Preventer communications, out." Oak sat back in his chair.

"What's up?" Forest asked from where he was sitting across the room at another console.

"I need to get the Commander to come up here. The agents on the satellite will be calling in again soon with an update on the status of things out there."

"Ah. You want me to page her?"

"If you could. I'm a little busy here with all this monitoring."

"No problem." Forest pushed a couple of buttons on his console and spoke into the small microphone attached to his headset.

"Commander Une's office."

"It's Agent Forest here from communications. I need to speak with the Commander."

"One moment, Forest, I'll see if I can get her for you."

Forest waited for a couple of minutes, then the Commander's voice came over the unit.

"Forest? What is happening?"

"Commander. Agent Wind contacted us a few minutes ago and requested you attend the communications room as soon as you can. Agent Space will be calling in soon with an update on the status of things on the satellite."

"I'm on my way."

The line went dead.

"What did she say?" Oak asked.

"She's on her way," replied Forest.

"Good." Oak turned back to his monitoring.

# # #

[Earth near the ESUN]

"What the hell is that?"

"It looks like a shuttle."

"What is it doing?"

"Oh, fuck! I'd say it's about to break up."

The mob turned their eyes skyward where the object in question was glowing white hot. Suddenly it exploded in a bright ball of red, orange and yellow flame.

"Run! Run for your lives!" someone screamed and the people scattered as debris rained down upon them.

Chunks of molten metal, twisted pieces of a once proud shuttle fell from the sky, hammering the earth and anything that was unlucky enough to be caught in its path. Fires broke out where fuel was available to ignite and quickly took hold.

"Oh, god! It's the end of the earth!" people screamed as they ran and hid.

A pair of eyes watched the demise of the shuttle; and also noted the safe landing of several others. Having seen enough, the agent melted back into the shadows and headed for safety to make a call.

[Preventer Communications]

Oak was only half listening to the few transmissions that were currently taking place. His mind was so focused on waiting for the one transmission he knew was coming that he nearly missed the static hiss of something trying to make contact.

"Prev... age... copy?"

Oak sat bolt upright in his chair and jammed the headset on tighter. "This is Preventer Communications, your signal is weak, please identify."

"Ag.. Sapph..."

"Agent, I'll try to get a better fix on your signal." Oak began to fiddle with the dial, finally managing to get a reasonable lock on the signal. "Try again, agent."

"This is Agent Sapphire. Can you read me okay?"

"Sapphire, this is Oak. I copy you clearly, although the signal is still weak."

"I have some information I think the Commander should hear."

"What information?" barked Une as she walked into the communications room and headed straight for Oak.

"Ah, Commander. This communication has just come in from Agent Sapphire," Oak informed.

Une took a seat next to Oak and grabbed a headset. "Agent Sapphire, this is Commander Une. What information do you have?"

"Commander, I'm not far from the ESUN headquarters. Several shuttles have landed nearby at an old, disused Alliance shuttle port."

"Are you certain of this, Sapphire?"

"Yes, ma'am. There was a large explosion, one shuttle disintegrated upon approach, that's what caught my attention first; then I spotted the others."

"How many?"

"I'm not sure. I'd say about six. I didn't hang around for long, the debris was a little on the hard side to dodge and several fires have started up in the surrounding area as a result of the falling debris."

"I see." Une closed her eyes for a moment as she thought. "Agent Sapphire, are you alone or do you have other agents in the area with you?"

"I'm alone, ma'am. I was on an assignment when everything went haywire."

"Okay. Sapphire, disregard your previous assignment for now. I want you to get as close to that shuttle port as possible and monitor what is going on there. When you can, send through coordinates and keep me informed as to what is happening."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good luck, agent. Report back in once you are within range of the port."

"Roger that. Ma'am? Forgive my forwardness, but what is it with these shuttles?"

"If my assumption is correct, Sapphire, these shuttles are carrying Barton's troops that have come to continue on what his Firecell started."

"Shit."

"Yes, we will be neck deep in it if we don't do something about them, that's why I need you to return and monitor their activities."

"Ah, yes, ma'am. Sorry about that."

Une gave a small chuckle. "Commander Une, out."

"Sapphire, out."

Une set the headset down and turned to Oak who was watching wide eyed. "I need to know the instant Sapphire calls back in. This information is of extreme importance."

"Of course, Commander."

"Good. Forest?"

"Yes, Commander?"

"Fetch me a cup of tea please."

"Tea? I thought you usually drank coffee?"

"I do, but any more of it and I think I'll be looking like a coffee bean."

Forest held the snicker. "Right away, Commander."

# # #

[Preventer Shuttle 121]

"There, all done," Quatre said and dropped the gauze back into the bloodied water in the bowl. "I don't think it will need stitches but I'd like Sally to take a look at it when she can. I'll cover it for now." Quatre reached for the tube of antiseptic cream and smeared a little out. As gently as he could he applied it to the cut just below Trowa's hairline.

"Ouch," Trowa supplied.

"Wuss," came Quatre's reply. Completely ignoring any further complaints, he picked up a piece of dry gauze, covered the wound and then place a large piece of sticking plaster over the top. "That will have to do for now."

Trowa looked up with wide, green eyes and a soulful expression on his face. "Aren't you going to kiss it better for me?" he asked.

Shaking his head, Quatre leaned close and pressed a gentle kiss to the sticking plaster. "There, all better."

"Thanks." Trowa's eyes began to slide closed.

"Oh no you don't," Quatre informed him. "Come on, you need to come to the cockpit with me. I have to contact Une and report in with the status here. Then we need to run a complete diagnostics check on the shuttle and the Gundams, find out the damage and see what we can do about fixing it."

"But I'm injured," protested Trowa. True, he was injured, but the morphine had taken care of the pain – in fact, Trowa just wanted to curl up in a ball and sleep; forget all the fighting, forget all the shit that was currently going on around him and with any luck, when he woke up it would all be over and done with.

"Sorry, that's out of the question. I know you're injured and I'd like nothing more than to tuck you up in bed to rest, recover and heal, but that isn't an option at the moment. We have a world to save."

"Let Heero do it," came the grouchy reply.

"I'll ignore that," Quatre stated and then fixed his lover with a stern look. "Come on, up you get and come with me."

Muttering several things under his breath such as 'Why _can't_ Heero do it? He's done it before', Trowa levered himself off the bed and with an arm around the blonde's shoulder for support, hobbled through the shuttle to the cockpit.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 Surface]

Having slipped their helmets on, Zechs passed Wufei a hand gun, several clips and a couple of knives. "We will need to remain alert whilst getting from the shuttle to the satellite's hangar. Although I'm sure most of those suit pilots will have already made it back to the Dome, there is the chance that there are some still out there and we don't know if they're packing any firepower."

Wufei nodded and took the weapons, tucking them away safely in the many pockets of the flight suit.

"All set?"

"Yes." Wufei patted the breast pocket to double check the palm top was still safely there.

"Let's go then." Zechs pushed the button and the door opened. The pair stepped inside, the door closed and they waited patiently for the pressure to equalize with that of the satellite.

The outside door opened and the pair glanced around before Zechs waved them forward. Stepping out, Chang took a look around. Carnage was everywhere. Suits lay broken, dismembered or completely twisted into chunks of distorted metal wherever they looked. As Zechs had presumed, most of the pilots that were lucky to survive the battle had escaped their cockpits and scrambled back to the safety of the satellite Dome.

There would be some, trapped and helpless that remained and Wufei could only hope they weren't armed or still able to use their suit's weapons to take them out. Keeping alert, he followed Zechs through the wreckage and towards the hangar.

Unfortunately, as they passed through the battlefield they were bound to come across some pilots that hadn't been so lucky. Wufei wasn't one to normally be affected by death, but this time, he couldn't help it. He spotted several bodies lying amongst the mangled suits, some not recognizable as being human. He shuddered and sent a silent prayer to Nataku to look after their souls.

"Such a waste," he heard Zechs whisper as they passed the body of a pilot who would have been no more than twenty.

"The hangar entry should be up ahead and to the right," Wufei informed, distracting them both from the carnage.

"Roger that," Zechs replied.

The hangar drew closer, Wufei guiding them to the entry point. Once they reached it, Zechs scanned around with the heat seeking instrument. "There's an indication of a few people over to the left side," he told Wufei.

"Right. I suggest we slip in here and keep low. The depressurization chamber is over that way."

"Okay." Zechs began to move forward, slinking through the entry and keeping to the shadows, using anything they could to hide behind.

The pair could see the impressive forms of Wing and Deathscythe standing to the side of the hangar and lucky for them, that's where all the people currently in the hangar were congregated.

Wufei gave a soft snort. "Good luck to them trying to get into either Gundam," he said. Wufei knew that both Gundams would be secured and there would be no way anyone other than the pilot would be able to get inside.

"At least it's keeping them distracted," Zechs said in an amused tone.

With the focus of the people on the Gundams, slowly but surely Zechs and Wufei made their way around the perimeter and located the depressurization chamber. Fortunately it was empty.

Checking the area again, the pair slipped inside and closed the door. It took just a few seconds for the pressure to equalize and the pair cautiously made their way out and into the Dome.

"We can hide our helmets over here," Wufei informed and led Zechs to the spot where they had hidden their helmets on their previous visits to the Dome. Wufei couldn't help but smile when he spotted Yuy's and Maxwell's helmets there too.

"Okay, bring up the map of the Dome on the palm top please," Zechs requested.

Wufei pushed a few buttons and the blueprints were displayed on the small screen. "We are here," he stated and pointed to a spot on the map. Day and Night should be here according to their last transmission."

"Good, Now we need to plan the quickest route from here to there," Zechs said as he looked over Wufei's shoulder.

"Hmmm. I think we should go this way." Wufei traced a line through the map.

"Looks good to me," Zechs replied.

"Then let's head out." With the palm top in hand, Wufei moved forward, Zechs right with him.

# # #

[Preventer Shuttle 121]

Quatre managed to get them both to the cockpit and after settling Trowa into the copilot's seat, he took up residence in the pilot's seat. "Can you start running a diagnostics check on the shuttle while I call in to Une, please?" the blonde requested, slipping on a headset.

Trowa grunted but did as requested, logging into the computer and pulling up the program. Once he was set, he started it off, watching carefully as the various checks rolled across the screen.

Satisfied that his husband was okay with his task, Quatre flipped the communications switch and proceeded to call Headquarters.

"Preventer Communications, this is shuttle 121, Agent Space reporting in. Do you copy?"

"Agent Space, this is Preventer communications, Agent Oak here. We copy you."

"Oak, is Commander Une there, please?"

"Commander is here, Space. Putting her on line now."

"Space, this is Commander Une. What is going on up there? What is the status? Has Barton been arrested yet? Is everyone okay?"

Quatre did his best to hold back the chuckle, now was not the time to give in to mirth of any sort. Trowa wasn't so humble though – he gave another snort and shook his head.

"Commander, the mobile suits have all been destroyed or incapacitated. Agents Night and Day are currently inside the main Dome and working their way through to arrest Barton. Agents Wind and Fire have gone to join them and act as a back up. At the last contact we had, Day informed they have arrested two senators from the ESUN. They are currently still in the Dome and awaiting extraction. A minor skirmish has also occurred between Night, Day and some of Barton's men. I believe that two of these men are unfortunately deceased, the other two injured but alive."

Une growled softly. "I wanted as many of them alive as possible," she muttered.

"All agents are well aware of that order, Commander and are doing their best to incapacitate only; however, as you are aware, sometimes things go wrong," Quatre stated in defense of Heero and Duo.

A loud sigh came over the headset. "I know, Quatre, but I do want Barton alive to stand trial for his crimes."

"I understand that, Commander, and so do the others. They will be doing their best to bring him in alive."

"What is the status of the agents?"

"Wind and Space are okay. Agent Fire has minor injuries, Air is a little worse off although nothing life threatening. I'm not too sure about Day and Night. I do know that Duo was suffering from some injuries he received whilst in Barton's clutches, but since then a lot has happened and I've not been able to see either of them before they disappeared into the Dome."

"Roger that, Space. Try to do the best you can with medical treatment until you return when we can have Sally check you all over."

"Yes, Commander."

"What is the status of the shuttles and the Gundams?"

"Trowa is running a diagnostics check on the shuttle as we speak. That will be followed by one on the Gundams. At this point the Gundams all seem relatively okay, there is some minor damage to Sandrock and Shenlong, Heavyarms suffered a fair amount including severed hydraulics, as for Deathscythe and Wing, I don't know as they are inside the Dome hangar."

"I see. Okay, Space. Proceed as per the current instructions. Find out what damage there is to the shuttles and if they are capable of flying back to earth. Keep me updated on Night, Day and the others in relation to Barton. Once that man is arrested I want to know. When you have control of the satellite I will arrange for shuttles to be sent along with agents to bring Barton and his followers back here to earth to stand trial."

"Copy that, Commander," Quatre replied. "Have you heard anything at all in regards to the shuttles that Barton sent to the earth with his troops?"

"Actually, yes. I've not long had a field agent call in. Seems the shuttles have arrived and landed at an abandoned old Alliance shuttle port near the ESUN headquarters. One shuttle didn't make it though, it exploded during the entry phase."

"Oh, Allah," Quatre whispered.

"At the moment we are just monitoring them. There's far too many of them for Preventer to do anything about, even if we had the assistance of the police and army – that's providing we could even get out of headquarters."

"That doesn't sound good."

Une gave Quatre a brief rundown on the current situation, the riots, the risks and general state of the earth.

"Once we have Barton arrested I'm certain the rest of his followers will give in. Then we need to try and reverse this Firecell. If we can do that, then it shouldn't take much more to restore the peace back to the earth and the citizens."

"Good theory," muttered Trowa. Quatre gave his husband what he hoped was a strong glare.

"Well, good luck, Commander. I will be in touch again as soon as I have anything to report. Space out."

"Thank you, Space. Une out."

Quatre removed the headset and rubbed his aching temples. Closing his eyes for a moment he wondered what was going on inside the Dome and if he should try to contact Zechs or Duo to get an update. He decided against it though, they were most likely up to their necks and wouldn't appreciate a call from him. No, they would report in as soon as they had anything to report. Instead, he turned his attention to Trowa and the diagnostics program. "Anything yet?" he questioned.

Looking up from the screen, Trowa turned his green eyes on his partner. "Not much. So far there's only minor damage reporting in, things that won't affect the shuttle's capabilities of flying back to earth."

"That's good then."

"Yes, it is, but I'm only about an eighth of the way through the check list."

"Ah. Let's keep our fingers crossed that there's nothing serious come through."

"One can always hope."

"Will you be okay to continue on by yourself?"

"Why? You planning on going somewhere?" Trowa asked.

"I thought I'd head for the cargo hold and start running checks on the Gundams," Quatre replied.

"Okay. I'll be fine. Once I have the list completed I'll contact you."

"Good." Quatre got up and leaned across to his lover, pressing his lips against those of the Latin. "If you feel dizzy or anything starts to hurt, you let me know straight away."

"If I do can I expect more of this sort of nursing?" Trowa replied as he partook of his own kiss, deepening it and sliding his tongue into the Arabian's mouth.

When he was finally allowed up for air, Quatre's eyes were glassy, his cheeks flushed and breathing a little ragged. "Much more of that and I won't be able to leave your bedside," he panted.

Trowa snickered. "Hurry back, I think I'm going to have a relapse."

"I'll be more than happy to give you mouth to mouth."

Trowa groaned and despite the morphine in his system, he felt his nether regions starting to swell. Quatre also noticed and was barely able to stop himself from jumping his husband. It was with great strength of will he managed to pull away and leave the cockpit.

"I'll be back soon," he promised. "Then I'll _really_ take care of you."

"I'll hold you to that," Trowa replied and then turned back to the program on the computer.

Quatre headed for the cargo hold, determined to get the Gundams checked in record time.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 - Corridor outside the Control Room]

"Who just stepped out?" Heero asked, his voice a whisper as he tried to peer around his lover and the alcove to get a look.

Duo pushed him back. "There's two people just stepped out into the corridor. One is Matthews, he was one of the ones to kidnap me from Duric's lot."

Heero nodded. "The other?"

"The other... the hulking piece of shit; that's Zaheer."

"Who?"

"Zaheer. He's the fucking asshole responsible for making me do what I had to do. He's a sadistic bastard who loves to inflict pain. He's also Barton's right hand man." Duo's voice had turned icy as he spoke of the man that had caused him so much grief. "I swore I would kill the fucker if I got the chance."

"Remember what Une said..."

"Fuck, Une." Duo turned to face his husband and Heero had to blink. Gone was the normally gentle, kind Duo, the man he'd fallen in love with. The face he looked upon was hard, cold and calculating. Purple fire burned in those beautiful eyes and Heero knew his husband was gone, retreating somewhere into the depths of Duo's mind. Here he was looking into the face of a killer – the face of Shinigami.

"That bastard is mine and I fully intend to carry out the promise I made. He's a dead man."

Heero shuddered. He knew just how vengeful Shinigami could be, he'd seen Duo's alter ego enough times during the war and what he was capable of. But this time there was a difference. This time Duo was carrying another life inside him, his child; Duo's child. "Duo," Heero began, "Remember, you are most likely pregnant again. Don't put our baby at risk," he pleaded. "Let me handle this."

Duo pulled himself up to his full height and stared deep into Heero's eyes. "No. Zaheer is mine, I owe that prick and he's going to pay." The purple fire flickered for a moment and softened. Duo raised a hand and caressed Heero's cheek. "I won't forget about the baby and I won't let any harm come to it either," he promised. "But, Heero, I did tell you that if I saw this asshole that all bets were off. I'm taking him down."

Knowing there was nothing he could do to stop his partner short of knocking him unconscious, Heero nodded. "Be careful."

"I will. I love you." Duo sealed their lips together in a kiss borne of desire, love and determination.

"I love you too," Heero replied and ran a hand over Duo's belly. "Both of you."

Duo's eyes hardened again. He checked the clip in the gun and then pulled a couple of knives out from within his flight suit. Making sure his braid was tucked safely down the back of the suit, he took a deep breath then peered around the alcove.

Zaheer was on one side of the control room door, Matthews the other. Both men were glancing up and down the corridor and discussing something between themselves in low tones. With a maniacal grin on his face, Duo palmed one of the knives, peered around the alcove again and took aim.

With a flick of his wrist, the knife went sailing silently through the air.

tbc...


	97. Chapter 97

**Thank you to everyone for reading and warm hugs for the kind reviews!**

**Please note there is an extra warning on this chapter - major angst in the form of blood, gore and torment. Yes, this is the part you've been waiting for, at least one of them anyway.**

"Family Ties"

Chapter 97

January 2007 ShenLong

[Satellite XRB 23 - Corridor outside the Control Room]

Hearing a soft noise, Zaheer turned around, just as the knife curved through the air and embedded itself in his upper arm. The big man froze in shock, eyes traveling down to locate the source of his sudden pain. The hilt of the knife protruded from his bicep. "Fuck!" he snarled and grabbed the hilt, pulling the knife free.

"What?" Matthews started as he turned around upon hearing he expletive. His face paled, eyes widened and his stomach rebelled as he watched the large man pulling the knife from his upper arm. His gaze didn't linger for long though as a second knife came sailing through the air and picked his calf as its resting place.

Matthews went down like a sack of shit.

In the alcove, Duo watched as the second knife found its target. He gave an evil grin and ducked back out of sight.

Heero raised an eyebrow, knowing better than to peek around the alcove right now.

"Two direct hits," Duo whispered.

"They're not..."

"No, Heero. Both are still very much alive. I aimed to incapacitate, not kill. I want to have a bit more fun with the asshole before I kill him."

"What about the other one?"

"He's yours, you can do with him what you wish. I'm only interested in Zaheer. The other asshole that I had a promise to keep with; I've already dealt with him."

"Duo?"

Duo turned to look fully at Heero. "Duric. He was the main one in the band that originally kidnapped me. His boss, Nolen and he were the main ones that threatened Nurse Brown and Keitaro. When this lot came onto the scene, they killed Nolen. I took care of Duric when Wuffers, Tro and Quat turned up. My only regret is I didn't get the chance to make him suffer for what he put me through and for touching what was mine."

Heero knew better than to ask for further details, he'd get them later from one of the others, of that he was sure.

"Right now, I have a score to settle with this asshole. You can have the other one, I don't give a shit about him, but Zaheer, I want to take him down and apart piece by piece." The purple fire was back in those eyes as Duo spoke.

"Be careful," Heero whispered and checked his gun.

"I will." Duo claimed Heero's lips in a fierce kiss, one that promised his lover everything once this was over.

Breaking from the kiss, Heero nodded towards the corridor, Duo giving a nod back and taking a quick peek around the corner of the alcove.

Having pulled the knife from his arm, Zaheer looked at Matthews who dropped to the floor and noted the knife protruding from the man's calf. Quickly, he glanced down the corridor, trying to see where the weapons had come from and who had sent them. He had a pretty good idea.

Matthews was groaning on the floor, knife still embedded in his leg. He hadn't the same will as Zaheer to pull the thing free. "Shit, it fucking hurts."

"Pull it out then," Zaheer snapped as he pressed himself back against the door of the control room. It didn't do a lot to conceal his bulk, but it would make him less of a sitting target.

"No fucking way!" Matthews moaned.

"Then suffer, you wimp," Zaheer snarled.

"Where did it come from?" Matthews asked, looking around.

"Down that way. I'd say our long haired freak is hiding down there somewhere."

Matthews grunted. "I think I'm gonna pass out." Seconds later, he slumped to the floor, out cold.

Zaheer looked to the man lying unconscious in the corridor a pool of blood steadily forming around his leg. "No fucking backbone," he muttered and then turned his attention back to the corridor and his enemy. "I know it's you, Maxwell," he called out. "Why don't you come out and fight like a man, or are you too girly for that?" he taunted.

"I owe you, asshole," came Duo's reply. "But I'm not stupid enough to come out and let you pick me off."

Zaheer smiled to himself. The man did have a brain after all. But Zaheer did have a little bit of honor in him. Besides, to shoot the freak dead wasn't what he wanted to do. Sure he wanted to kill him, but Zaheer wanted to have a little fun first. "I am a man of my word and I promise you I will not shoot you if you step out. I would much prefer to settle this without guns."

"Duo," Heero warned. "I don't trust him."

"Neither do I," Duo replied. "I have no intention of simply stepping out there, Heero."

"I swear, I will not shoot you. I'd prefer to settle this one on one," Zaheer called.

"Hand to hand combat is what you're saying?" Duo shot back.

"Yes."

"Hmmm. Not that I'm opposed to that, in fact, it would suit me quite well to beat the shit out of you, but I don't believe you will keep your word and not shoot me the moment I step out," Duo called back.

"Then we are at a stale mate."

"Looks like it."

"Duo?" Heero hissed. "Is there another way to get to the other side of the corridor?"

Pausing in his verbal sparring match, Duo looked at his partner. "Why do you want to get on the other side?"

"I have an idea," Heero replied and filled Duo in.

Violet eyes sparkled. "Heero, have I told you lately how much I love you?"

"You may have just once or twice," Heero chuckled.

Duo pressed a passionate kiss to his lover's lips. "Here's how to get to the other end of the corridor..."

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 Dome Corridors]

"Careful," Wufei warned as the pair rounded another corner and he heard something up ahead.

Zechs pulled back and into a doorway, Wufei beside him. "What is it?"

"Not sure. I thought I heard something, although it wasn't all that intelligible."

Zechs strained his ears. "It sounds like it's coming form a couple of doors further up."

Both men pulled their guns out and checked the safeties were off before skulking down the corridor. As they drew closer to the door where Zechs thought he heard the noises coming from, so those noises grew a little louder.

"There's someone in there," Zechs whispered.

"I gathered that much," Wufei replied, the sarcasm in his voice hitting its mark.

Zechs glared. "They don't sound right though, sort of muffled," he stated.

"Didn't Maxwell say something about a couple of people they had left for us to collect?" Wufei questioned.

"I think you could be right." Zechs inched his way forward, closing the distance between himself and the doorway slowly but steadily. When he was close enough, he took a quick look inside, pulled back and barely held the snicker.

"What is it?" Wufei asked, his voice impatient.

"Take a look. It's quite safe," Zechs snickered.

With a puzzled frown on his face, Wufei snuck forth and took a peek. "Only Maxwell could be that ingenious," he sniffed.

Holstering their guns, the pair stepped into the room. Immediately they entered, the two men sitting inside began to make further sounds, obviously asking for something, but nothing understandable could be made out due to the sock gags they were both sporting.

"You got the handcuffs there?" Zechs asked as he studied the intricate knots of the cord cut from the drapes that had been used to tie the two men up.

"Here," Wufei said and passed over a pair. He kept the other pair for himself and locked them around the wrists of one of the men, something he thought the prisoner wasn't too happy about if the spluttering coming from the gag was anything to go by.

Once both men were secured, Zechs removed the sock from his prisoner's mouth, Wufei doing the same.

"I demand you release me immediately," Zechs' prisoner spat.

"I'm sorry, I can't do that," Zechs replied in his calm tone.

"Do you have any idea who you are dealing with? I'm Senator Wainright from the ESUN! I'll have your badge for this!"

Wufei's ears pricked up when the name was spoken. It didn't mean anything to Zechs though. "Senator Wainright? Is that correct?" Wufei questioned.

"Yes, yes it is. Now release me or I'll see to it that you won't be able to get a job cleaning the streets!"

Zechs looked a little confused but he guessed that Wufei knew something he didn't and so he was quite happy to sit back and let the Chinese agent take over – he'd pick it up as they went along.

"If you're Senator Wainright, then you must be Senator Richards. Correct?" Wufei looked in askance at the man before him.

"Yes. I'm Richards."

"Take these handcuffs off now!"

Wufei turned back to Wainright. "No."

"I beg your pardon!"

"Senator Wainright, Senator Richards, I am Agent Fire of the Preventer Organization, this is Agent Wind. You are both under arrest."

"On what grounds?" spluttered Wainright.

"Conspiracy to murder innocent people, conspiracy to start a war, embezzlement of charitable funds, kidnapping, purchasing of armaments... Shall I continue?" Wufei replied, his voice totally calm.

"Bullshit! You have no proof!"

Wufei cocked an eyebrow and was about to speak again when Richards interrupted.

"Give it up, Donald. The game's over. Face it, we're fucked."

"No! It's all bullshit! They have no proof, just their word against ours," Wainright argued.

"That is where you're wrong, Senator. We do have all the proof we need to put you away for a very long time." Wufei gave an evil smirk at the look on the senator's face. "Oh yes, remember your computers?"

"There's nothing on those," Wainright exploded, but his face paled.

"Maybe not to the ordinary person, but at Preventer we have one of the best hackers and computer savvy person you could come across. You may have deleted the files, but those files also have a shadow file locked away in the depths of the hard drive."

"I don't believe you."

Wufei shrugged. "I'm not asking you to. I already have the proof, those files have been recovered and will be presented in evidence against you in a court of law when you stand trial for your crimes."

Wainright slumped in his seat, then opened his mouth to start again, only he wasn't quick enough. Zechs reached forward and stuffed the sock back in his mouth. When Wufei looked at him, Zechs tilted his head. "I couldn't stand the whining any longer," he said by way of explanation.

Wufei snickered.

"By the way, I should let you know that whilst you are not obliged to do or say anything, anything you do say or do may be used as evidence in a court of law," Zechs said.

"A bit late for that," Richards muttered and then sighed as the sock was shoved back into his mouth.

"They aren't going anywhere," Zechs stated. "We'd better get a move on and find Day and Night. We can collect these two on the way back."

"Roger that," Wufei replied. Turning back to their prisoners, Wufei spoke again. "We will be back for you both, meanwhile, I suggest you relax and think about what prison life for the next twenty or so years is going to be like." With another evil smirk, Wufei spun on his heel and exited the room, noting exactly where it was for the later retrieval.

Zechs nodded to the pair and then followed Wufei out. "How far to the Control room?"

"Not far now. This way." Wufei checked his palm top and then set off once more.

# # #

[Control Room Corridor]

Heero slipped away, leaving Duo to continue 'talking' to Zaheer. The directions Duo had given him were clear in his head as he sprinted down the corridor, skidded around a corner and then picked up speed again. A bullet whizzed past and barely missed him.

He aimed to come in from the opposite end to where Duo was, putting Zaheer and Matthews between them. There was a another corridor that came out pretty close to the control room door and this is where Heero was aiming for.

Still running as fast as he could, Heero was sure to make as little noise as possible. He was also on high alert for anyone he might come across. He was lucky. The satellite currently had minimal people on it, the majority having been Barton's 'army' and thus on their way to Earth.

Hearing Duo's voice getting louder, he slowed his headlong rush to a more sedate jog, not wanting to alert Zaheer to his presence. He could see the gap in the corridor up ahead and figured that was the other end to where Duo was.

Zaheer glanced down at Matthews who was still unconscious on the floor. A slight movement caught the corner of his eye and he turned quickly to see a person running down the corridor. He raised his gun and let off a shot, the bullet just missing the figure. Before he had the chance to shoot again, the figure had disappeared around the corner.

He figured it wasn't Maxwell, that bastard had a length of hair one couldn't miss, so that meant he had help. Zaheer frowned, then smiled. Obviously Maxwell was still there, this other guy had most likely run as he was scared.

"Why didn't you run too? Run away like your yellow bellied partner?" Zaheer taunted. "At least he's got sense."

Duo felt the anger swell with the words. "Calm down, Maxwell," he scolded himself. "That's exactly what he wants you to do, get riled up so you will make mistakes." He took a deep breath. Zaheer didn't need to know what Heero was up to. "I don't need a partner to take you down, asshole," he called out.

"Big words now, freak, but soon you will be begging me for your death."

"I think you will find you will be the one begging for death, Zaheer."

Zaheer snorted. "You think that you, a puny, fag assed excuse for a man will be able to take me down? Don't make me laugh."

"I was a Gundam Pilot in the war, I've seen and survived more than you could ever dream about. You will be so easy compared to some." Duo had deliberately raised his voice so Heero would be able to hear him and know when he was getting close to his target.

"Ohhh, I'm all scared of the big bad Gundam Pilot," Zaheer sneered.

Heero crept to the corner of the corridor and glanced a look around. He could see Zaheer up ahead, focused totally on Duo's voice. He noted the gun in the hand and pulled his own revolver free. Flipping the safety off, he lined up the hulking man. Now all he needed was that one, clear shot.

Duo spotted Heero at the other end of the corridor, took a look at Zaheer and noted the position of the gun. He swallowed and prayed that Heero wouldn't miss. "You should be scared, Zaheer, you see, I was given a second name during the war, a name for my alter ego." Duo began to move his body out of the alcove, letting Zaheer see exactly where he was. As he'd presumed, the big man raised his gun. Before Zaheer could close his finger on the trigger, another shot rang out.

Seeing the freak starting to move out of his hiding place, Zaheer couldn't believe his luck. The asshole believed he wouldn't shoot! Well, Zaheer was going to shoot, just not to kill. He raised the gun and took aim. Before he could fire another shot was heard.

Seeing his lover starting to step out, Heero focused completely on the gun in Zaheer's hand. It began to raise, Heero locked on his target and sent the bullet from the chamber.

The bullet flew through the air, Heero's aim completely true. The bullet connected with the gun in Zaheer's hand, sending it flying from his grip and bouncing along the floor away from the man.

Zaheer looked on in shock as the gun was sent flying from his hand and skittering down the corridor. He didn't get a chance to try to retrieve it though. Duo was in motion the second the bullet connected with the gun. He was out of the alcove and rushing down the corridor towards Zaheer. The gun went bouncing past him, Duo ignoring it completely and focusing on the man ahead.

He connected with Zaheer's midsection, sending the big man to the floor. Instantly, he pulled the knife from Matthews' calf and jammed it against Zaheer's throat. "The name for my alter ego is Shinigami, Zaheer."

The big man paled a little but Duo wasn't finished yet.

"Shinigami, the God of Death. He comes out to play from time to time and believe me when I say you will only get to meet him once." The words were whispered as the knife caressed the large expanse of throat, not enough to kill, but just nick the surface of the skin.

Zaheer managed to turn his head a little, enough that he could look into the amethyst eyes of his enemy. Only those eyes were no longer amethyst - they were a deep purple. Zaheer shivered and for the second time he felt fear lodge in his chest. Those eyes, they burnt with an unholy flame and Zaheer knew the man he'd been taunting and promised to kill was no longer there. This was eerie. Those eyes belonged to something else, something that promised a cold, cruel death.

"I told you I would kill you, Zaheer – and I never lie. But, I'm a reasonable man too so I won't kill you straight out. I think you deserve a little payback first." The knife moved from Zaheer's throat, Duo shoving the man away from him as he pivoted and took up position.

Zaheer rolled to the side and scrambled to his feet, hands forward in a defensive posture. He ignored the protest of his injured bicep as he waited for his opponent to make the first move. His lip curled into a savage grin as he suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Duo.

Watching carefully, Duo let the other man grab him, but twisted himself as those arms closed around his shoulders and made a grab for his arms.

"You should have killed me when you had the chance," Zaheer snarled. "Now I'm going to break every bone in your body, one by one."

"Are you sure about that?" came Duo's reply and he swung the knife down and across, slicing neatly through the tendons and ligaments at the back of Zaheer's knee.

The man let out a howl of pain as his leg buckled and sent him crashing to the ground.

Duo was right there. "You said you wanted to break every bone in my body one by one. Did you mean like this?" Duo swung around and let fly with a solid kick to Zaheer's shin.

The crack of the bone as it broke echoed along the corridor, followed by another scream of pain from Zaheer.

"Or maybe you meant to start with the fingers?" Duo lunged for the man's hand.

Having sent the gun flying and then watching his partner tackle the big man, Heero stepped out from the end of the corridor and made his way along. He would not interfere, just watch and let Duo have his revenge. If Duo started to get into any difficulty, then Heero would step in and assist his lover, but for now, he's simply observe. He twitched a little as Duo let the other man get a hold of him, but then relaxed when he saw the sweep of the knife. He knew if he were to jump in, not only would he rip the man apart with his bare hands, but then he'd have a very pissed off Duo to deal with too.

Besides, Duo was doing a pretty good job by himself. Heero winced as he heard the bone snap.

Pulling the hand up, Duo was quick to bend the pinky and ring fingers in a direction they were not meant to go, satisfied when he heard the bones break and a yelp of pain from the asshole.

Through a haze of pain, Zaheer spotted Heero leaning against the wall, legs crossed at the ankle, arms across his chest. "Stop him," Zaheer cried out.

Heero lifted his head. "You talking to me?"

"No, I'm talking to the tooth fairy," came the sarcastic reply. "Of course I'm talking to you! Stop him, he's crazy!"

Heero made a big show of looking from Duo to Zaheer, to the finger Duo was holding ready to snap and then back to Zaheer. "He's not crazy, a little insane maybe..."

"Hey! I resent that," Duo said as he snapped the finger and grabbed the next one.

"If you were sane, you would have started with the toes, then the knee caps and worked your way up to the fingers," Heero replied with a smirk.

Duo cocked his head as if in deep thought. "You know, you might have a point there." He broke the pointer finger.

"You're both fucking mad!" Zaheer screamed.

"I did tell you I would take you down," Duo snarled, right in Zaheer's face. "And I meant it." He broke the thumb.

The screams began to penetrate the unconscious mind of Matthews and he began to stir. He blinked his eyes open and groggily tried to raise his head. "Zaheer?"

"I think you should remain asleep. This isn't going to be pretty," Heero said as he shoved off the wall and knelt beside the prone man.

Matthews shifted his eyes and stared into deep cobalt – a blue that was like ice and sent chills down his spine.

"Goodnight." Heero clocked the helpless Matthews on the back of his head with the butt of his gun.

"Do you think I should gut him?" Duo asked, turning to face Heero who was straightening up after checking Matthews' pulse.

Heero shrugged. "Will it make a lot of mess?"

"Probably. Given his size I'd guess there would be quite a lot of entrails to spill out," Duo replied.

Zaheer choked, desperately trying not to vomit. He spotted the knife he'd pulled out of his arm and then dropped when he'd lost the gun. It was just a few inches away.

Heero saw the look on the man's face and noted where the eyes had strayed. He stepped forward just as Zaheer stretched out his uninjured hand to make a grab for the knife. He brought his boot down hard on the hand. "I don't fucking think so," he snarled.

Another yelp of pain left the big man's lips.

"I thought you were going to let me take care of this?" Duo questioned. "You're spoiling my fun, Heero."

"Sorry, next time I'll let him grab the knife shall I?" came the sarcastic response.

"Ah. In that case, thank you."

"You're welcome." Heero shifted back against the wall. "Do you think you could hurry it up a little? We still have to arrest Barton and the rest of this outfit."

"I suppose so." Duo turned back to his victim and hissed. "Think yourself lucky, asshole. My partner wants to hurry up so I won't get to torture you as much as I would like to."

Zaheer gave one last effort and managed to bring his 'unbroken' hand around. He swung as hard as he could and connected with the side of Duo's head, sending Duo sprawling on his back.

"You fucking piece of shit," Duo snarled and rubbed his cheek where the fist had connected. In a second he was back on his feet and attacking. The knife sliced through the air, cutting through cloth and flesh, blood running freely, covering the ex pilot and pooling around him. His eyes were glazed as Shinigami took over, cutting the big man's wrists. Finally, the head was raised and the throat exposed. Duo pressed the knife against the skin. "Prepare to meet your maker." The knife pressed home, cutting from left to right.

Zaheer gurgled, shuddered and then his eyes stared out at nothing.

Duo let the hair go, the head dropping forward. A hand to his shoulder had him spinning around, knife at the ready again.

"Duo, it's finished. He's dead," Heero said softly as he coaxed his lover to return and put Shinigami back in his box.

Cobalt locked with purple, Heero pulling his lover up from the floor and holding him against his chest. He stroked Duo's back, calming his partner with the soft touches and murmured words of love. Slowly the fire in those eyes began to dim and the color return to the gentle amethyst they usually were. Once the trembles had stopped, Heero pulled apart a little and captured Duo's lips in a warm kiss, one that grounded his lover completely.

"He's dead?" Duo whispered.

"Yes. He's dead," Heero replied.

Duo held on for a moment, then pulled away, taking a deep breath and settling himself. "Good."

The sound of running feet could be heard rapidly approaching and both men dived for the alcove again, pressing themselves into it.

Moments later Zechs and Wufei came around the corner, guns drawn and pulled up short when they saw the carnage ahead.

Duo snickered. "_Now _the cavalry arrives."

tbc...


	98. Chapter 98

**Thank you to everyone for reading and warm hug for the kind reviews!**

"Family Ties"

Chapter 98

January 2007 ShenLong

[Preventer Transport Shuttle 121]

"I certainly hope that Barton doesn't have any more mobile suits hidden away anywhere," Quatre muttered to himself as he checked the status of the three Gundams currently in the cargo hold. Just the visual was enough to have him shuddering, he hated to think what the diagnostics checks would show.

"Standing here isn't going to get much done," he continued as he approached the large mecha. He frowned when he saw the amount of damage Heavyarms had sustained and sent a silent prayer in thanks that his husband had survived relatively well. It could have been a lot worse.

Pressing in the codes to Sandrock's hatch, he stood back and waited for the hatch to open and admit him to the cockpit. Once inside, he wasted no time in bringing the Gundam on line and connecting the laptop. He typed in a few commands and brought up the diagnostics program. The laptop connected with Sandrock's computer and the pair began to 'talk' to each other.

Leaving the computers to do their work, he stepped back out and with a note book and pencil, began to make notes on the structural damage he could see.

#

Trowa watched the shuttle computer continue to run through its check of the shuttle status. He gave a shake of his head as he read through some of the reports that came up on the screen. There was quite a bit of damage. Fortunately, at this stage none of it was too bad and if it continued this way, then they should be able to fly the craft back to earth. If anything else came up on the report, anything too major, then they would just have to leave the shuttle on the satellite along with the Gundams until either a crew could be sent to fix the shuttle, another shuttle could be sent to pick up the Gundams; or both.

Trowa didn't really like the idea of leaving the Gundams here though so he kept his fingers crossed that nothing major would show up. He supposed they could always fly the Gundams back to earth, but that again would pose problems and raised questions. Would they have enough fuel to travel the distance? Would the Gundams be capable of making the trip under their own steam? He had his doubts about Heavyarms, the mecha had taken quite a beating out there - not to mention the pilot. Trowa didn't think he would be able enough to fly the machine if it came down to that.

All this thinking wasn't doing him any good. He wondered if there was any more morphine in the first aid kit and if so, what his chances were of getting another shot?

#

Quatre heaved a sigh of relief. The diagnostics check on Sandrock had been good. Only minor damage to a couple of circuits and a few of the hydraulics were not functioning at full capacity. Outside, the mecha was pretty much unscathed, the Gundanium plating had done its job well. There were a few scorch marks and a couple of dents scattering the 'body', but nothing that couldn't be fixed easily enough.

He unplugged the laptop and powered the machine down. "Thank you, Sandrock," he said softly and patted the console affectionately before exiting the cockpit once more. He made sure the hatch was closed and locked before clambering down and walking towards Shenlong.

The large, black and green Gundam also bore scars from the battle, although not as much as Heavyarms. A chunk of plating was loose on the upper thigh from where it had taken a direct hit, several scorch marks crisscrossed the length of the body, but the rest of the mecha looked fine. Keying in the code, Quatre entered the cockpit and brought the Gundam on line. He hooked up the laptop and once more ran the diagnostics check.

Shenlong checked out okay, a minor fault was located in the circuitry that pertained to the weapons, but nothing major. The Gundam could still be used in battle if the need arose, only the reaction time of the mecha would be slightly delayed.

Leaving Wufei's Gundam, Quatre looked at Heavyarms and swallowed. With a sigh he clambered up to the cockpit and set about the task of running the program again. He was in no doubts as to what the program would show.

When the program had finished running, Quatre took a look at the results and sighed. It was as he'd thought, the Gundam was pretty much beat up and would need major repairs. The hydraulics to the left arm were completely severed and would need replacing. The loss of the hydraulic fluid from that arm had also depleted the the total amount of fluid in the entire Gundam. The right leg had taken quite a beating too, several plates were either loose or badly dented. The area of the chest surrounding the cockpit also bore the scars of the battle Heavyarms had endured with the Orion that had tried to get into the shuttle. Several dents could be found, one of them causing Quatre to whistle through his teeth at how close it had been to connecting with the cockpit itself.

The computer system diagnostics also told him several circuits were fried, including the navigation system. The control system for the maneuverability of the Gundam itself was also damaged and one of the missile launchers was destroyed. "Don't worry, 'Arms, we will have you fixed up and working like new again once we get you back home to earth," Quatre told the Gundam. He ran a hand over the console. "Thank you for looking after him," he whispered.

Quatre could have sworn the console glowed a little brighter.

Shaking his head at his own foolishness, he picked up the laptop and headed back to the shuttle cockpit to let Trowa know of the results from the checks and to find out how his lover had progressed with the damage report for the shuttle.

# # #

[Abandoned Alliance Shuttle Port - Earth near the ESUN]

"Shit!" Sapphire muttered to himself and shifted a little more in the tree he was currently perched in. He adjusted the binoculars and watched carefully.

In the grounds of the abandoned Alliance port he could see that the troops that had arrived on the shuttles had all disembarked and were milling around. His trained eyes raked over the scattered crowd, noting that they were not as they first appeared. He removed the binoculars and scratched his nose, bringing the binoculars back up once more and trying to get the things to focus even clearer. Whilst the binoculars were not standard issue but rather specialized Preventer ones, he couldn't help but wish they could 'zoom' in even closer.

What he did see had him on alert though. All the people were carrying weapons of some sort, mainly rifles or hand guns, but there was the occasional AK 47, the odd cross bow and even one or two sporting rather impressive looking swords.

Whilst he couldn't confirm it visually, he was pretty sure they had some explosive power too, most likely in the form of grenades and maybe even some C4.

Suddenly there was a stirring amongst the men and Sapphire watched as they did their best to form up into some sort of 'unit'. Their sloppy attempts told Sapphire that this lot were not your usual soldiers. Sure he could see some that performed the maneuver as a trained soldier would, but the majority sort of sauntered into a vacant spot and did their best to look like they belonged there.

Sapphire snorted in amusement. If this is how they were in their discipline, then what would they be like in a combat situation? He quickly drew his mind back from that thought as a person – obviously the one in control – stepped to the front of the mob and began to speak to them.

Unfortunately, Sapphire was too far away to hear and even with the binoculars at their full capacity, he was still unable to read the lips. He gave a frustrated sigh.

The one in charge addressed the troops, the men all watching intently, several heads nodding from time to time. Whatever the speech was, it didn't last for too long and suddenly the men all gave a very loud cheer and raised their weapons in the air as they did so.

Moments later, the men had again formed up, this time into lines of roughly four abreast, although that was questionable too as several broke ranks from time to time. With the group in some sort of order, they began to file out. Hastily, Sapphire noted which direction they were going in, checked his maps in his head and almost fell out of the tree.

Grabbing his communicator, he quickly placed a call to Preventer Headquarters.

# # #

[Preventer Communications]

"Preventer communications, Agent Sun here."

"Agent Sun, this is Agent Sapphire. I need to speak with the commander urgently."

"Roger that, Sapphire. Hold this frequency whilst I get the commander."

"Okay, am holding."

Sun turned in his seat to where Sky was sitting across the room. "Any idea where the commander is?"

"Not too sure. I think she was going to get something to eat, why?"

"I've got Sapphire on the airwaves, he needs to speak with the commander and the commander wanted to be alerted immediately when he called in," replied Sun.

"Hang on, I'll try her pager." Sky rolled in his seat across to another console. He typed a couple of commands into the small machine there. "She should call us in a moment or two."

"Thanks."

#

Une was finishing off the last piece of the sandwich she'd procured from the canteen, washing it down with a glass of orange juice. Sally would approve, she noted and wondered how the doctor and the nurse were doing out at Quatre's mansion. Her pager beeped, Une reaching for it and noting the number. Picking up her trash, she dumped it in the bin and made a beeline for the phone on the wall.

Grabbing the handset, she pushed in the extension number and waited. "You paged me?" she said when the call connected.

"Ah, commander. You're needed in the communications section immediately. Agent Sapphire has called in with something urgent."

"I'm on my way." Une hung the phone up and wasted no time in getting to the communications section.

Within a couple of minutes she was striding through the door.

"I have agent Sapphire on stand-by," Sun said and handed the commander a headset.

Une slid the head set into place, adjusted the mic and spoke. "Sapphire, this is Commander Une. What is happening?"

"Commander, I've been observing those shuttles that arrived and all the people on board have disembarked. They are all armed with varying weapons, mostly rifles and hand guns, but there's a few AK 47's some blades and I did spot a couple of cross bows too."

"I see. Did you happen to see if there were any other forms of weaponry? Things like explosives... or mobile suits?"

"Mobile suits?" Sapphire echoed. "Aren't they completely outlawed?"

"Yes, agent. They are, but somehow Barton has managed to construct quite a few of them. As far as I know they were all restricted to the satellite these shuttles came from, but I wouldn't put it past Barton to have sent one or two down here with his army."

"If he has then they're either still in the shuttles or were on the one that blew up. I've not seen anything remotely like a suit come off those shuttles. I haven't been able to confirm or deny the presence of any explosives either. Some of the troops are carrying bags so it is highly possible that they do have some explosives of some sort," Sapphire replied.

"Wonderful, just bloody wonderful," Une muttered.

"Commander?" Sapphire wasn't sure if his ears had heard that correctly or not. Sun and Sky were also in a similar state of shock.

"What are those troops up to now?" Une asked, putting the conversation back on track

"The troops have all formed up, been addressed by the one I assume to be in charge and have moved out."

"Any chance you could hear what was said?"

"I'm sorry, commander. I couldn't get close enough to hear without being detected and I was too far away to lip read."

"No problem. Which way did they go?" Une already had a pretty good idea of which direction the troops would have gone in, but she needed it confirmed.

"They went south east. Without a hard copy of a map I couldn't be one hundred percent certain of their destination, but I'm pretty sure they're heading for the ESUN headquarters."

Une's eyes closed and she gave a sigh. "That's what I thought you'd say. Okay, thanks, Sapphire. I'd like you to try and tail them, follow behind and report in from time to time with your location."

"Roger that, commander."

"Sapphire, stay safe."

A soft chuckle came over the line. "I'll do my best. Sapphire out."

"Commander, out." Une slid the headset off and rubbed her temples. Raising her eyes to meet those of Sun, she spoke softly "Try to contact the ESUN and warn them of the approach. I don't think we have any of the ESUN staff still inside the building, I'm certain the agents managed to get them all out and to safety, but I want you to check."

Sun wondered just how the hell he was supposed to contact the ESUN when all forms of communication except their own were down, courtesy of the Firecell.

Realizing what was going through the agent's mind, Une added, "Contact any agents in the immediate area and get them to go in and check."

"Yes, Commander."

"I'm going to find out exactly how many agents we have left free in the field. I have a feeling this could become a little nasty."

Sky rolled his eyes. In his opinion the entire situation was well beyond nasty, more like the coming of the Armageddon!

Fortunately for Sky, Une didn't see the roll of the eyes. "I'll be in conference room four planning out what the hell we can do about this situation," she stated and stood up. "Page me the instant you have anything new from either Sapphire or the agents still on that satellite."

"Yes, commander."

Une left to try and figure out how to try and get them all out of this mess.

# # #

[Preventer Transport Shuttle 121]

Hearing whistling coming down the corridor, Trowa looked up from the data readouts as a blonde head stuck itself around the entry to the cockpit. "All done?" he asked.

"Yes. All diagnostic checks are complete and I have a copy of the report on this disk," Quatre replied and handed over a white disk. "How is it going with the shuttle?"

Trowa rubbed his weary eyes. "Almost finished." He turned to look at his partner fully. "It's not too good either."

"Ah. Just how bad is it then?"

Sighing, Trowa looked back to the screen and the results there. "So far the major issues we have are as follows. The heat shields are partly unstable which will affect any re-entry into the earth's atmosphere. The other concern is the starboard wing, it took a few shots which have resulted in damage to the plating there."

"Can we fix it?"

"I don't know. There's quite a bit of minor damage to circuits and one of the hydraulic chambers has a slow leak in it, those we can fix reasonably easily. The heat shields though... We would need to get outside and take a proper look to see exactly where and how they are unstable. I'm betting they're loose and as you know, entering the earth's atmosphere with them in that state will only loosen them further to the point where they will either disintegrate or fly off,"

"Meaning we will end up being in something akin to a pressure cooker," Quatre muttered.

"Yeah. The wing damage is in the plates that control the speed, the flaps to be precise."

"Shit!"

"My sentiments exactly. To fix the shields and those plates we will need access to plating, smelting facilities, metal and welding equipment."

Quatre's eyes suddenly lit up. "Trowa, cast your mind back to when you were searching for these satellites."

"Eh?"

"We have all of that here. This satellite used to process the minerals, remember? It has the smelting facilities, there's lots of metal out there," Quatre waved his hand to the surface of the satellite and the many suits scattered about. "And if Barton built those suits here, then there has to be welding equipment in those Domes too."

"Quatre, you're a genius," Trowa smiled.

Quatre beamed and then blushed, lowering his head a touch at the compliment.

"What about the Gundams?" Trowa asked, changing the subject slightly.

"Ah, Sandrock only has minor damage, both circuitry and physical. Shenlong has a problem with the circuits connected to the weapons which means it's a little slow in reaction time, also some plating is loose on one of the upper legs."

"Heavyarms?" Trowa whispered.

Quatre sighed. "It's not good, but it could have been a lot worse too. The left arm will need to have the hydraulic system totally replaced. The hydraulic fluid also needs replacing as a lot was lost when that arm was severed. Several plates are loose on the legs and lower torso, also around the cockpit. One rocket launcher is destroyed too. On the internal side, a lot of the circuits are fried affecting the navigational system and also the maneuverability of the Gundam."

Trowa let go a soft whistle. "Fuck, he did take a beating."

"He can be fixed," Quatre said softly. He knew how much the Gundam meant to Trowa, hell, the Gundams meant a lot to all of them and it had torn them apart when they'd been 'destroyed' after the war. To have discovered that Une had taken them and put them in storage after having them repaired had come as quite the shock. Now the question hung in the air. Would Une allow them to be repaired and stored once more in case they should be needed again in the future?

"I"m not giving him up again to be destroyed," Trowa growled.

"I agree with you there. If Une won't have them repaired and insists they be destroyed, then I'll make sure they disappear," Quatre promised.

Trowa nodded. He didn't question it further, he knew his husband well enough by now to know that whatever the blonde said, he would do.

"I suppose we should report in to Une and let her know the damage report," Quatre said.

"Do we have to?"

Quatre snickered at the pout on his husband's face. "Yes, we do."

"Can I have some more morphine first?"

"I think I might need a shot too," Quatre chuckled.

# # #

[Control Room Corridor – Satellite XRB 23]

Both Zechs and Wufei came to a sliding stop when they saw the carnage in the corridor ahead of them.

"Shit!" Zechs muttered as his eyes roamed over the two 'bodies' and the amount of blood pooling on the tiled floor.

Wufei's mouth went into a grim line as he also observed the damage. His head suddenly shot up and a noise up ahead had him leveling his gun. When a familiar head of chocolate hair came into sight, he breathed a sigh of relief and holstered the gun. "Yuy," he stated curtly.

With the arrival of their fellow agents, Heero stepped out of the alcove first, Duo a couple of steps behind him. Checking there was no other immediate threat in the corridor, Heero made his way towards the other two, Duo following closely.

"What the fuck happened here?" Zechs demanded. He'd gotten a little closer to the two forms and knew from the visual that one of them was certainly deceased. The other he wasn't too sure about just yet as he hadn't had a chance to check.

"Self defense," Duo muttered.

Wufei raised an eyebrow in question.

"Only one of them is dead," Heero supplied. "The other is merely unconscious."

"Dammit! You know what Une said, she wanted them brought in alive," Zechs snapped.

Duo whirled around, the anger clear in his eyes. "I don't give a rats ass what Une wants. I owed that bastard and he got what he deserved. I promised him I would kill him; and I never lie," he growled.

"If Duo hadn't taken him down, he would have killed the both of us," Heero replied calmly, although the anger was boiling in those cobalt eyes.

"You could have incapacitated, not killed," Zechs snarled, clearly not understanding the gravity of the situation.

"I probably could have, but I didn't," Duo retaliated. "I swore I would kill that asshole for what he did to me, what he made me do, what he put me through. I don't give a damn what Une's orders were, she didn't have to put up with him like I did." Duo's eyes were blazing. "I'll happily take any discipline she sees fit for my actions, but I swear, if I had to do it again, I would." Duo turned on his heel, warm arms enveloping him.

"Zechs, you have no idea what has gone on, what Duo has suffered through, hell I only know some of it, but that's enough for me to know that what he did here in killing that man was justified," Heero snapped as he pulled Duo deeper into his arms. He could feel his partner shaking with the attempts to hold back his rage – to keep Shinigami tightly in his box.

"I understand," Wufei said quietly, his onyx eyes clearly backing up his words.

Heero nodded and felt Duo relax slightly.

Seeing Zechs about to start off on another tirade, Wufei stepped in. "Wind, you are not fully aware of all the facts pertaining to this mission so I suggest that until you are, you refrain from making and passing further judgment."

Zechs scowled, but nodded his head.

Turning to the other two, Wufei spoke again. "Is that the control room?"

"Yes," Duo replied as he pulled slightly away from Heero, his rage having dissipated a little.

"Barton is in there?"

"I can't be completely sure, but this is usually where he can be found and given the outside battle, his troops being sent to earth and all, I'm betting he's in there."

"Other personnel?"

Duo sighed and did a quick mental run through. "Besides Barton, there's a few techs, probably a couple of soldiers and a few other staff. Zaheer and the other hit man are already dealt with." Duo looked pointedly to the pair on the floor. "Oh, Professor Hawkins is most likely in there as well."

"Firepower?" Wufei asked.

"Again, not sure on the amount. Barton would be armed and so are the soldiers. They carried hand guns and one had an AK 47. The techs were not armed, nor were any of the other people." Duo scratched the back of his neck as he did his best to recall what weapons those in the control room had.

"Plan of attack?"

"Errr..."

Wufei rolled his eyes. "You don't have one, do you?"

"Ummm... Not at the moment, no," Duo replied a little sheepishly.

"I suggest we move these two first, get them out of sight somewhere," Wufei began and handed Yuy a pair of handcuffs. "Put those on the one still breathing."

Heero took the 'cuffs and placed them around the wrists of Matthews.

"Anywhere around here we can put these two?" Wufei questioned and glanced around.

Duo snickered. "Planning on a repeat performance, Wuffers?"

Both Zechs and Heero turned to look at the pair, the question clear on both faces. Wufei had gone a nice shade of red.

"Explain," Heero demanded.

Before Wufei could get a word to form, Duo beat him to it. "Just that Wuffy here seems to have a penchant for stashing dead and live people together in closets. Isn't that right, 'Fei 'Fei?"

"It's nothing like that, Maxwell," Wufei growled, "And my name is Wufei!"

"Something tells me there's more to this than I really want to know," Heero muttered.

"Hey, you're the one that asked," Duo defended.

"Next time remind me to keep my mouth shut."

Duo just grinned.

"There are a couple of doors leading off the corridor back there," Zechs informed, trying to get things back on track.

"Yuy, go check them out, Maxwell, you can help Merquise and myself to get these two into one of those rooms," Wufei stated.

"Why can't I check the doors?" Duo questioned.

"Because you made the mess here so you can help clean it up," Wufei replied with a smug smile. "Then we will see what we can figure out between us for getting into the control room and taking Barton down."

Duo gave a sigh and bent to the task, Zechs beside him whilst Heero went to check the doors and rooms.

tbc...


	99. Chapter 99

**Thanks to everyone for reading and for the lovely feedback!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 99

[Satellite XRB 23 Corridor near Control Room]

Heero checked the doors down the corridor that Zechs had pointed out. One led into a small conference type room, the other was what had once been a recreation room. Leaving the door to the conference room open, he jogged back down the hall to where the other three were doing their best to drag the corpse and unconscious man along.

Duo was struggling with the arm of Zaheer he was currently tugging on, Wufei pulling strongly on the other arm. Zechs was pulling Matthews along quite easily.

"Duo!" Heero growled and grabbed his partner's arm. "You shouldn't be straining yourself like this," he admonished. He was about to say more when he realized the company they were in and promptly shut up.

Duo scowled and sent a pointed look in both Zechs' and Wufei's directions. Unfortunately, both men had heard Heero's words.

Wufei raised an eyebrow, eyes searching both mens' faces. Zechs was more to the point.

"Why shouldn't he assist with getting the evidence out of sight? He's just a capable as the rest of us," Zechs snapped. He was still a little miffed over the fact that Maxwell had gone against direct orders and killed one of their 'wanted' men, plus there was something going on here he wasn't aware of and he didn't like going on a mission without being fully informed.

Wufei understood though. Before either Yuy or Maxwell could respond, he spoke for them. "Maxwell has been injured during the course of his abduction and severe physical strain such as this could be contrary to his healing injuries."

Heero and Duo both gave the Chinese man a grateful look.

Zechs wasn't quite so convinced. "Didn't seem to matter when he was fighting in his Gundam or taking these bastards down," he muttered.

"Those were necessary actions, this is not. No point in aggravating injuries when there is no need to. Besides, we will need Maxwell at his functional best when we arrest Barton." Wufei's reply was sharp and short.

The blonde snorted. "That's assuming we can get into the control room."

Wufei declined to answer, opting instead to put his energies into hauling Zaheer's body to the conference room. Between himself and Heero, they managed to drag the corpse in and to the side where it wouldn't be spotted too easily. Although there was the small problem of the trail of blood that they had left smeared on the floor.

"Never a cleaning closet around when you need one," Duo muttered to himself as he saw the evidence of their moving of the body.

"Not a lot we can do about it," Heero stated when he noticed where Duo's eyes had strayed.

"Yeah, I guess not."

"Agents, I think we need to figure out how we're going to get into this control room and to Barton. We're not exactly blessed with time here," Zechs said, pulling them away from the thoughts of the mess in the corridor.

All four went silent as they thought about their immediate problem.

"Chang, your palm top..." Heero looked to the other agent.

"Yes?" Wufei replied and pulled the palm top out of his pocket.

"Can you see if there's another way into the control room?"

Wufei began to check through the blueprints on the device. "There's the air ducts."

"No way. I refuse to go crawling through air ducts," Zechs stated firmly.

"I must admit, I'm not all that fond of that idea myself," Duo agreed when he looked over Chang's shoulder to the blueprints on display. "Besides, have you seen how small they are?" Duo looked pointedly to the vent in the corner of the room. "There's no way that blondie would fit - hell, even I'd have a problem getting through and I'm one of the skinniest of us all."

"Then how do you-" Wufei fell silent when Duo's violet eyes suddenly sparked.

"I wonder..." Duo muttered and strode over to where Zaheer's body lay. He began to go through the dead man's pockets.

"Maxwell, now is not the time to return to your ways of a pickpocket," Wufei sniffed.

Duo ignored the jibe and continued to ransack the pockets. Suddenly he stopped and a feral grin lit up his face. Standing up, he turned to face the rest of the group. "My fellow agents, I think we just hit the jackpot."

# # #

[Preventer Shuttle 221]

"Preventer communications, this is Preventer shuttle 221, Agent Space here. Do you copy?" Quatre waited patiently for a reply.

"Agent Space, this is Preventer communications, Agent Sun here. I copy you."

"Sun, is the commander there? I need to report in and bring her up to speed on the situation here on the satellite."

"I'm paging her now, Space."

Quatre sat back and gave his lover a warm smile. Trowa smiled back, the second shot of morphine was running through his system and he was feeling so much better. Trowa returned his gaze to the computer screen and the diagnostics report, figuring out the best way to tackle fixing the problems the shuttle currently had so it would be able to fly back to earth.

"Commander Une here. What do you have for me, Space?"

Quatre brought the Commander up to speed on their current situation. "... All the mobile suits have been incapacitated with minimal casualties. We are currently running diagnostics tests on the shuttle and Gundams and there is damage to the shuttle that will need repairing before it will be safe to return to earth, " he finished.

"And the Gundams?" Une questioned.

"Minor damage to Sandrock and Shenlong. Heavyarms will require major repairs, the status of Wing and Deathscythe are unknown at this stage, Commander."

"Can you send through a complete damage report for the shuttle? I'll get the maintenance crew to go over it and see what will be needed to repair it. What about the other shuttle? What is the status of that?"

"Commander, Agent Air here. From what I can tell from the damage report, we should have most of the materials and the facilities here on the satellite to fix the shuttle, although I have no idea how long it will take to repair it so it can fly safely back to earth," Trowa informed. "At this stage we haven't checked on the other shuttle. I am assuming all is okay with it as the cloaking device is still engaged."

Une fell silent, deep in thought.

"Commander?"

"Sorry, Space. Look, send through the report as requested and I'll have the crew look it over. For the moment do nothing in regards to repairs. Please check the other shuttle a soon as you can and send through the report on that."

"But if we can't repair the shuttle, how will we get the Gundams back to earth?" Trowa demanded. "I'm not leaving Heavyarms here." The threat was clear in his tone.

Quatre placed a soothing hand on his husband's arm and took over the conversation. "I apologize for Trowa, Commander. He's been injured in the battle and I'm afraid the drugs he's on for those injuries are having a slight affect on him."

Trowa gave his lover a glare. Clearly he wasn't amused by his husband's apology on his behalf – he'd meant what he'd said.

"Apology accepted. I can understand his reaction under the circumstances."

"Commander, with all due respect, what are you planning on doing with the Gundams once this is all over? I think we have a right to know as they technically do belong to each of us," Quatre asked

Une sighed. She really didn't need this right now. "At this stage, I was planning on putting them back into storage, returning them to where they have been for the past seven years."

"I can accept that," Quatre replied. "I think we will need to discuss this in more depth though once this mission is over with."

"I agree. Now, have you heard anything from agents Wind, Fire, Day or Night?"

"The last report we had was that Wind and Fire were making their way through the Dome to join up with Night and Day. Commander, Night and Day have located a couple of senators on their way through the Dome and both have been arrested. They are currently awaiting retrieval from the Dome once Barton is in custody."

"Good. At least we have a couple of them."

"Any word on those shuttles of Barton's and the troops they were carrying?"

Une gave them the current low down on the situation. "If that is all, I need to get back to this meeting and see what we can do to stop these troops."

"We will send through the diagnostic results and wait for further orders from you in relation to the shuttle 221. We will also check the other shuttle and send that through. I'll contact again when I have further information in regards to the other agents. Agent Space, out."

"Thank you, Space. Commander out."

Quatre removed the headset and ran a hand through his locks. "Think you can make it to the other shuttle?" he asked his husband.

Trowa shook his head. "I don't think I'll be able to. Besides, one of us should really remain here and keep an eye on the Gundams, also monitor the communications in case Duo or one of the others calls in."

"Good point. If you're sure you'll be okay, I'll go check the other shuttle."

"I'll be fine."

Quatre stood up, wrapped his arms around Trowa and seized his lips in a deep kiss. "Love you," he said as he pulled away.

"Love you too and hurry back. I think I'm gonna need some serious nursing."

Quatre swatted Trowa's shoulder. "You'll get all the nursing you need once this is over," he promised.

"Good, 'cause I think I'm gonna be sick for some time."

With a laugh, Quatre left the cockpit.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 Conference room]

Zechs frowned, Heero raised an eyebrow, Wufei went right for the jugular.

"What do you mean we've hit the jackpot?"

Continuing to grin, Duo moved to where the other three stood and showed them what he'd found in Zaheer's pocket.

"It's a communicator," Zechs said, stating the obvious.

"Give the man a cigar," Duo replied, the sarcasm clear in his voice.

Choosing to ignore the jibe, Zechs continued on. "And just how is that supposed to get us into the control room?"

"It's quite simple, my dear Watson. Obviously, Zaheer was carrying this contraption so he could keep in contact with Barton. All we need to do is use this device, request they open the door and bingo - we're in." Duo looked quite smug.

"Barton will know it's not Zaheer by the voice," Wufei pointed out.

"Fire is right. Once Barton hears your voice he will know it's not Zaheer and will figure out something is up," Zechs sniffed.

Heero watched the 'male, verbal posturing' with an amused expression on his face. He already had a pretty good idea of what was going through Duo's head.

"Ah, but Barton _will_ open the door to us, for we are not the ones who will request him to open it," Duo said with a cheeky grin.

"But..." It dawned on Wufei then, just what Duo had in mind.

"And just how do you plan on making a dead man speak?" Zechs snapped.

"Not him," Heero said softly, "the other one."

Zechs turned around and stared at the unconscious form of Matthews. "Oh."

Duo smirked. "Our friend Matthews here will do the talking for us."

# # #

[Mansion]

"He's sleeping," Nurse Brown said as she entered the kitchen after settling Keitaro for his nap and took the offered cup of tea from Sally. "Thanks." Holding the cup in her good hand, the nurse managed to pull out a chair from the kitchen table with her other hand, the plaster cast only hindering her action a little.

"You're welcome." Sally also sat and picked her own cup up and took a sip.

"I wonder how they are all getting on?" Margaret said, staring off into space.

"I wish I knew," Sally replied with a sigh. "I hate this, not knowing what is happening, not being able to contact Une."

"I'm not exactly fond of it myself," Margaret chuckled.

"I wonder if I could manage to drive through to headquarters," Sally mused aloud.

"No way!" Margaret stated flatly. "You are not going out there and risking driving back to headquarters. Harim has already told us to remain locked inside here, it's far too dangerous to be out there and he should know."

Both women fell silent a they recalled the Maguanac's warning. With the release of the Firecell the people had panicked, the panic turning to anger and many riots had broken out. So far, Harim, Raphael and the other Maguanacs Quatre had sent had been able to keep the mansion and surrounding grounds safe from any intruders. But none of them knew how long that would stay the case. From the reports Harim had given them, it would not be wise to leave the safety of the mansion at all for some time yet.

The two women continued to sip at their cooling tea.

Miracle gave a soft whine from where she lay under the table. She was missing her masters.

"Fuck off," chirped Barney.

"Barney! That's enough," Nurse Brown scolded.

Sally couldn't help the chuckle and then shivered as the bird - currently sitting on her shoulder - decided to nibble at the lobe of her ear.

"Pretty boy, give us a kiss." Barney fluffed his feathers.

"I hate to tell you this, Barney, but I'm not a boy," Sally snickered. She turned her attention back to the nurse. "I see Duo's been giving him lessons in talking."

"More like verbal diarrhoea," Margaret muttered. "There's no way he will give up that language now," she sighed and then ran a finger down the feathers of the other weiro that sat perched on her shoulder. "I just hope that Fred here doesn't pick up on any of it."

"Piss off."

"I think it might be a little too late for that," Sally snickered.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 Conference Room]

With the smug grin still in place, Duo turned to Heero. "We need to have something figured out for when Barton opens the door."

"Agreed. Do you remember the layout of the control room?"

"Yes. Once you step through the door there are several computer stations immediately on your left, three rows deep and roughly eight computers to a row. On the right there's more computer stations, but these are single ones. They had Hawkins working at one station on that side. Dead ahead is a large, viewing screen and just to the side of it another station which is where Barton generally spent most of his time with his goons beside and behind him," Duo replied, recalling all he could from his time spent in the room working on programing the doll side of the suits.

Heero thought on that information for a moment. "I'd suggest that when the door opens two go in low and split to the sides, the other two go in high and also split to the sides. I'm betting the techs won't do much at all, it will be Barton and any soldiers he has in there that will be the ones we need to worry about. Keep an eye on those techs though, they could surprise us and try to fight back."

"What about Hawkins?"

"We need to protect him, try to get him away from Barton if possible. We will need him to help reverse this Firecell program," Heero said.

"What does he look like?" asked Zechs.

All eyes turned to Duo.

"Ummm... He's about fifty-ish, tall and skinny. His hair is starting to thin and it's turning gray. He also wears glasses."

Each agent filed that information away.

"Who will go low and who will go high?" Zechs questioned, getting back to their plan for storming the control room.

"Duo and I will go high, you two go low," Heero replied. "We're both better shots so if anyone starts to fire we can incapacitate them quickly and duck for cover."

Neither Zechs nor Wufei argued that point. Heero was simply stating a fact. Whilst both Zechs and Wufei were excellent with a gun, Duo and Heero had that edge on the both of them.

"I think we should wake our entry ticket and see if we can learn anything of interest from him before we go into the lion's den," Duo mused.

"Good idea." Wufei walked over to where Matthews was sprawled on the floor. Crouching down beside the man he rolled him over and hauled him up a touch so he was slumped against the wall. Pulling his head up by the hair, Wufei slapped Matthews' cheek - hard. "Time to wake up," Wufei growled and slapped the cheek again.

Matthews had been enjoying his unconscious state and was reluctant to come back to the real world. The slap to his cheek stung and soon had him blinking his eyes. He groaned as pain flooded his body.

"Wake up," Wufei snapped and grabbed the man's chin, pushing it up and back.

"Who the fuck are you?" Matthews slurred out.

"Your third worse nightmare," Wufei replied.

"Uh?" Matthews shook his head to try and clear it a little. "Third worse nightmare?" he mumbled and blinked his eyes, trying to get them to focus.

"Yes. Maxwell here would be the first..."

Matthews' vision cleared enough for him to make out Duo's form. He swallowed when he recognized the long haired man and the look of hatred in those violet eyes.

"His partner, Yuy, would be the second..."

A pair of cobalt eyes locked with his, eyes that were like chips of ice and promised to finish off whatever Maxwell left.

Matthews felt the room starting to spin and black edged his vision again.

"Oh no you don't," Duo muttered and added his own slap to the already stinging cheek. "You're not going to pass out on me, not until I have what I want."

Somehow, Matthews managed to remain conscious.

"Good." Duo patted him on the head. "Now, _I_ will ask the questions and _you_ will give the answers."

"I've got nothing to say," Matthews growled.

"I think you do." Duo's eyes darkened.

"I'd suggest you talk, otherwise you just might end up like your friend over there," Heero interjected and gave a nod in the direction of Zaheer's body.

Matthews shifted his gaze, took one look at Zaheer and then rolled to the side, his stomach heaving on him.

"That's the problem with today's hired help," Duo sighed. "No balls at all. They puke at the smallest of cuts."

Heero raised an eyebrow. He wouldn't exactly say the cuts to Zaheer's body were small; hell the one on the man's throat was from ear to ear!

"Finished?" Duo asked, the sarcasm clear in his tone as Matthews rolled himself back to his slumped position against the wall.

Matthews mumbled something intelligible and carefully avoided looking at Zaheer's body. He shivered as his leg began to throb, reminding him of his injury.

"Now, I want to know how many people Barton has in the control room with him, techs, soldiers and so on. I also want to know what fire power they're packing and any other possible threats." Duo's eyes began to change color again, deepening into the rich purple of Shinigami as the alter ego dwelt on the fringes of his mind.

# # #

[Preventer Headquarters]

"We have the reports back in from those agents currently in the field near the ESUN," Agent Spice informed Une as she re-entered the conference room after her talk with Space.

"I hope we have some good news," she muttered and sat down. "Okay, Spice, what's the situation?"

"There are three agents near enough to have scoped out the building. All senators that were in the building were evacuated earlier and are now in various safe locations. There are still some personnel remaining in the building, mainly security guards, but there's a few civilians too."

"What civilians?"

"Mainly office staff; secretaries, filing clerks, techs; those sort of people."

"I see."

"The security staff that remain are managing to keep the building safe from outside intrusion at this stage. I think the mobs have realized that there's no use in trying to gain entry as the senators are no longer in residence."

"Very good, Spice. Now, listen up, all of you." Une glanced around the table at the five agents. "I have word form one of our agents in the field that Barton's army has landed at an old Alliance base and formed up. They are on the move and from the direction they were observed traveling in, they are headed for the ESUN Headquarters."

The five agents paled a little.

"I'm assuming from the broadcasts that Barton made before this Firecell was unleashed that their intent is to take over the ESUN building and have it ready to replace the ESUN with Barton and his own governing body."

"How many?" Spice asked.

"Roughly six to eight hundred at the moment. I'm guessing that Barton, once he takes over the ESUN, will no doubt call upon the people to join his cause – once that happens, well..."

Une didn't need to elaborate any further, each agent understood clearly the words that remained unspoken. With Barton installed at the ESUN Headquarters it would only be a matter of time before the Preventer Organization was brought to its knees.

"What can we do, Commander? There's not nearly enough of us to stop this from happening," Spice stated.

"I'm fully aware of that, Spice." Une rubbed her aching temples.

"We can't just give up," Agent Lunar growled.

"I have no intention of giving up!" Une snapped and glared at the agent.

Lunar lowered his eyes.

"At the moment there isn't much we can do other than sit tight. We have a few agents on the satellite where Barton is currently running this operation from and they are moving closer to him as we speak. The intention is to take Barton down, reverse this Firecell and bring law and order back to the earth sphere and the colonies," Une informed them.

"With all due respect, Commander, I think it's going to take a bit more than that to restore the peace." Spice raked his hands through his hair.

"One step at a time, Spice. I have complete faith in these agents on that satellite. Once they have disabled Barton I also have a little something up my sleeve that should go a long way to returning the peoples' loyalties to the ESUN and peace."

Spice raised an eyebrow. "These agents, they must be good. If I may, Commander, who are they?"

Une smirked. "Agents Fire, Day, Night, Space, Air and a certain Agent Wind."

Spice's eyebrows shot up into his hairline. "You're kidding me?"

Une looked down her nose. "Agent, I do not 'kid'."

"Well, shit."

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 Control room corridor]

"Everyone set?" Heero asked as he checked his own gun.

Three nods in the affirmative.

"Good." Heero nodded to Duo who pushed the muzzle of his gun against Matthews' temple.

Wufei handed over the communicator to Matthews. "Do it," he commanded.

Matthews reached out and took the device.

"Don't even think about warning anyone. One wrong word and your brains will be splashed all over that wall before you can get a syllable out," Duo growled.

Matthews paled further and swallowed. He nodded through the pain of his leg and other bruising he'd suffered whilst being 'interrogated'. He knew the demon meant what he said. With a shaking hand, he turned the device on.

"Control room."

"Is that you, Keller?" Matthews did his best to keep his voice steady.

"Yeah. That you, Matthews? What's going on?"

"All's fine. Look, can you open the door? I need to speak to Barton."

"Sure. Hang on a sec."

Wufei snatched the communicator back and clocked Matthews on the back of the head, rendering the man unconscious again.

With guns drawn, the four waited on either side as the control room door began to open.

tbc...


	100. Chapter 100

**Many thanks to all of you out there who are reading and warm hugs for the kind reviews.**

AN: There's still a couple of twists coming up before this fic will be finished and going on what my muse is like, I'm guessing this will be a bit longer than Chimaera was. Thank you to all who have stuck with me this far and for the comments, support and encouragement -it all means a lot to me. And now, buckle up tight as here we go again...

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 100

[Satellite XRB 23 Control Room]

As the doors to the control room began to open, Duo felt the adrenaline begin to course through his system. His eyes had darkened, not quite as purple as they had been when he'd dealt with Zaheer, but dark enough for Heero to know that Shinigami was present.

Heero waited on the left of the door, gun poised and ready. Zechs was crouched just below, gun also drawn. Opposite him, Duo was a mask of concentration, Shinigami lurking and fighting to be free. Chang was crouching below, his body like a coiled spring just waiting to be allowed to unleash his own kind of justice.

The doors opened enough and with a nod to the others, Heero took a deep breath, steadied his nerves and sprang into action.

"FREEZE!" Heero yelled as the four of them surged into the control room.

"Preventer agents, you're all under arrest. Drop your weapons and put your hands in the air!" Wufei yelled as he remained low, eyes scanning around.

For a moment stunned silence fell over the control room – then, all hell broke loose.

# # #

[Inside Duo's Abdomen]

The tiny being turned restlessly inside the watery world that was its home. A feeling of unease settled over the fetus, although it wasn't aware of the actual emotion itself. The exchange of nutrients across the barrier of the placenta also brought with it a flow of hormones.

A little fist was made and the fetus punched out at nothing, the small movement barely causing ripples in the amniotic fluid that protected it from outside harm. It was restless, sensing all was not right with its mother.

Adrenaline flowed across the barrier and into its bloodstream sending the tiny heart beating more rapidly. The fetus rolled over and then stilled. The small body trembled slightly and then relaxed.

Whilst the fetus could not understand what was going on, its senses provided enough for it to grasp certain 'feelings'; and right now it felt something was off, its mother was agitated and not alone. Curious, the fetus moved again.

The second presence the tiny child could feel along with its mother was lurking somewhere nearby. It felt dark and deadly, and yet the child was not afraid.

Another wave of hormones passed through the barrier, only this time they soothed and calmed the babe. Content for the moment, the child drifted back to sleep, snuggled into the protective lining of the womb as the gentle caress of peace passed over its small form.

With the babe now settled, Duo's alter ego turned its full attention to delivering its own form of justice to those who would have harmed what he determined to be his.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 Control Room]

The doors to the control room opened up, Craven looking absently across from his computer station as the doorway darkened. Simons also glanced up and froze in shock. At the rear of the room, Professor Hawkins saw the doors open and the men that entered. A small smile crossed his lips as he recognized the long haired man. Noting the guns a split second before the yelling started, Hawkins discreetly looked for somewhere he could hide, preferably away from his captors.

Barton raised his head, eyes merely glancing to the doorway, his curiosity aroused as to who would be coming in. He knew Zaheer and Matthews were outside, he was well aware of the orders he'd given both men so there was no need for them to be coming back in. His eyes came to a screeching halt, his heart rate shot through the roof as a mix of anger, frustration and fear lodged in his gut.

Hearing the words 'Freeze' and the following litany containing the words: 'Preventer agents' from the other man, Barton felt the hatred steal over and through him. "Kill them," he screamed to his guards.

Ducking behind a terminal, Barton pulled his own weapon out, checked the safety was off and prepared to wage war with his enemy. Around him people scattered in all directions, ducking under tables, flattening themselves against floors or scrambling to find some form of cover.

Duo noted where Hawkins was a moment before the professor ducked for cover, he also made note of Barton's position. The gun in his hand bucked as he fired off a shot, retaliating against the one aimed for him by a guard. He quickly dived behind a console to his right.

Heero and Zechs had similarly taken cover on the left side of the room as the bullets began to fly. Noting there were several techs scrambling for cover under and behind the tables, Heero took a moment to speak with the other agent.

"Wind, see if you can round up those techs, use anything you can find to restrain them. I'll keep us covered."

Zechs nodded and crawled along between two rows of computer desks, gun drawn and ready.

"Give it up, Barton," Heero yelled in a moment between gunfire.

"Go to hell," came the reply.

"This is senseless. Innocent people are going to get hurt. You don't have a chance of winning or escaping, best to quit now," Heero tried again.

"Fuck off." Barton shifted slightly behind the desk he was using as a shield. Craven was just along from him, pale, wide eyed and shaking. "Craven!" Barton hissed.

The computer tech turned his frightened eyes to his boss.

"Get onto your computer and alert all personnel in the satellite that the control room is under attack. Tell them all to converge on the control room now and assist in talking these bastards out."

Craven's eyes widened further and he trembled with fear. He darted a glance from his boss to the computer station and back again. He shook his head. "It would be suicide," he gritted back.

"Do it or I'll kill you myself," Barton snarled and leveled the gun at Craven.

Swallowing hard, Craven forced his shaking legs to unfold and drew himself onto his knees. Doing his best not to collapse with the terror running through his body, Craven inched towards his computer station. A trickle of cold sweat ran down his spine, the hairs on the back of his neck prickled in the knowledge that his boss had a gun trained on him and any sudden movement could be his last. His hand slowly reached upward to his computer desk, feeling around for the keyboard. A finger brushed over the edge of the hard plastic and with a grateful sigh, he latched onto it and pulled it from the desk. A split second later, he was cradling his wounded hand against his chest, pieces of the keyboard shattered all around him and a steady stain of red spreading across his shirt.

Wufei had spotted the slight movement across from where he was taking refuge. Lining the hand up in his sights, he had an idea what the person was up to and as soon as that hand grabbed the keyboard, he fired. The shot was true, passing directly through the palm just below the middle finger, the keyboard flying out of the grasp and smashing on the floor.

It was too much for the stressed tech. Craven fainted.

Wufei grunted in satisfaction. "One disabled and Nataku knows how many more to go," he muttered.

There wasn't anything Barton could do so he curled his lip into a snarl and turned away from the injured tech. Let him bleed to death for all Barton cared, he had bigger things to worry about. Noting where the shot had come from, Barton raised his gun and sent a volley of shots in that direction.

Chang and Maxwell ducked for cover as the bullets whizzed through the air above their heads.

"I think you pissed him off, Chang," Duo snickered.

Wufei just grunted, waited for the gun fire to cease and then returned fire.

#

Crawling along the floor, Zechs located a couple of computer techs. "You're under arrest," he snarled at them. The techs looked like they were about to wet themselves and Zechs gave an inward sigh. Yanking a couple of cords from the computers, he handed them over to one tech. "Tie his wrists and ankles together," he ordered, indicating to the other tech.

The tech took the cords and without a murmur, did as requested. Once one was secure, Zechs took the other cords and began to tie up the other tech. He'd almost finished when a sudden shift in the tech's eyes alerted him that something was off. Spinning around he barely managed to avoid being hit squarely on the head by a hard drive. As it was, it caught him a glancing blow to the temple and then crashed heavily against his shoulder.

The pain shot down his arm and up through his neck as his body acted on reflex. The uninjured arm shot out, fist curled and slammed against a jaw. The tech keeled over, completely knocked out.

"Bastard," Zechs muttered and raised his hand to feel his shoulder. It didn't feel broken, just badly bruised. Heaving a sigh of relief, he forced the pain to the back of his mind and continued to tie up his 'prisoners'.

#

Peering over the edge of the desk, Heero located another of Barton's guards. Carefully he took aim, waited for his chance and then squeezed the trigger. The bullet found its mark in the guard's upper arm.

"Face it, Barton. It's over," Heero yelled.

"Never!" Barton screamed back. The gun bucked as he sent another round at Heero.

#

"Cover me, 'Fei," Duo muttered.

"Maxwell?"

"I'm going to try and get around the side, see if I can get to the professor."

A guard with an AK 47 sent several rounds of ammunition in their direction, hitting computer screens and sending showers of glass over the pair.

"Fuck this," Duo snarled. "They keep on taking out the computers and we'll have nothing to work with to reverse the Firecell."

"Maybe that's their intent," Wufei mumbled.

"Actually, I think it's more a case of being rotten shots," Duo snickered.

Another shower of glass came their way when another monitor was hit and exploded.

"Shit! Now I've got glass all through my hair, it's gonna take forever to get it all out," Duo moaned.

"Maxwell, suck it up or cut it off."

"Remind me to tell Miracle to crap _in_ your shoes next time you visit." Without waiting for a reply, Duo checked the magazine in his gun and moved away.

"Maxwell!" Wufei cursed avidly in Chinese at the long haired man whilst raising his gun and returning fire.

Keeping low, Duo managed to work his way along the computer stations. He sincerely hoped that Hawkins was somewhere near the console he'd worked on when Duo had been forced to program the dolls. He recalled the professor ducking for cover in that vicinity. Purple eyes scanned the area, knocking out one tech that stood in his way.

Peering around the edge of a desk, he spotted Hawkins up ahead. Problem was, a guard was right next to him.

"Fuck, fuck, fuckety fuck," Duo cursed as he pulled back. Bullets continued to be traded all around him as he tried to think of the best way to get Hawkins away from the guard. He really didn't want to kill anyone, not just because of Une's orders, but he was tired of the killing, tired of the continuous blood on his hands, the fighting, the constantly looking over his shoulder.

Tired of his darkness that was Shinigami.

Duo Maxwell was just plain tired of it all and had had enough. Once this was all over he was seriously thinking about handing in his badge, taking his family and moving as far away as he could. He wondered what Heero would think about quitting.

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. "Okay, old buddy, one last time," he whispered to himself. Purple eyes deepened further and Shinigami surged forward.

#

Having tied up three techs, knocked another one unconscious and a guard sporting a gunshot wound to the knee, Zechs thought he'd done pretty well. Double checking that none were going anywhere, he crawled back along to where Heero was still firing at the enemy.

"Four techs in custody and one guard," he told Yuy.

"Good."

"How many guards and techs still left?"

"Not sure. I've wounded two guards and I think Chang and Duo have taken out a couple too."

Zechs did some quick math. "Without knowing for sure how many the other two have taken down I'm guessing that leaves around another six techs, five guards, the professor and Barton."

"Sounds about right to me," Heero gritted. He spotted the top of Barton's head behind the desk and pulled the trigger twice. Both shots missed, just ruffling Barton's hair as they lodged themselves in the wall behind.

"I hope this satellite is thick skinned," Zechs muttered.

"So do I," came Heero's reply.

#

Duo lay flat on the floor, gun pointing ahead as he crawled slowly towards the edge of the desk. Taking another look, he noted the guard had his attention focused on where either Heero or Zechs was currently shooting at him. Eyes shifted to Hawkins, the professor noting the slight movement and diverting his gaze.

Seeing the tiny wisp of a braid, Hawkins knew the young man was coming for him and he let a small sigh of relief escape. His eyes widened a fraction when he noted the hand signals sent his way. Whilst he wasn't all that clued up on hand signals, he could make out enough to know that the man wanted him to get down and stay down. He nodded in understanding.

Lowering himself to the floor brought the guard's attention back to him and Hawkins did his best not to give away the young man's position.

Taking careful aim, Duo waited for the professor to be flat on the floor; then he got his chance. The gun bucked, bullet shooting from the chamber, flying through the air and hitting the target in the abdomen. The guard went down immediately.

Seeing the guard hit the deck, Hawkins scrambled towards Duo, keeping himself low and out of the firing range. "Thank you, young man," Hawkins said as he flattened himself against the desk beside Duo.

"Don't thank me yet, prof, we ain't out of the woods by a long shot," Duo grinned.

"Are they really Preventer agents?" Hawkins questioned as Duo reloaded his gun.

"Yeah. They're agents all right, the best. If anyone can get us all safely out of here, it's this group."

"You're an agent yourself, correct?" Hawkins was sure Duo had told him that when they'd had their discussion in the bathrooms.

"Yup, sure am, prof." Duo took the chance to look over the top of the desk and fired off another round of bullets, taking down another guard. Ducking back down, he realized the professor had more questions.

"The mobile suits?"

"All destroyed, thanks to you, prof."

"The program worked?" The professor's eyes widened.

"Sure did. Why look so surprised about it? The code kicked in and the suits all failed to respond to the program; in fact, they were quite a sight to see. Made it much easier for my colleagues and myself to take them out."

"Ah. I hoped it would work, but I wasn't sure exactly what it would do. I only made up the code when you asked me for something. I didn't know if it would work for sure as it hadn't been trialed, but as long as it did something then that's all that matters." Hawkins stared Duo right in the eyes. "What do you mean, they were a sight to see?"

Duo snickered. "They kinda looked like they were dancing, bad dancing."

"I see." The professor allowed himself a small chuckle.

"Come on, prof. I need to get you back to my captain. Once we have Barton and the control room under Preventer control, we need you and my partner, Agent Day, to try and reverse this Firecell."

Hawkins paled a touch.

"You _can_ reverse it... right?"

"In theory, yes. But I've never had to try it out as the Firecell has never been used before."

"Then I guess we will have to hope and pray. Don't worry, prof, Heero is a computer genius too and I know that between the two of you, you will be able to stop it and reverse it all." Duo gave the professor a warm, reassuring smile.

A split second later, Duo found himself sprawled flat on his back, the professor half over the top of him.

"Ummm, prof, first up, I'm not that kind of guy, I'm a married man, and secondly, I didn't think you swung this way." When the professor didn't immediately answer, Duo knew there was something up.

"Guard," Hawkins croaked out and pushed himself to the side so Duo could see.

"You fucking bastard!" Duo snarled and leveled his gun.

The guard Duo had shot in the abdomen had managed to regain consciousness and fired his gun. Hawkins had seen it coming and pushed Duo out of the way, taking the bullet himself.

Shinigami came forth, purple eyes sparking fire as Duo sent the bullets slamming home. All thoughts of taking prisoners were tossed aside as Duo's alter ego delivered his own retribution.

Having dealt with the threat, Duo turned his attention back to Hawkins. "Where did the bullet get you?" he asked, eyes scanning the professor's body.

"Shoulder, I think," Hawkins replied.

Duo carefully moved the professor until he could clearly see the blood staining the man's shirt. Hawkins coughed, a small spray of blood leaving his lips.

"Shit! Judging by the entry point, I'd say the bullet has nicked your lung," Duo said as he studied the bullet's entry point. "It's still in there too," he added quietly when he saw no exit point. Duo also noted that if the professor hadn't done what he did and taken the bullet for him, the bullet would have gotten him in the neck.

"Thanks, prof. I owe you one," Duo stated softly.

"You can pay me back by stopping Barton so I can reverse this Firecell," the professor replied.

"You got yourself a deal," Duo smiled.

#

"It's all over, Barton," Heero tried again. "Your suits are destroyed, your army is in the process of being taken down so why don't you give it up?"

"You're bluffing," Barton snarled.

"I don't bluff," Heero replied, voice as cold as ice.

"I may have lost the suits, but my army is marching as we speak and will soon have the ESUN under my control. The people will follow me and the earth will no longer dictate what will be done," Barton snapped and sent a bullet Heero's way.

"Asshole," Heero muttered as he ducked to avoid the bullet. Turning to Zechs, he spoke. "I'm going to see if I can get around the side a bit and get a clear shot at him. I'll see if I can get Duo or Wufei to do the same on the other side. I'll need you to cover me though."

Zechs nodded his head in agreement.

Heero managed to move back a bit towards the door where he could see Chang but not Duo. "Chang!" he hissed in an attempt to get the other man's attention.

Hearing his name being called, Wufei glanced around, then he spotted Heero out the corner of his eye. He made a hand motion to signal he'd heard.

Using the same hand signals they had during the war, Heero conveyed his intent to Chang, indicating he wanted Duo or Wufei to do the same from their side. Chang replied in kind, but alerted Heero that Maxwell had gone after the professor.

"Fuck!" Heero swore.

Before Heero could get too riled up, Wufei spotted the agent and professor slowly making their way back to him. He let Yuy know.

Heero breathed a sigh of relief with the signal and then saw his lover with his own eyes which reassured him further.

"Yuy intends to try and take Barton down by moving around the side to get a clearer shot at him. He wants one of us to do the same from this side," Chang informed Duo.

"I'll go," Duo said. "I owe that bastard and it's time to pay up." He turned to the professor. "Stay here with Agent Fire, he'll keep you safe."

Hawkins nodded and wedged himself against the desk they were currently hiding behind.

"He took a bullet that was meant for me," Duo whispered to Wufei. "Entered just below the shoulder blade and I'm pretty sure it caught his lung. There's no sign of exit so I assume it's still in there."

"I'll do what I can," Wufei replied.

"Thanks." Duo checked his gun and patted his arm, comfortable in the knowledge he'd managed to return one of his knives to its sheath. Peering around the edge of the desk, he motioned to Heero that he was ready.

"Cover us, Zechs," Heero muttered as he slipped past the tall agent and began to make his way along the back of the computer desks.

Across the other side of the room, Duo was similarly making his way towards Barton.

Unaware that he was being approached from both sides, Barton continued to fire at will. He'd come this far and wasn't about to have anyone or anything ruin his plans. It had been bad enough that the mobile suits had been taken out, but his army was safely on earth and should be just about at the ESUN by now. He smiled to himself. There was no way that Preventer or the police force could stop his army, they would be lynched by the angry citizens.

Amid the exchange of gunfire, he spotted a movement and immediately homed in on it. "You bastard," Barton muttered as he recognized the dark hair of his enemy. He lined up the shot and fired.

"Shit!" Heero grimaced and gritted his teeth against the pain as the bullet glanced across his biceps. Immediately he returned fire, looking for somewhere that would offer him a little more cover. The monitor of the computer above him shattered as a bullet found it, the shards raining down on him. Heero scrambled forward, another bullet whizzing past his ear and he ducked on reflex.

#

Duo had stealthily made his way around the outside of the room. He'd stayed in the shadows, flitting from computer station to computer station, blending with his surroundings as he drew ever closer to his target.

Only three stations now stood between him and his nemesis.

Duo remained hidden, watching for a chance to take Barton down. He spotted Heero across the room just as Barton did and watched with his heart in his mouth as Barton fired repeatedly at his husband. He wasn't sure if a bullet had connected or not, but he did know that Heero was in trouble. There wasn't anywhere for him to be able to hide and get in a good shot at Barton.

"Fucking asshole," Duo muttered. He continued to watch as another round of gunfire was exchanged and caught Heero's minute grimace indicating that Barton had managed to hit his mark.

Purple fire flooded his eyes as Shinigami surged forth. Rage consumed Duo to his core and he surrendered to his alter ego. "Just don't kill him," Duo told himself as he let his psyche retreat and Shinigami take over.

With Barton's attention fully on Heero, Duo moved silently and swiftly, pulling the knife from its sheath as he flitted behind the desks. With one last look at his prey, Duo took a deep breath and moved.

"Stay still and let me shoot you," Barton snarled, trailing Heero's movement with his gun. He couldn't quite get the clear shot he needed. Just as Heero passed between consoles, Barton raised the gun and went to squeeze the trigger.

Duo was on him in an instant.

A dead weight hit him in the back whilst at the same time a searing pain shot through his wrist, gun dropping from lax fingers. Barton fell forward, shock on his face as another pain made its presence known – this one to his temple.

Through blurred vision, Barton managed to twist around enough to see who or what had tackled him. Fear flooded his blood stream when he stared directly into violet eyes that burned with the flames of hell.

"I told you I would come for you," Duo snarled, knife at Barton's throat. "And I never lie..."

tbc...


	101. Chapter 101

**Thank you to all for reading and big thanks to everyone who has reviewed. Your comments and feedback are much appreciated!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 101

[Preventer Shuttle 121]

Having completed the depressurization procedure, Quatre stepped out onto the satellite surface, gun drawn at the ready should he come across any of the mobile suit pilots that decided to be a hero. Whilst the suits themselves had been decimated and some of the pilots had managed to return to the safety of the Dome, others were still inside their suits. Whether that was by choice or simply otherwise, Quatre had no way of knowing, hence the extra precaution.

Checking the small device in his hand, he set out for where the other shuttle should be. Unable to see the craft due to the cloaking device he was completely reliant on the small gadget that not only guided him to the craft, but would also permit him entry once the secure code was entered and his identity confirmed.

He was lucky so far, no sign of another human being. The device beeped to inform him the shuttle was just ahead and he would need to input the secure code. Pressing the appropriate buttons, Quatre waited for the code to be accepted. It was and he was allowed to approach the craft. He felt rather than saw the metal of the ramp and then he was inside the small chamber. The door closed behind him and the pressure equalized. Removing his helmet, his retinas were scanned and the other door opened to permit him to enter the shuttle properly.

With a soft sigh, Quatre left the helmet and headed directly to the cockpit.

Settling into the seat, he brought the shuttle's computers fully on line and began the diagnostics check. With the computer busy running the checks, he picked up the headset and tuned into the channel for the other shuttle.

"Preventer Shuttle 221," came Trowa's soft voice.

"Hey, it's Quatre. I made it okay."

A soft exhalation of air greeted Quatre's ears. "Thank god."

"Everything okay over there?" Quatre chuckled.

"All still fine and dandy. What about the other shuttle? Any visible damage?"

"None that I've been able to detect so far, but I've only seen part of it, I'm planning on checking the rest out in a minute."

"Diagnostics?"

"Running the check now."

"Be careful."

"I will. Any news from the others yet?"

"No. I've not had any communication from them in a while. I hope everything is okay."

Quatre closed his eyes and let his empathy seep forth. He scanned around with it, trying to see if he could pick up on anything at all from the other four.

"Quatre?"

"Sorry, Trowa. I was trying to see if I could pick up anything from the others."

"Did you?"

"Not much. All I'm getting is very faint pulses so at least we know they're all still alive."

"Better than nothing," Trowa replied.

"How are you doing?" Quatre asked.

"I've been better, but I'm okay."

"I'll get back to this damage report then. The sooner I'm finished the sooner I can get back to you over there."

"Roger that."

"Let me know if you hear anything as I'll be out of the cockpit for a while doing a visual. I'll have the communicator with me though."

"Will do. Be careful, Quatre."

"I'll do my best. Love you."

"I love you too. Air out."

"Space out."

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 Control Room]

"Make one false move and I'll slit your throat," Duo growled and to prove he wasn't bluffing, he pressed the steel a little tighter against Barton's throat.

A soft whimper came from the older man.

"Call your goons off. I want all of your people to toss their weapons out, stand up and put their hands in the air where I can see them," Duo demanded.

"Get fucked," Barton snarled.

"Wrong answer." Keeping the knife at Barton's throat, Duo grabbed an arm and brought it around Barton's back, pinning the man to the ground even more effectively. "I'll ask you again. Tell your people to toss their weapons out then stand up with their hands where I can see them." Duo pulled on the arm for emphasis.

Barton gave a grimace of pain and squeezed his eyes shut. His body trembled and he swallowed hard.

"Tell your men to drop their weapons before I lose my temper and do something _you_ will regret," Duo insisted.

"Fuck off."

Duo yanked on the arm, smirking when he heard Barton scream in pain. "Last chance." The knife began to move a little against the skin of Barton's neck, breaking the surface skin and allowing droplets of blood to appear.

"Shoot the bastards!" Barton yelled.

"You prick!" Duo snarled and pulled hard on the arm, twisting it at the same time and giving a satisfied grunt when he heard the sound of the bones breaking.

The remaining, able guards were confused, unsure of what to do. The order of 'Shoot the bastards' rang clear in the air followed seconds later by a scream of agony. Wufei, Heero and Zechs also heard the order and following scream; only they weren't sure _who_ the scream came from.

Heero hit panic mode, scrambling behind the remaining desks in an effort to get to where Barton was. Anything that got in his way was flattened without a second thought. Zechs and Wufei seized the moment of confusion amongst Barton's guards to take down as many as possible.

"I ought to fucking kill you here and now, slowly and painfully," Duo snapped as he landed a punch to the side of Barton's head. "You deserve to rot in hell, only hell would probably reject your stinking corpse." Duo's lip was curled back in a feral snarl, eyes a deep purple as he let Barton know exactly how he felt about him – and not just verbally either.

Barton suddenly knew what it was like to be terrified. The man's eyes sparked with an unholy fire, the very pits of hell visible in them. Barton felt his entire body turn cold with the chill of absolute fear. There was something not quite human about pilot 02.

With the guards and remaining techs realizing they were fighting a losing battle, they tossed their weapons aside, raised their hands in the air and stepped out from their various hiding places. A chorus of 'Don't shoot. I surrender.' echoed around the control room.

Heero rounded the end of the desk Barton had been using as a shield and came to an abrupt stop. Before him, Barton lay in a pool of his own blood, one arm twisted at a funny angle. Duo was crouched half over him, fist poised in the air and about to strike.

"Agent Night! Stand down!" Heero barked and waited for Duo to respond.

The words penetrated Duo's mind and he paused in his strike. Shinigami snarled and pushed forth, the raised fist suddenly slamming down into Barton's back.

"02! Prisoner secure, stand down!" Heero tried again and edged closer to his lover. He could see the war being waged inside Duo's mind, Shinigami in full revenge mode and unwilling to retreat whilst Duo's gentle psyche struggled to break through. Making sure Duo could see him, Heero approached with caution and gently placed his hand on Duo's shoulder. Purple eyes blinked and looked up to him, the fist about to swing in Heero's direction when recognition finally made it through.

"Heero..."

"Stand down, 02. I've got your back." Heero said softly.

Duo lowered the fist, his eyes blinking rapidly as he pushed Shinigami back further. Reluctantly, his alter ego surrendered and retreated back into the deep recesses of Duo's mind.

"It's okay, Duo. Barton's men have surrendered and we have them all in custody." Heero pulled his lover up and into his strong embrace.

Duo's eyes scanned around the control room and saw that Heero's words were true. Wufei and Zechs were busy securing Barton's men with whatever they could find. Relief flooded his system, then he tensed again. "Barton?" he whispered. "I – I didn't kill him, did I?" Guilt began to replace the fear.

"No, Duo. You didn't kill him, just roughed him up a bit," Heero informed his lover. "Although I wish you'd left a bit for me."

Duo couldn't help but snicker at that and turned to look at the floor where an unconscious Barton lay in a tangled mess, blood around and over him.

"Fuck! Une's gonna have my ass for this," Duo moaned.

"No, she won't. Under the circumstances I think you were quite restrained and she did say she wanted him alive, but she didn't say anything about him being damaged." Heero pressed a kiss to Duo's temple. "Besides, I'm the only one that's allowed to have your ass," he added with a growl and to prove his point, Heero grabbed Duo's ass and squeezed. "Mine," he stated fiercely

Duo snuggled deeper into his husband's embrace. "I saw him fire on you, he.. he hit you. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just a bullet graze," Heero replied.

"Thank god. I was so scared I was going to lose you."

"It's over now, Duo," Heero soothed, running his hand along his partner's back.

"Not quite," Duo chuckled. "We still have the mop up to do, a Firecell to reverse and then there's the minor issue of Gundams and shuttles to fix so we can return to earth."

"Shit! The professor," Heero suddenly stated and glanced wildly around.

"He's safe, Heero," Duo informed him. "I got him away from Barton and left him with Wufei. He... he took a bullet that was meant for me," he added quietly.

"He's not-"

"No, Heero. The bullet went in by his shoulder and I'm pretty sure it nicked his lung. I don't think it's life threatening, but the sooner he gets medical attention the better."

Heero sighed. "I think we should get moving then, try to sort out this mess."

"Good idea. I'm looking forward to going home, having a nice, hot soak in the tub and cuddling both you and Keitaro."

"And visiting Sally," Heero added with a firm look.

"I'm fine, Heero. Tro did a good job in bandaging me up," Duo protested.

"I'm not talking about those injuries, although they will need to be looked at. I'm talking about another medical condition, one we need confirming," Heero said softly and ran a gentle hand over the small swell of Duo's abdomen.

"Ah. Right." Duo's eyes glazed over. "And if it's positive?" Duo didn't add he was pretty positive himself that Sally would confirm what he already knew.

"Then I guess I should start to lay in a stock of crunchie bars," Heero sighed.

Duo pressed a kiss to his lover's lips. "Not crunchie bars, Heero. This time I have a hankering for oranges."

Heero sighed and rolled his eyes. "At least they're healthier."

# # #

[Preventer Shuttle 121]

Quatre sat back down in the pilot's seat and glanced at the computer screen. He'd done a complete walk around the entire shuttle and had been relieved to find no external damage that would put the shuttle in jeopardy. All he had located were a couple of scorch marks one one side of the main belly, but they were only surface marks. The cloaking device had served it well.

The data flashed on the screen and a small smile curved his lips. So far all the diagnostics were looking good too. He was quite relieved to discover that now at least they had one fully functioning shuttle to carry them back to earth.

With the tests pretty much complete, Quatre only had to head back to the other shuttle and await orders from Une in regards to what she planned to do about getting the other shuttle up and running so they could bring the Gundams back. Picking up the headset, he decided to let his lover know he was done and would be returning in a few minutes.

"Shuttle 221, this is shuttle 121. Trowa, do you copy?"

"Hey, gorgeous. I was just thinking about you and wondering how long before you're back here with me. I'm missing my little stud-muffin."

"Trowa, have you been into the morphine again?"

"Just a small, top up dose," Trowa chuckled. "Had you going for a while though."

Quatre sighed. "Yes, you did."

"What are the results?"

"All fine. Minor skin damage, but nothing that would stop her from flying safely. Computer results show all circuits and systems are functioning normally."

"That's great news. At least we can get off this hunk of tin as Duo would say."

Quatre was just about to ask if there had been any word from the other four when the console lights flashed, indicating someone was trying to get in contact. "You getting that, Trowa?"

"Yes, yes I am. I'll see who it is." Trowa pushed the button. "This is Preventer shuttle 221."

"Trowa, it's Heero."

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 Control Room]

Having calmed Duo down and settled Shinigami back to where he belonged, Heero bent to examine Barton He noted the other two still in the processes of 'arresting' Barton's men, using whatever they could to restrain them.

Rolling the man over, Heero grunted as he took in the state of the man before him.

"He's not going to ..." Duo began to ask and bit his lip, unable to continue.

"No, Duo. He's not going to die on us, more's the pity. Bastards like him deserve to die after what he's done." Heero continued his examination before standing up. "He's got a broken arm, possible broken cheek, multiple bruises, likely broken ribs, maybe a bruised kidney from that last punch and a few contusions."

"Not enough if you ask me," Duo spat.

"He'll have plenty of time sitting in jail to contemplate his misdemeanors," Heero replied.

"Rotting would be preferable."

"Come on, we need to help the other two and then see what we can do about getting this Firecell reversed."

"What about him?" Duo nudged Barton in the ribs.

"I'll find something to secure him with, although he's not about to go anywhere."

"I can always break a leg, or two just to make sure," Duo returned, the hopeful tone evident.

"As much as I agree with you, we can't. Une would have fifty fits; as it is she's going to go psycho on us for the damage that has been done to him."

Duo shuddered at that thought. "Good point, although even the boss can't deny that we only used what force was necessary to take him down."

Heero raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, maybe a little more force than was necessary..."

Heero raised his other eyebrow.

"Oh for fucks sake! Okay, I used more force than was necessary, but if Une has a problem with it she can take it up with Shinigami, I'm pleading temporary insanity on this one." Duo threw his arms up in the air in defeat.

Heero chuckled "Don't worry, I'll back you up."

Duo huffed and turned his back, aiming for where he'd left the professor. He didn't want anything further to do with Barton, if he did he would most likely end up putting the man in intensive care for the rest of his miserable life.

Watching his lover move away, Heero sighed and looked around for something with which to secure Barton He noted Wufei and Zechs were using computer cords and the like, having used up their allocation of handcuffs, and so he located a couple himself. He tied Barton's legs together but couldn't do much with the arms due to the broken one. He did manage to loosely tie them together though. Satisfied that Barton wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon, he made his way to where Duo was sitting with the professor.

"Professor Hawkins?" Heero asked when he stopped in front of the pair.

Hawkins looked up. "Yes, I'm Hawkins," he replied.

"Agent Day of Preventers." Heero extended his hand which the professor took and shook firmly. "I wish to thank you for saving my partner's life," Heero said quietly.

"You're welcome, although no thanks are needed, I already owe this young man a lot," Hawkins replied.

Duo blushed. "Prof, if it hadn't been for you, we wouldn't be here with Barton and his goons in custody."

"Then let's call it even, shall we?" the professor smiled and then groaned as the bullet made its presence known.

"You all right?" Heero asked.

"I've been better, but I can cope. I believe we have a Firecell to reverse?"

"If we can," Heero replied.

"I suggest we get started then, it could take a while." The professor attempted to rise. Heero held out a hand and gave the professor a lift. "Thank you."

"Professor, why don't you and Duo try to find a couple of consoles that are undamaged, I need to check in with the others and let them know what's happening."

"Okay," Duo replied for the both of them and began to lead the professor towards the computers.

Heero took out his com unit and pressed the button.

"This is Preventer shuttle 221."

"Trowa, it's Heero."

"Heero? What the fuck is going on? Have you got to the control room yet? Have you arrested Barton? Is everyone okay?"

"Trowa, if you will let me get a word in..."

"Ah, sorry."

Heero snickered to himself. "We have managed to infiltrate the control room and have Barton in custody along with ten guards and eleven techs. The professor was here too and we are about to try and reverse this Firecell."

"Status of prisoners and agents?" Quatre's voice came over the line.

"Quatre?"

"Yes, Heero. I'm in the other shuttle finishing off the diagnostics check."

"Aa."

"What is the status?" Quatre repeated.

"One guard dead, four injured, five okay. Three techs injured and eight okay. Professor Hawkins has been injured too, bullet wound to the shoulder and lung, not immediately life threatening and treated as best we can for now."

"What about Barton?" Quatre asked quietly.

"He's alive."

Both Quatre and Trowa took that to mean that Barton was going to be pretty banged up.

"There's another goon outside the control room, he was one of the ones to have taken Duo from the original kidnappers; injured but alive."

"And?" Quatre could tell there was more from the tone of Heero's voice.

"Another one, Barton's right hand man... Deceased..."

"Wha-"

"Shinigami," Heero breathed. He didn't have to say anything more, both Trowa and Quatre understood.

"What is the next step?" Trowa asked.

"Hawkins and I will attempt to reverse the Firecell whilst the others finish securing the prisoners. Once we have that done we will do our best to get Barton to tell his men to all stand down, that they have lost."

"Any idea how many prisoners we're likely to have on our hands?"

"Unsure. I don't know how many are still roaming the Dome, plus there's the suit pilots that have made it back to the Dome and those still out there. There's also the wounded as well."

Quatre became all business. "Heero, I'd suggest that once the Firecell is reversed, you take those you currently have to the section of the Dome Barton was using as cells. Lock them all up in there and any others you locate as well. I'll contact Mother Earth and give her the run down. Once that Firecell is reversed I'm sure she will send help."

"Thanks, Quatre."

"No problem, Heero. They're going to have to send help anyway as the transport shuttle is in no condition to make the flight back to earth with the Gundams, and we're not leaving them here. The other shuttle is fine and will make the return journey without a problem. I'll contact you once we have further orders from Une."

"Roger that, Space."

"Good luck, Heero."

"Thanks." Heero disconnected, shoved the com unit back into his pocket and looked around for his lover and the professor. He spotted them just across the room, busy at a couple of terminals that had survived the flying bullets. Picking his way carefully through the broken glass and numerous other bits of wreckage, he made his way across to them.

"What's the go?" Duo asked.

"Quatre will contact Une and fill her in. He will get back to us with further orders once he has them. Meanwhile, we're to do our best in trying to reverse this Firecell." Heero turned his attention back to the professor who was already firing up the system. "You ready, professor?"

Hawkins cracked his knuckles. "I'm ready."

"Good." Heero took up residence in the seat at the terminal next to the professor and fired the computer up. "Okay, where do we go?"

Hawkins recited codes to Heero who typed them in, delving through the computer's memory banks, files and systems until they were both closing in on the program. Duo watched and then gave up trying to follow. He was pretty good with a computer himself, but Heero was better. Watching the professor work though... He was in a class of his own. Duo smirked to himself. He knew his husband would be like lightning in picking up what the professor was doing. Seeing there wasn't anything he could do, Duo wandered off to assist Zechs and Wufei in securing the rest of the prisoners.

# # #

[Preventer Headquarters – Communications]

"Commander Une, your presence is required in the communications room. I have Agents Space and Air on the line."

"Thank you, Agent Sun. I'll be there in a moment." Une placed the communicator back on the table and looked to the agents seated around her. "I'm required in the communications department. Whilst I"m gone I want you all to continue to look at ways and means we can deploy to stop Barton's army from taking over the ESUN building." Une glared at Agent Spice. "And blowing the place up is not high on the agenda of possibles either. That is a last resort." Une stood and without a glance back, left the conference room and made her way as quickly as she could to the communications department.

Back in the conference room, Spice shrugged. "I thought it had possibilities, at least Barton wouldn't have a building, equipment and all the ESUN data to use; plus we could blow it when most of his army are there and take them out at the same time."

The rest of the agents did agree, to a point.

#

"Commander," Sky said as the door to the communications room shot open and a fast moving Une shot inside.

Une nodded, by-passed Sky and made a beeline for where Sun was sitting. Grabbing a headset, she turned to the agent. "Put him on," she demanded.

"Yes, ma'am," Sun replied and twiddled a couple of dials. "Agents Space and Air, the Commander is here now. Go ahead."

"Commander?"

"What have you got for me, Space?"

"Commander, we've just had word from Agent Day, Barton has been arrested."

Une gave a loud sigh of relief and her shoulders slumped. Both Sun and Sky let out whoops which they managed to turn into coughs at the glare that was sent their way.

"Space, what is the full status of things up there?"

"Barton has been arrested along with several of his techs and guards. There are some casualties..."

"I thought I made it clear-"

"Yes, ma'am, you did, but as you can appreciate, sometimes things just go wrong. As I was saying, there are some casualties. Actual numbers of deceased and injured are yet to be finalized, although I do know there aren't as many as there could have been. We still have several people within the Dome that are at this point unaware of Barton's capture, plus many suit pilots still remaining in their destroyed suits. As yet we do not know if they are unable to return to the Dome due to injury or if they are just trapped."

"I understand, Space. What is the status of the agents inside the Dome?"

"Functional, but they are carrying injuries, what exactly they are, I do not know at this point, although none are life threatening."

"Right. What is happening now?"

"Agent Night managed to rescue the professor and the professor, along with Day are currently attempting to reverse the Firecell. Agents Fire, Wind and Night are securing the prisoners with the intent of locking them in the area Barton was using as cells. Once the Firecell is reversed, Day plans to have Barton tell all his people to stand down and surrender."

Une thought on that for a minute.

"Commander, we're going to need assistance here to repair the shuttle to bring the Gundams back, also there's a fair amount of clean up to do and transport will be needed to bring the prisoners back to earth for trial. Shuttle 121 is clear and able to fly so we have transport back for the agents currently here," Quatre informed. "What would you like us to do?"

"Space, continue as planned. I will have teams scrambled and shuttles ready to lift off within a couple of hours. I will inform you of their intended arrival time once all is ready. Meanwhile, I expect you to let me know immediately the Firecell is reversed."

"Of course."

"Space, tell Day I would like him to transmit Barton's speech to Preventer when he speaks to his people and has them surrender."

"May I ask why?"

"I intend to have it broadcast all over the Earth and Colonies. I'm hoping that once the people see that the Firecell is destroyed, Barton defeated and power over all the systems is restored to the rightful areas, the people will calm down and the rioting stop. I'm also hoping it will put an end to Barton's army..."

"You have something else planned?" Quatre could feel it.

"Yes, I do. Along with Barton's surrender I have a little something else I plan to broadcast, something that will most certainly bring a halt to Barton's army."

tbc...


	102. Chapter 102

**Thank you to everyone for reading and warm hugs for the kind reviews and encouraging comments!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 102

[Preventer Headquarters]

Once Une had finished her contact with the agents on the satellite, she took a moment to gather her thoughts, head sagging and eyes closing as she fought off the fatigue.

"Commander? Excuse me for being so forward, but you really should get some rest," Sun stated.

"I wish I could," Une replied, "But there's still a lot to be done and someone has to run this circus."

"Is there anything we can do?" asked Sky.

"Yes, there is. Get on the airwaves now. I want any and all available agents in the building to meet in conference room one in ten minutes. Also contact the shuttle port and have them assemble all agents there in the same time frame as I wish to speak with them too."

"Right on it, ma'am," Sky replied.

"Sun, find where Senator Peacecraft is and have her meet me in conference room one in ten minutes."

"Yes, Commander."

"Where are Forest and Oak?"

"In the temporary living quarters."

"Have them come back as soon as possible, you're going to need the help," Une stated. A frown crossed her features. "Has anyone heard from Sapphire recently?"

"Not for a little while, Commander."

Une picked up the headset again. "Sun, get Sapphire for me now, please."

"Yes, Commander." Sun turned back to his console and began to transmit to Sapphire. Within a couple of minutes he had the agent on the line. "Sapphire's reporting in, Commander."

"Thank you. Agent Sapphire?"

"Commander?"

"Listen up. How far away from the ESUN building are you?"

"About five or six kilometers. Barton's army is not far ahead of me," replied Sapphire.

"Okay. Sapphire, I want you to get ahead of Barton's army and get into the ESUN building before they get there."

"Ma'am?"

"Sapphire, just follow orders," Une snapped, her patience was starting to wear a little thin.

"My apologies, Commander."

"Once you're inside, head for the conference room. Inside the conference room, beside the vid screen you will find a medium sized, cream colored box. Disconnect it and bring it here to headquarters. When you're about a kilometer away, call in so we can escort you in. Guard that box with your life, Sapphire."

The agent knew better than to ask why the box was of such importance and accepted his assignment. "Roger that, Commander."

"Good luck, Sapphire, and god speed."

"Sapphire out."

"Une out." Slipping the headset off, Une was aware of two sets of eyes watching her. "Don't you two have work to do?"

"Ah, yes, Commander."

"Then I suggest you get onto it. We have a lot to accomplish and not much time to do it in. Let me know immediately when Sapphire calls in. I'll be in conference room one." Une stood up and left the communications room.

"You heard the Commander, we've got work to do," Sky stated and turned back to his own systems to start. Sun rolled his eyes.

# # #

[ESUN Headquarters]

Sapphire ditched the motorbike under some bushes in the gardens surrounding the ESUN building. He'd been lucky so far and avoided any angry mobs. Cutting across country had helped his cause a lot and he had about an hour before the army he'd been tailing would reach the building. Realizing the Senators were no longer in residence at the building, the people had lost interest and moved on, although a few still straggled about.

Ducking through the shrubbery, Sapphire approached the building from the rear, making his way towards the service bay entry. He could see a couple of security guards through the window and moved silently towards it. He reached into his pocket for his Preventer ID and pulled it free. Sidling alongside one window, he rapped sharply on it, ducked and held up his Preventer ID. "It's Agent Sapphire from Preventer," he called out.

Inside, the security guards almost jumped out of their skin when they heard the rapping on the pane. Yanking their guns from their holsters, they aimed at the window, certain they were about to be ambushed and were confronted by a hand holding up an ID badge. The introduction followed a second later.

"Show yourself, agent," bellowed one of the guards.

Slowly, Sapphire raised himself up to face the window and the gun pointing directly at him. The guards checked the ID against his face and holstered their guns.

"I need to come in," Sapphire stated. "I'll explain once I'm inside."

The guards nodded and moved towards the door, one pulling his gun out again just in case. The bolts slid back and Sapphire slipped inside. Quickly he explained why he was there and what he needed. He also informed the guards of the approaching army.

"What the hell does the Commander want with that box?" one guard asked.

"I have no idea, but I need to get it and get back to Headquarters as quickly as possible," Sapphire replied. "Any chance you can point me in the direction of the conference room?"

"I'll take you there," said the second guard.

"Thanks."

Seconds later, Sapphire was being led through the building towards the conference room.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 Control Room]

The steady click of keys had begun to wear on Duo's nerves, but he knew better than to interrupt. Heero and Hawkins were speaking in low tones between themselves, discussing options and typing in commands to the computers. They were working fast, doing their best to reverse the Firecell and have normality resumed as quickly as possible.

Wufei and Zechs had managed to round up all of the guards and the bunch were restrained and sitting in a row near the door. Duo helped with the techs, locating cords and anything else that could be used to restrain them. Picking his way through the debris, Duo had stumbled upon a tech who had squeezed himself in between consoles.

"Okay, you can come out of there now," Duo ordered, holding the gun steady and pointing at the pair of feet that were just visible.

"Promise you won't shoot me if I come out?" came the plea.

"I won't shoot you. I've had enough of the killing. Come out now otherwise I'll be forced to drag you out," Duo snapped.

"Okay, okay. Keep your shirt on." The tech began to wriggle around and soon the legs attached to the feet appeared. Moments later the torso followed and as the arms came into view, Duo grabbed them and yanked the tech the rest of the way out.

"You!" Duo all but yelled when the tech was out of his hiding spot.

"Fuck!" Farrow replied and paled considerably.

Hearing he exchange, Wufei was quickly beside Duo. "What is it, Night?"

"This asshole," Duo replied and shook the man in his grasp.

"What about him?"

"He's one from the original group that kidnapped me. He worked on the computers for Nolen," Duo snarled.

"Is that true?" Wufei asked, his eyes narrowing.

Farrow thought he was going to be sick. He nodded as his voice had deserted him for the moment.

Wufei thought for a moment. "Tie him up tight, we're going to need him," he said softly.

Duo raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, Fire?"

"I"ll talk to you in a minute. Let's secure him first."

Duo nodded, his curiosity bubbling just below the surface. He located some more cords and tied Farrow's wrists and ankles as tight as he dared. The tech was left with the other techs to ponder his fate.

Chang took Duo by the arm and led him across the room and out of earshot of their prisoners. "Night, you say he was part of the original kidnapping group, correct?"

"Yeah. There was him, Duric, Nolen and Murphy. The other one in their group, Cropp, he was the one that was murdered in the ESUN building, the one we found trying to hack the system," Duo replied.

"Maxwell, was he there when you were ordered to assassinate the Ambassadors?"

"Yeah, he was," Duo growled.

A soft smile began to form on Wufei's lips.

"Ummm... 'Fei? What's with all the questions and the smile? You're starting to scare me here."

"Agent Night, I don't know if you are aware of it or not, but there are charges pending against you back on earth for the assassination of the L1 and L3 ambassadors. Preventer forensics has matched your DNA with the DNA found at both crime scenes."

Duo went cold all over. "Charges?" he whispered. "Chang, I had no option but to kill those ambassadors. If I didn't they were going to kill my son and Nurse Brown. They broke the nurse's wrist to prove they weren't kidding."

"I know that, Night."

Duo ran his fingers through his messy bangs. "Christ, 'Fei, how much more do I have to go through?"

"Maxwell, I'm on your side here and I fully intend to make sure those charges are dropped."

"Fucking good luck. They won't be happy until they have my ass in jail. Shit! I never asked for this, any of it and yet I still come out of it as the bad guy. I should have died in the Maxwell fire..."

"Agent Night! That's quite enough," Wufei snapped. His heart was bleeding for Duo. The young man hadn't asked for any of this, all he wanted to do was live a quiet life with his husband and child, yet Fate had decided it wanted to mess with him yet again. As far as Wufei was concerned, Maxwell had suffered more than enough in his short life and Wufei wasn't going to stand by and let anything more happen to his friend.

"Face it, Wufei, I'm screwed."

"Maxwell, you are not screwed. This tech, Farrow I think you said his name was?"

"Yeah."

"He's going to be your redemption."

"How?"

"He was there, he knew what Nolen and the others were planning. He knew the orders and he will testify that you were forced to commit those assassinations."

"And just why would he do that?"

Wufei cracked his knuckles. "Because I will ask him to."

Duo suddenly snickered. "Anyone ever tell you, you have a way with people, Wuffles?"

"I believe you are the first. And the name is Wufei, I suggest you remember that unless you want your witness unable to speak."

"You win, Wu_Fei."_

_# # # _

[ESUN Building]

It didn't take long for Sapphire to reach the conference room and the cream colored box sitting beside the vid screen. Quickly, Sapphire removed the cords and plugs, picking up the box and tucking it under his arm.

"What's so special about that?" the guard asked.

"I have no idea," replied Sapphire. "I was just ordered to get it and take it back to Preventer Headquarters."

The guard grunted. "You said there was an army on its way here?"

"Yes. From what I know, Barton has sent them and I believe their intent is to take over the ESUN building."

"What for? There's nothing of interest here now that Barton released that Firecell thing. The main computer isn't functional so there's no access to documentation or anything like that."

"I really don't know. I haven't been told anything, and even if I did know I doubt I would be allowed to tell you," Sapphire stated.

"Guess you're right." The guard continued to walk. "Any idea on what we should do? Those of us that are left here?"

"It's still not safe outside on the streets so I'd suggest staying here, find somewhere to hide once the army gets closer. I'm not sure what Preventer or the police force, if there's any of them left, will be able to do to stop them, but if there is a way, you can be sure they will try."

"Thanks, that's really reassuring," the guard replied.

Sapphire gave the guard a smile. "Don't worry, something will happen to sort it all out."

"I don't think I'll hold my breath," the guard mumbled. "We're back."

"Thank you for your help," Sapphire said and then slipped back out of the door. "Try to stay low and safe."

"Thanks. Good luck to you too," came the guard's reply.

Sapphire melted into the shadows and back to where he'd left the bike. Moments later he was roaring off in the direction of Preventer Headquarters, cream box safely shoved down the front of his jacket.

# # #

[Preventer Headquarters – Conference Room One]

Une looked to the faces sitting around the large table in the conference room and nodded to herself. She walked over to the head of the table and took her place. The chatter that had been present before now quieted as all present looked to their Commander.

"Agents, Senator Peacecraft, thank you all for coming at such short notice. Please, be seated." Whilst everyone took their seats, Une reached for the com unit. "Agent Sky?"

"Sky here, Commander."

"Are all the agents assembled at the shuttle port?"

"Yes, ma'am. I can patch through the audio just as soon as you're ready."

"Thank you. Please do so now."

The speakers attached to the vid screen in the room hummed to life, although the screen itself remained blank.

"Audio patched through, Commander."

"Good. Preventer Shuttle port, can you hear me?"

"Yes, Commander. This is Captain Storm here. I have all available agents here with me as requested."

"Perfect. Okay, everyone, I want you all to listen closely..." Une began to briefly explain to all the agents exactly what had happened, more for the benefit of those that were not completely aware of the situation.

"...The agents that were deployed to Satellite XRB 23 have reported in with favorable news. Barton's army of Mobile suits has been destroyed and those agents have successfully infiltrated the satellite dome. Barton has been arrested and one of the agents, along with the professor who originally developed the Firecell theory, are currently working at reversing the virus. If they are successful we should expect all systems on earth to return to normal and control over those systems return to those entrusted with them."

There were several cheers at that news. Once Une managed to silence the agents, she continued.

"Right now we still have several problems we need to address. Captain Storm?"

"Yes, Commander?"

"I need as many troop transport shuttles as possible to be scrambled and ready to fly. I'll need all available agents to travel aboard those shuttles." Une looked to the agents sitting around the conference room. "Volunteers?" she asked.

Every hand in the room went up. Une smirked.

"Good, I knew I could count on you all. The purpose is to fly to the Satellite and assist in the clean up. That means arresting and transporting all of Barton's men from the satellite back to Preventer. I will be speaking with the police force as we won't have enough room here in the cells to accommodate all of our guests. I will require a specialist team to recover all the electronic equipment and compile anything and everything we can use as evidence in our case against Barton. Storm, I will need a squad of mechanics, techs and shuttle maintenance crew ready to go as well. One of the transport shuttles was severely damaged during the altercation with the mobile suits and will need repairs. Agent Space or Air will be sending through a detailed report on the damage and I will forward it on to you so the men will know what they need in regards to tools and equipment. There are some materials and such already available on the satellite and we should have an inventory of that as well."

"I'm on to it now, Commander," came Storm's voice.

"There's one other thing..."

All eyes turned to the Commander.

"Barton managed to send an army here to earth. They have landed and were being tailed by an Agent Sapphire. It appears they are headed for the ESUN building and I'm guessing they intend to take it over in preparation for when Barton was to arrive on earth and take over leadership. Those troops are as yet unaware of Barton's arrest and the defeat of this elaborate plan."

"How then are we meant to stop them?" asked Agent Pepper.

Une's face lit up in a feral grin – everyone in the room shuddered, all well aware of their Commander's former psychotic side.

"That, I am hoping, won't be too much of a problem," she stated quietly. "Once this Firecell is reversed, I will ask the agents on the satellite to persuade Barton to make another broadcast to the earth and colonies, one that will inform everyone that he is no longer a threat, that all systems are returning to normal and the ESUN will once again head the peace keeping force. Those agents remaining here on earth along with whatever other support we can get from the police, we are hoping will be enough to convince Barton's army that it's all over and surrender is their best option."

Several agents looked skeptical.

"We do know that this army is made up largely of vagabonds, crime lords and the like from L2, the type of person used to only looking out for themselves. Once this goes down we believe that they will most likely turn tail and run. But should they decide to stay and fight, I have a little something extra that will persuade them to give it up."

Relena looked at the Commander. "Are you going to share?"

"Not just yet," came Une's reply. "Relena, I will need you to remain here at Headquarters so that once Barton's surrender is broadcast, you can speak to the people, calm them down and have them return to their homes whilst the rest of this mess is sorted out and some form of normality is restored."

"Whatever you wish, Une."

"Good. Is everyone clear on what we are doing?"

Several affirmative replies came back.

"Right. I'll now appoint Captains to each section of the assignment."

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 – Control Room]

With the prisoners all secure there wasn't anything for Wufei, Zechs and Duo to do other than keep an eye on them. Heero and Hawkins were progressing rapidly now in their attempts to reverse the Firecell and any interruption would most likely not be welcome.

Barton was still unconscious, his wounds having been temporarily tended to as no one wanted him to bleed out before he could be tried for his crimes.

With time on their hands, Zechs and Wufei had administered basic first aid to those of Barton's men that had been injured, Duo running interference and locating supplies. Those that hadn't been so lucky to survive the take over had been moved to a corner away from the rest of the group. No one really wanted to have corpses lying around in full view.

A soft grunt from Heero and a loud sigh from the professor had the three agents turning in their direction. Ignoring the fact that the pair were still working, Duo strolled over to the consoles to take a look at what was happening. He gave a low whistle when he watched the figures and codes all dancing across the screen.

"How's it coming?" Duo asked, the scrolling data moving too rapidly for him to keep up with.

Heero stretched to ease the kinks from his spine. "Almost there," he replied and smiled at his lover.

"What exactly is happening?" Wufei asked, curious to know the intricate details.

Hawkins explained. "As you know, the Firecell program is basically a virus, one that infiltrates and changes the codes to run on a different file system, a system the master programmer has control over. In simple terms, we've uploaded another virus, this one will change the codes back to the previous operating file systems and hopefully restore all technology to the way it was before."

"I see. How will we know if it has worked?" Wufei questioned.

"We contact Une," Heero stated.

"But, didn't you change the programming on the communications systems?" Wufei asked with a frown.

"I did, but I didn't erase the other programs. The communications systems will work on either file system. I did the same with the shuttles when I reprogrammed them," Heero said.

"Smart thinking," Zechs appraised.

"That's my Heero," Duo said smugly and squeezed his husband's shoulder.

"How long until we can try Une?" Wufei asked.

"Shouldn't be too much longer," Hawkins said.

"Good. I've had enough of being on this hunk of junk. I want to go home, have a long soak in the tub and see my son," Duo said with a hitch in his voice.

No one argued with that.

Five minutes later the computer console beeped and the data slowed down. Hawkins and Heero both averted their attention back to the computers.

"I'm pretty sure that's it," Hawkins said.

"Only one way to find out for sure." Heero looked at Chang. "Can you contact Une?"

Wufei removed the communicator from his pocket and pushed the necessary buttons.

"This is Preventer communications, Agent Sky here."

"Sky, it's Agent Fire. I need to speak with the Commander urgently in regards to the Firecell reversal."

"One moment, Fire. I'll page the Commander for you, she's currently in a meeting with what available agents we have."

"Thank you."

Sky paged the Commander and within minutes she was on the line.

"Fire? What have you got for me?"

"Commander, the professor and Agent Day believe they have reversed the Firecell, but we can't tell for sure from here. Commander, if you have access to a computer, or even your cell phone we need you to try and call someone or access the Preventer data base to confirm the Firecell has been reversed."

"One moment, Fire." Une reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. She noted the screen was its usual self, date and time displayed. With a shaking hand and thundering heart, she pressed Sally's number. The cell hummed for a moment and then Une could hear the ringing tone.

"Sally Po," came Sally's voice, the surprise evident in her tone.

"Sally, it's Une. The agents have managed to reverse the Firecell, everything should start to come back on line and return to normal."

"Thank god for that! " Sally sighed.

Before the doctor could ask any questions, Une got in first. "Sally, I want you to remain where you are for now. I will contact you again very shortly and bring you up to date with everything and also to let you know what I will need from you. Right now I have a lot of other things more important to deal with."

"I understand completely, Une. I'll wait for your call."

"Thanks, Sally. Bye." Une closed the cell, relieved that it was working and that the doctor had understood the situation and didn't pester her with questions. She would have time for that later. "Agent Fire?"

"Here, Commander."

"The cell phones are working so the telephone systems are back on line."

"Excellent. All other systems should be back now too, or if not, they should resume very shortly."

"Fire, listen up. I want you and the other agents to get Barton ready for a broadcast. I want him to let the earth and colonies alike know he's been defeated, that this Firecell has been destroyed and things are returning back the way they were. I'm hoping a broadcast will convince his army here on earth that it would be foolish to continue with their orders and far better for them if they surrender now."

"Roger that, Commander."

"Contact me as soon as you have everything ready for the broadcast. I should be able to give you ETA's on the shuttles coming to collect the prisoners and continue with the clean up and gathering of evidence by then too."

"Understood."

" Chang?"

"Yes, Commander?"

"Well done to all of you. Mother Earth, out."

The rest of the group had heard the exchange. Zechs was smiling as was Wufei. Hawkins wore a look of relief whilst Heero remained impassive. Those that knew the Japanese man though could see the twinkle in his eye and slight curve of his lips which were the only indication of his own satisfaction.

Duo grinned from ear to ear and punched the air. "Yes!" he yelled. "About damn time we had a win!' He placed a loving kiss to Heero's lips. "Not long now and we will be home again, 'Ro. Just you, me and Keitaro."

Little did he know, fate had not finished with him yet.

tbc


	103. Chapter 103

**Thank you for reading and for the kind reviews!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 103

[Satellite XRB 23 – Control Room]

"I'll contact Trowa and Quatre and let them know the good news," Duo said with a grin and pulled his communicator from his pocket. "Shuttle 221, this is Agent Night, do you copy?"

Trowa heard the crackling of the communicator and grabbed for it. "Night, this is Air, I read you loud and clear. What's going on?"

"Trowa, Heero and Hawkins have done it, they've managed to reverse the Firecell," Duo crowed.

"Yes!" Trowa cried. "Have you informed Une?"

"Roger that. Wuffers has just finished speaking to her. She called Sally on her cell phone and the telephone systems are all back up and running. We assume all the other systems are either back on line or will be very shortly."

"That's great."

"We have orders from Une to have Barton ready for a broadcast to earth..." Duo outlined what had transpired between Wufei and the Commander.

"Quatre is still over on the other shuttle finishing off the diagnostics checks. I expect him back here very shortly," Trowa informed.

"Nothing too seriously wrong I hope?"

"The other shuttle appears to be working just fine so we have some form of transport off this floating rock. I've almost finished the inventory of supplies needed to fix this transport shuttle. Once Quatre gets back we'll both go over it and then send it through to Une. Should be much quicker now all systems are back up and running."

"I'm with you there, buddy."

"How long until you four are back here?"

"Unknown at this stage. Trowa, one of us will report in again soon with further updates. I'd better move, Une wants Barton ready to broadcast shortly and I think he's going to need a little persuading."

"Roger that. I'll wait for your contact. Air out."

"Thanks, Trowa. Night out."

With that pressing issue now out of the way, Duo returned to the rest of the group and the still unconscious Barton.

# # #

[Mansion]

Sally jumped when her cell phone suddenly rang. Margaret gave her a surprised look, Sally shaking her head in reply. She didn't know what was going on either. Fishing around in her pocket, she pulled the cell out, her eyes widening when she noticed it was fully functional again. "Sally Po," she said.

Margaret watched as Sally answered her cell, her surprise growing when she realized it was Commander Une on the other end. Whilst Sally was in conversation with the Commander, Margaret fetched her own cell from inside her purse and flipped it open. Her mouth hung open when the screen lit up indicating it was fully functional. That could only mean one thing...

The Firecell was no longer operational.

With a huge smile growing on her face, the nurse headed towards the television set and turned it on. The screen glowed and then cleared to a few static lines. Obviously it was back up and running but the broadcasting company hadn't yet caught up with that knowledge.

Sally finished her call and closed the cell. Then she gave a loud whoop of joy.

"They did it, Margaret! They managed to arrest Barton and Heero has reversed the Firecell. Everything should be getting back to normal!" The doctor grabbed the nanny in a bear hug, tears glistening in her eyes.

"That's wonderful news," the nanny replied, her own tears of joy running down her cheeks.

"I don't have all the details yet; Une didn't have time to explain much as she's got a lot to deal with right now..."

"I'll bet she has,'" Margaret muttered.

"But she will call back as soon as she can and let me know what she wants me to do." Sally paused to take a breath, the reality of the situation still sinking in.

"We have to tell Harim and Raphel," Margaret stated. "Oh, just how long do they think it will be before everything is running as it did before? How are they going to let the people know?"

"I don't know, Margaret, Une didn't say, but I'm guessing that as things do come back on line, the people will discover it for themselves. It will be a bit hard to ignore things like the electricity and such."

"Good point."

"We still need to remain vigilant though. We don't know how long it will be until things are safe out there."

"I imagine there will be some sort of broadcast, either by the television, radio or the like to let the people know what's going on?"

"I'd assume so," Sally replied. "Let's go tell Harim and Raphel the good news."

# # #

[Outskirts of the City]

"Preventer communications, this is Agent Sapphire."

"We read you, Sapphire. This is Oak here."

"Can you let the Commander know I have the box she requested and I'm just on the outskirts of the city. I'll need assistance to get back into Headquarters as there's still quite a few unfriendlies out here."

"Roger that. Hold on for a minute, Sapphire. I'll page the Commander now." Oak turned to Sky. "I have Sapphire on the comm; can you get the Commander, please?"

"Sure." Sky put the call through to the Commander's pager. Seconds later, Une called in.

"Sky, you paged me?"

"Yes, Commander. Agent Sapphire is on the line. He's on the outskirts of the city and requires assistance to get back into headquarters."

"Sky, get the coordinates from him of where he is and tell him I'll have a couple of agents out there as quickly as I can to bring him in."

"Will do, Commander."

"Just one moment, Sky." Une turned to the agents in the conference room and asked for two volunteers to escort Sapphire and his 'cargo' into headquarters. Moments later she had her volunteers. "Sky, inform Agent Sapphire that Agents Spice and Pepper will be coming to assist him. They will contact him with an ETA shortly."

"Roger that."

"Thank you, Sky."

"No problem." Sky relayed the information to Oak who passed it on to Sapphire.

Sapphire replied with his coordinates and then set about hunkering down out of sight until the other agents could get to him. Around him he could hear the people and strained his ears to learn more of what they were talking about. He could only catch snippets, but that was enough to let him know that this Firecell had somehow stopped working and things were returning to normal.

People were cheering, running around and giving off excited yells of joy as slowly but steadily their world began to return to normal. The power grids all came on line, supplying necessary power once more to homes, businesses and every other sector that used it. The transportation sector was one of the first to come back on line after the telecommunications. Traffic lights began to work again, air traffic controllers at shuttle ports and airports alike had their computers come back to normal and their instruments start to function. The banking and economic fields soon followed that and then the broadcasting companies began to transmit once more.

The broadcasts consisted mainly of anchor persons all trying to discover and report what had happened to return the world they knew to them, but no one had the answer just yet.

Sapphire knew though, but he wasn't about to say anything. He had a more important task ahead and so he remained hidden away as best he could, waiting patiently for Pepper and Spice to escort him in.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 – Control Room]

"How did Barton transmit his messages before?" Zechs asked.

"He obviously has some way of transmitting from here on the satellite," Heero mused.

"He has some equipment here that allowed him to do it," Hawkins offered from where he sat, slumped in his chair. He was feeling quite exhausted now. The strain of reversing the Firecell combined with his injuries and blood loss were beginning to take their toll.

Heero cast the professor a worried glance. "We need to hurry things along and get the professor to proper medical help."

"I'll ask the techs," Duo offered and walked over to where Farrow sat. The man looked up as Duo's shadow fell across him and he whimpered. Duo cracked his knuckles – just because he could. "How did Barton transmit his messages to the earth and colonies?" Duo growled.

Farrow whimpered a little louder. "I – I don't know. I wasn't a part of that."

"Who was?" Duo demanded.

Farrow looked like he was about to burst into tears. "The head tech should know," he said and nodded in the direction of a tech who was cradling a bloody, bandaged hand and doing his best to look anywhere but at Duo or the others.

Duo's eyes narrowed and he moved to stand before the tech Farrow had indicated. "Name?" he demanded.

"C- Craven."

"Craven, do you know what Barton used to transmit his messages to the earth and colonies? Before you answer, may I remind you that lying is not an option. I will find out regardless of whether you tell me or not, and I suggest that unless you want your health to deteriorate any further, you best tell me."

"There was a camera and equipment just to the back of the room," Craven replied, the defeat evident in his voice.

"Good boy." Duo hauled the tech up. "Now, you can help us set it all up."

Craven was bodily dragged to where Heero and the others were watching, Heero taking over and followed by Wufei, dragged the tech to where the equipment was supposed to be.

It took a couple of minutes to locate everything amongst the debris and fortunately the camera was intact. However, the computer it had been attached to was not. It took another fifteen minutes for Heero, Hawkins, Wufei and Craven to rig the camera up to another computer and get the thing working properly.

"Time to wake Barton for his broadcast," Heero stated.

"Oh, let me do the honors, please," Duo said with a glitter in his eyes.

"Just as long as it's only you and not Shinigami," Heero replied with a snicker.

"Don't worry, Shinigami is safely in his box," Duo replied with a grin and set off across the room to wake Barton.

Barton remained unconscious; the cords Heero had used to bind him were still in place, although they weren't too tight considering the man's injuries. He sat slumped against one of the desks, the slow rise and fall of his chest the only sign he was still alive. Approaching, Duo felt his lip curl into a snarl. He'd like nothing more than to finish Barton off, to make him die a slow and painful death for all the trouble he'd caused. Because of Barton many people were now dead; fathers, sons, husbands, brothers, uncles. Because of Barton, the people of the earth and colonies had lost everything they held dear to them and were currently rioting out of fear. Barton had a lot to answer for and deserved to die.

Unfortunately, Duo wasn't allowed to make that decision, he had to play it by the book and orders were orders, even if he didn't agree with them. He kicked Barton's leg with his foot.

"Time to wake up, asshole," Duo growled and gave another, not too gentle kick.

Barton grunted and then gave a yelp as the pain of the kick registered. Instantly he was awake – and regretted it immediately. Pain from numerous other injuries about his person made their presence known and his mind scrambled to process where he was and what was happening.

"I said, get up. You have a date with a camera," Duo snarled as he grabbed hold of the front of Barton's shirt and pulled the man up.

"Fuck off," Barton snapped.

"Not just yet, I'm afraid. You see, you have an audience awaiting, one whom you terrified the living daylights out of and now it's time to apologize to them for that."

"Never."

Duo's eyes narrowed and he pushed his face closer to Barton's. "I can always let Shinigami back out to play with you and convince you otherwise," he said, his voice low and threatening. Those violet eyes began to darken again, promising the release of the creature from hell itself.

"You can't hurt me, I know the Preventer rules, you can't kill someone without proper cause, it would also be a violation of the Geneva Convention to kill a prisoner," Barton growled with a lot more conviction than he felt. His body began to shake as he saw the flames beginning to appear in those purple eyes.

"I think you had best comply," Wufei stated as he appeared beside Duo and took the trembling form from the other agent. "I have several ways of inflicting pain upon a person without leaving so much as a mark."

A soothing hand on Duo's back soon had Shinigami retreating before he could fully appear and Duo gave his husband a grateful smile.

"We will tell you again for the last time, you will make a broadcast to the earth and colonies alike, telling them that the Firecell is destroyed, everything is returning to normal and for all your troops, here and on earth to stand down and surrender to the Preventer organization," Heero gritted.

Wufei placed a hand upon the pressure point by Barton's collar bone, Barton winced a little and sweat broke out on his forehead. Wufei applied a little more pressure, Barton grit his teeth. Wufei dug his fingers in – Barton howled with pain.

"Okay, okay, I'll broadcast," Barton hissed out and then slumped as Wufei released the pressure.

"Good. This way." Wufei pulled Barton along with him to where the camera and equipment had been set up and shoved him into a chair.

"How do we know he will say what we want him too?" Duo asked, the cold glitter still in his eye.

"Easy," Wufei replied with a smirk and sat on the floor out of the camera range and placed his fingers against the pressure point on Barton's ankle. He gave a soft push and Barton jerked, a small whimper of pain leaving his lips. "I'll be right here throughout the broadcast. If he so much as twitches in the wrong direction I'll apply the pressure."

Duo snickered. "You're one sadistic bastard, Wuffy."

"And you will find out just how sadistic I can be if you don't start using my proper name, Maxwell."

Duo put his hands in the air in mock surrender, but the smile never left his lips.

"I'll contact Une and let her know we're ready to broadcast whenever she gives the word," Zechs offered. With Wufei keeping the prisoner on track and Heero needed to operate the broadcasting equipment with Craven, that only left Duo free and Zechs could see by the look on the agent's face that Maxwell fully intended to stay by their prisoner in case he was needed.

"Thank you, Wind," Heero replied and took up position by the console with Craven at his side.

Zechs pulled his communicator out and pushed the button.

[Preventer Communications]

"I'll get the Commander now for you, Agent Wind," Forest said and spun in his chair. "I need the Commander immediately," he called out to Sky.

"On it," came Sky's response. He quickly pushed the pager number and a couple of seconds later, Une responded.

"Sky, what's up?"

"Agent Wind has called in, Commander."

"Thank you, Sky. I'm already on my way so I'll only be a minute or two, quicker if this damn elevator would move its ass."

"Ah, roger that, Commander. I'll have a head set ready."

"Thanks."

"You get that?" Sky asked as he turned to face Forest.

Forest grinned. "Sure did." Turning back to the console, he spoke to Wind again. "Commander is on her way, Wind. Should be with you in a minute or so."

"Thank you," Zechs replied.

There was a long stretch of silence, then Forest couldn't take it anymore. "You guys have reversed that Firecell the Commander said."

"Yes, the Firecell has been successfully reversed, everything it affected should be returned to normal by now."

"You guys deserve a medal," Forest couldn't help but say.

Zechs chuckled. "Just doing our duty, agent."

"Yeah, well... Oh, here's the Commander now, Wind."

"Thank you, Forest."

Une entered the room that was fast becoming a second home to her and grabbed the head set Forest held out to her. Sitting in a chair, she addressed the agent. "Wind? What is the latest?"

"Commander, Barton is conscious and everything is ready for the broadcast that you requested. When would you like it to take place?"

Une scratched her head for a moment. "As soon as we can I'd say. Look, give it five minutes, Wind. If you can have the broadcast beamed directly here, I'll have a couple of the techs relay it on out to the earth and colonies on the universal wavelength, that way we can be certain that just about everyone will hear it."

"Roger that, Une."

"Stay on the line, Wind. I'll get these techs organized now and let you know once they're all set to go."

"Okay. I'll let the others know what is happening. Wind on standby."

Pulling the head set from her head, Une looked at the four techs. "You all heard what I said?"

Four heads nodded the affirmative.

"Then get ready to receive the signal and have it relayed back out," she snapped.

Forest remained on the airwaves, monitoring them whilst the other three set to the task of bringing the machines on line they would need to receive and then relay the signal from the satellite. Fingers typed furiously over keyboards as the programs were set in motion. Four minutes later and everything was ready to go.

"We're all up and running, Commander," Oak informed.

"Thank you." Une slipped her head set back on. "Wind, do you copy?"

"I copy you, Commander."

"Programs are ready to go. You can begin to transmit as soon as you wish."

"Roger that, Commander. Stand by to receive transmission."

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 - Shuttle 121]

Quatre sealed his helmet in place and took a deep breath of the stale tasting air. With the small unit in his hand, he opened the hatch and stepped out and back onto the surface of the satellite. The shuttle faded from his vision and with a check of his immediate surroundings, Quatre set off for the other shuttle.

Crossing the satellite surface, he made sure to keep his eyes peeled for any sign of downed pilots. He didn't think he would have any trouble; no one had tried to stop him when he'd made the trip earlier and he wasn't expecting any trouble now. But it paid to be vigilant.

The transport shuttle lay ahead and Quatre could see some of the damage done to the outer skin of the craft. There was no way it would be flying back to earth as it was. It needed some serious work before it would be going anywhere.

It only took a couple of minutes and Quatre was back in the safety of the transport shuttle. He decompressed, shed the helmet and practically ran through the corridors and back to the cockpit. Trowa gave him a warm smile when he appeared.

Placing a kiss to his lover's lips, Quatre then plunked down in the copilot's seat and let out a sigh.

"I've almost finished compiling the inventory to send through to Headquarters," Trowa stated.

"Good. I just want to go home," Quatre sighed again.

Before either man could say anything else, the radio crackled to life and they looked at each other in shock when a voice came over the speakers.

"People of the earth and colonies. This is Dekim Barton..."

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 – Control Room]

"All set?" Zechs asked Heero.

"Hai." Heero gave Craven a glare and the tech began to punch in a series of numbers to the computer.

The camera's red light came on. "Broadcasting now," Craven said softly.

At Barton's feet, Wufei applied a little pressure to the man's ankle, Barton scowling and then glaring at the camera.

"People of the earth and colonies. This is Dekim Barton..."

# # #

[Earth Sphere and Colonies]

Everywhere one looked people were smiling, laughing and talking with each other. There was a general air of relief as it became apparent that the Firecell that had robbed them of their comfortable lives had been stopped. The anger began to dissipate and the people out on the streets started to return to their homes. Those that had barricaded themselves inside their dwellings slowly began to emerge, still unsure if it was completely safe.

Radios and televisions began to broadcast again, although they didn't really have a lot to inform the people. It was evident that something had happened, but no one knew for sure if it was permanent or just a reprieve.

Speculation was running rife.

All transmissions suddenly ceased, screens going blank, radios falling silent. People froze and looked to one another for reassurance, but before the panic could start again, the screens returned to life and radios began to transmit.

"People of the earth and colonies. This is Dekim Barton."

When the populations recognized the voice and those that were watching, the face, outrage was moments away.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 Control Room]

Barton paused for a moment, clearly struggling with himself. He didn't want to do this; he didn't want to accept that he'd been beaten. His face changed, lips curling into a snarl as his eyes narrowed.

Wufei was ready though and applied a sharp pressure to Barton's ankle, reminding the man he'd better say the right things.

Barton jumped and grimaced as pain lanced through his leg. Knowing he had no choice, he closed his eyes and continued.

"The Firecell I deployed has been destroyed, all systems that rely on computers are once again running on their normal programs and everything should be back to the way it was. Any systems that are not back should return very shortly." Barton gave a sigh and shook his head. He didn't want to say anything more.

Wufei growled but a look from Heero stopped him from applying more pressure. Day had a quick word with Wind, Zechs nodding and stepping up to take Heero's place alongside Craven. Heero walked over to where Barton remained stubbornly silent in his chair. Standing behind the man, he waited for Wind to give the nod that he was now on camera.

Wufei, Duo and Hawkins all watched, clearly a little confused as to what was going on.

Zechs adjusted the camera slightly and nodded to Heero that he was now in the picture.

Clearing his throat, Heero addressed the populations.

"People of the Earth Sphere and Colonies, my name is Agent Day and I work for the Preventer Organization. My team and myself have managed to stop the Firecell that this man inflicted upon you all. Your lives should return to normal very quickly. Dekim Barton has been defeated and is now in Preventer custody and will be brought to trial for his crimes. To all of Barton's followers I have this message: Lay down your weapons and surrender. This is over." Heero stared directly at the camera, his voice never wavering but his blue eyes as cold as ice as he demanded the surrender of Barton's followers. He rested a hand upon Barton's shoulder and squeezed. "Tell them."

Feeling the pain flooding his body once more, Barton had no choice but to comply. "It's true. I have been arrested." Barton grit his teeth and his eyes glittered for a brief moment. "I want all my troops to continue as planned, take down the ESUN, wipe the bastards-" Barton slumped forward, Heero having hit the nerve in his neck and knocking him out cold before he could continue any further.

"Fucking bastard!" Duo snarled.

Heero remained calm, although inside he was a riot of emotions. "I repeat, Barton's followers, lay down your weapons and surrender. You cannot win," he stated in a cold voice.

The connection was cut.

# # #

[Earth Near the ESUN Building]

A small army paused when the broadcast came over the airwaves. Stunned shock and disbelief hit the army, men turning to each other to question what they were hearing.

When the transmission suddenly ended, confusion rippled through the group, uncertainty set in as they looked to one another for guidance.

The leader of the army managed to get himself to a high point and after a couple of minutes, made himself heard.

"You heard what Barton said. He might have been arrested, but we are to continue with the original plan. "

A quiet hum passed through the gathered men.

"We continue to the ESUN building and take it over as planned. Once we have the building under our control, we head for Preventer Headquarters and destroy it. We will release Barton and then he can continue with the plan. Who is with me?"

All hands shot up into the air and a loud roar accompanied the raised hands.

"Then onward we march!"

tbc...


	104. Chapter 104

**Thanks to everyone for reading! Warm hugs for the kind reviews - your comments are very much appreciated. ^_^**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 104

[Earth Sphere]

With the broadcast terminated, the people of the earth and those affected in the colonies began to come to terms with what they had heard or witnessed. Understanding began to dawn and accompanied by the gradual return of their 'world' to what they had come to enjoy and expect, the people calmed down.

Joy replaced anger, relief offset panic and celebration took over from the rioting. There was still a lot to do in regards to bringing their worlds back to exactly how they had been before the onset of the Firecell, but now there was hope on the horizon and a light at the end of the tunnel.

Barton's army however, continued in their march towards the ESUN headquarters.

Within half an hour of the broadcast, they reached their objective.

Surprisingly, they came across little resistance when they stormed the building. Only a couple of security guards put up any form of argument, and they were quickly subdued. The building otherwise was deserted, no sign of any senators or their staff, but they really hadn't expected to find anyone.

The army spread itself out, taking over the building and stationing men on the various floors as they worked out their next stage.

Originally they were to simply take over the building, round up any persons still remaining and hold them prisoner. With the building secure, they were to wait for Barton's arrival, the man had planned on bringing his team with him and from there they would take over the computers and ultimately the entire Earth Sphere.

Those plans had now changed slightly. The broadcast had clearly shown them that Barton was in custody, but it would only be a matter of time before the Preventers transported him to earth; and once they did, the army would break him free.

Until that happened, they would wait patiently and make their plans.

# # #

[Near Preventer Headquarters]

Sapphire waited patiently, glancing at his watch from time to time but not leaving his hiding place. He still wasn't sure just how safe he would be out on the city streets and wasn't about to try his luck.

Whilst waiting for his escorts to arrive, he allowed his mind to wander to the box he was guarding. It wasn't anything special to look at, had no compartments or the like to it and so he couldn't understand just what was so special about it.

Obviously the Commander deemed it extremely important and he was pretty sure he would find out later just what exactly why that was.

The sound of footsteps approaching had him on alert, gun drawn and ready to fire.

"Little boy blue, come blow your horn," came a soft voice and Sapphire relaxed a touch.

"Sheep in the meadow and cows in the corn," Sapphire replied and waited for a couple of seconds before stepping out from his hiding place. He recognized the two agents standing there and gave a relieved smile. "Am I glad to see you two," he said.

"The Commander is going to be equally as happy to see you too, Sapphire," Spice snickered.

"Any idea what it is she wants with that box?" Pepper inquired.

"Not a clue," Sapphire responded. "I've been looking at the thing and trying to figure that out myself." Sapphire held the box up for both the other agents to see.

Neither Spice or Pepper could see anything out of the ordinary with the box.

Spice gave a shrug of his shoulders. "Our is not to question why, ours is just to do or die," he quoted.

"I'd rather skip the 'die' part if you don't mind," Sapphire stated dryly. "I haven't gotten this far to pop my clogs before I get back to headquarters."

Pepper chuckled. "Come on, let's get you back to the boss lady. She's got rather a lot on her plate right now and I'm sure she could use some good fortune."

"How is it on the streets in the city now?" asked Sapphire as they made their way from the bushes in the park towards the vehicle Pepper and Spice had arrived in.

"Not too bad," Spice replied, hand poised by his gun should he need it.

"Calmed down a lot since that broadcast of Barton's and the reversal of the Firecell by those agents on the satellite," Pepper added, eyes ever vigilant.

"Let's hope this is the end of it all and we can get back to our normal lives and jobs," muttered Sapphire.

"I agree, nothing like risking your life, taking out the bad guys and coming through when the odds are stacked against you. Who needs this Barton and his added extras," Spice grinned.

Sapphire rolled his eyes.

The drive through the city to Preventer Headquarters wasn't anything like the one Une had experienced a few days back. Spice managed to get them through without anything untoward happening and soon enough the entrance to the Preventer parking area lay ahead. The doors were still closed and guarded, Une continuing with the security until such time as she was convinced there was no longer a threat from Barton and his followers.

Pepper radioed ahead and the doors began to open, several agents placing themselves in strategic positions should they be required.

Spice drove inside, the doors closing behind them and parked the car. The three agents got out, Spice nodding to one of the agents on guard duty.

"Come on, we need to get you to the Commander as quickly as we can."

Box still in hand, Sapphire followed the other two into the building.

# # #

[Preventer Headquarters]

"Commander Une, I have Captain Storm on the line. He wishes to speak with you," Sky informed the Commander.

"Can you put it through to my office, Sky?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Une waited patiently for a few moments, then the light on her internal phone began to flash. She pushed the button. "Captain Storm?"

"Commander. All shuttles are fully fueled and prepared to leave. We only need to load the transport shuttle with the materials requested by the agents on the satellite and board the crews and agents." the man's voice came over the connection.

"Thank you, Storm. I have several agents on their way to the shuttle port now with their orders. They also have the orders for the rest of the crews and will brief them once they arrive. Their ETA should be in half an hour."

"Roger that, Commander."

"I've asked Agent Oak in communications to take down the inventory from Agents Air and Space and pass it on to you. I'm assuming he should have it by now. I trust you will be able to organize and oversee the loading of whatever is necessary?"

"Of course, Commander."

"Good. Once the agents arrive and have briefed the teams, you are free to launch as soon as possible. I expect you to keep in touch with the progress of the shuttles and let me know the ETA on the satellite. I'll have Sky give you the frequency to shuttles 221 and 121 so you can communicate direct with the agents currently on the satellite."

"Understood, Commander."

"Thank you, Storm and good luck."

"Roger that. Storm, out."

Une pressed the button to end the communication and sat staring at the wall for a moment. She wanted to give a huge sigh of relief, but allowed herself just a small one instead. They were still a long way from wrapping this case up.

Briefly she closed her eyes, clearing her head and then pressed the communicator button.

"Communications, Sky here."

"Sky, I want you to pass on to Captain Storm the frequency to the shuttles currently on the satellite."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Tell Oak to hurry up with that inventory and pass it on to Storm as quickly as he can. Those shuttles are all ready to go and we need to get the transport loaded with the items those agents need."

"On to it now, Commander."

"Thank you." Une pressed the 'end' button and reached for her coffee mug. A knock came on her door; raising her head, Une forgot about the coffee mug. "Yes?" she called out.

The door opened and a head peered around the jamb. "Commander Une, we have Agent Sapphire with us as requested."

Instantly the weariness fell away and Une sat upright in her chair. Her eyes gleamed and a smile tugged at her lips. "Excellent. Bring him in, please."

Spice opened the door fully and entered the Commander's office. Behind him, Sapphire followed and Pepper brought up the rear. Once all three agents were in the room, Une looked at Sapphire.

The agent in question stepped forward and set a medium sized, cream box on her desk. "I believe this is what you wished me to recover?"

Gazing at the innocent looking box, Une's smile widened even further. "Perfect, just perfect," she muttered and then turned her eyes to Sapphire. "Thank you, Sapphire for getting this to me."

"You're welcome, Commander." Sapphire took a breath. "Excuse me for being so forward, ma'am, but do you mind if I ask what is so important about this box?"

Agents Pepper and Spice listened eagerly. They were also curious as to the purpose and importance of the box.

"This, agents," Une began, taping the box, "May just well bring about the complete defeat of Barton and his followers."

The agents still had puzzled looks on their faces, but Une wasn't about to elaborate any further.

"Gentlemen, you are all on three hours downtime, I suggest you use that time wisely and rest up. There is going to be a lot of work for us all very soon." Une indicated they were all dismissed and turned back to the box.

The three agents left the office, still contemplating what the box could possibly do to completely stop Barton.

Once she was alone again, Une pressed the button on the internal communicator. "Sky, I need you and Sun to get the transmission equipment ready. I have a little announcement I wish to make."

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 – Preventer Shuttle 221]

"Can you think of anything else?" Quatre asked as he scanned the list of items necessary for the repairs to the shuttles.

Trowa ran his eye down the list and frowned. "I don't think so. I'd say pretty much everything is there. The rest of the stuff we should be able to access here on the satellite."

"Good. I need to get this off to Headquarters." Quatre turned back to the console of the shuttle. "Do you think that with the reversal of the Firecell, I'd be able to send it through the computer system?"

"It would be quicker," Trowa agreed. "Only one way to find out though." Flicking a couple of switches, Trowa spoke into his headset. "Preventer Communications, this is Agent Air, do you copy?"

A couple of bouts of static were followed by a voice. "Agent Air, this is Agent Oak. I copy you."

"Oak, I have the inventory of things needed for the shuttle repairs. Can you tell me if the computers are back on line at headquarters?"

"We have basic computer function, Air. The entire system will need a bit of an overhaul to be fully functional. May I ask why?"

"The list is quite lengthy and it would be easier to send it through the computer than to read it out over the airwaves," Trowa replied.

"Good point," Oak said. "Look, give it a try and I'll let you know if we get it or not."

"Okay. Stand by." Trowa turned to Quatre. "Scan it in to the computer and then send it through to communications," he informed the blonde.

"Roger that," Quatre replied and set to his task. A minute or so later he was done. "All scanned and ready to send."

"Oak, we have scanned the information and will send through now."

"Copy that, Air. Here is the address to send it through to."

Quatre entered the address and then hit several keys and commands on the keyboard - the inventory was sent. "It's gone," he informed Trowa.

"Oak, information has been sent."

"Checking now." Oak carefully scrolled through the computer files, locating the one that the inventory should go into. He refreshed the page a couple of times. "Nothing as yet," he told Trowa.

"Damn," Trowa muttered.

"Hang on... Yes, it's come through." Oak opened the file and recited the items back to Trowa to confirm he had received the right information.

"That's all of it, Oak." Trowa breathed a sigh of relief, beside him Quatre grinned and slumped a little in his seat.

"Thanks for that, Air. I'll get this through to Captain Storm at the Shuttle port right away. The shuttles are all ready to go and will be on their way once all this is loaded up."

"You have no idea how good that was to hear," Trowa replied.

"I'll contact you again as soon as the shuttles have launched with an ETA. Sky has passed on the communication frequency to Storm and the shuttles will contact you themselves once they are closer to the satellite."

"Sounds good to me," Trowa replied.

"Oak out."

"Air out." Trowa turned to face his husband and blinked as his lips were taken hostage. When he was finally allowed up for oxygen, he found himself with a beaming Quatre almost in his lap.

"Finally, we're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel," Quatre smirked.

"Not soon enough if you ask me," Trowa stated. "I can't wait to get back home and relax."

"_After _you've seen Sally."

Trowa didn't bother to argue, he'd only lose anyway.

# # #

[Preventer Headquarters]

Picking up the box, Une left her office and went directly to the communications sector. Once there Sky greeted her and led her through to the section that handled transmissions.

"Everything is up and running as per your request, Commander," Sky informed.

"Thank you, Sky." Une set the box down. "Could you have either Agent Copper or Agent Silver join me? I'll need their help with this."

"I'll page them now, Commander." Sky went back to the main communications room to put in the call.

Whilst Sky was busy, Une took a good look at the box. "I hope to god you have what I need in there," she muttered.

"Agent Copper is on his way," Sky informed when he returned.

"Thank you."

"Is there anything I can do, Commander?" Sky asked as he gazed in curiosity at the box.

"Actually, yes there is, Sky. I need you to get in contact with the local police force and arrange for me to speak with whomever is in charge. We're going to need their assistance and not just to help with the containment of the prisoners that will be coming in from the satellite."

"Ma'am?" Sky raised an eyebrow in askance.

Une patted the box. "Trust me, Sky. You'll know soon enough."

"Okay, Commander. I'll get in touch with the police now and schedule a time as soon as possible for you to speak with their boss."

"Thank you, Sky."

Moments later, Sky had the local police chief on the line. Une took the call in private, leaving Sky to keep an eye on the box. When she returned, she had a wide smile on her face. "That's part B in place," she stated.

"Part B?" Sky questioned.

"Yes. Sky, contact Agent Cinnamon and tell him Mother Earth said it's time to move out and reap the harvest."

"Yes, ma'am." It didn't make much sense to Sky, but he knew well enough by now that he would find out later just what exactly was going on. He left to continue with his orders.

As Sky left, Copper walked in. "You sent for me, Commander?"

"Yes, Copper. I need you to hook this box up to the transmissions equipment. I do not intend to broadcast right away so please refrain from that part. There's information on this box that I need to access and check."

"Yes, Commander." Despite his curiosity, Copper had learnt not to ask questions. Walking over to the box, he checked the input and output jacks, grabbed a few leads and began to plug various leads into various sockets. After a couple of minutes, he was done and turned to the Commander. "It's set to go."

"Good." Une moved closer. "Can you tap into the hard drive and bring up the contents on the screen for me, please?"

"Certainly." Turning the equipment on, Copper cracked his knuckles, picked up the keyboard and began to type. The screen came alive as a list, presumably an index of contents, came up.

Une leaned forward and scanned down the list of contents. Her eyes were matching date and time with the name of the file. "Scroll down further," she ordered and Copper complied.

They were almost at the bottom of the list when Une stopped. "That one. I'm pretty sure it's that one," she said and pointed to a file on the screen.

Copper dutifully clicked away and the file opened. The screen went fuzzy and then cleared. A picture of Barton appeared. The entire file was played, Une feeling her hackles rise once more, and then a feeling of satisfaction washed over her. "That's the one," she whispered.

Copper gave the woman a confused look, but didn't argue. "What would you like me to do with it, Commander?"

"Hook it up to the broadcasting program. I wish to address the people first though, then we play it to the population."

"Roger that, Commander." Copper bent to his task.

"Sky!"

The agent came running from the other room when he heard the yell. "Commander?"

"I'm about to broadcast. Please insure all lines are open and be on stand-by for me."

Sky plunked down in a seat in front of a console and began to type commands into the computer. "All set, Commander. The camera is just over there." Sky pointed to the small device on the opposite wall.

Une moved across the room and faced the small gadget. "Check I'm in the center of the line of vision," she ordered.

Sky fiddled with a couple of joysticks, maneuvering the camera until it picked the Commander up dead center. "All set, ma'am."

"Copper, be ready to roll when I say so."

"Yes, Commander."

"Sky, begin transmission..."

# # #

Everywhere in the earth sphere, colonies and satellites, in fact anywhere there were people and a form of receiver, be it vid screen, computer, radio, telephone, it suddenly became the window for Une's broadcast.

"Citizens of the Earth sphere and Colonies, my name is Commander Une and I am the head of the Preventer Organization..."

From earth and throughout space, people turned and listened. The colonials all paused in their business, focused on the woman who was speaking. Similarly, those on earth stopped to listen and on the satellite the transmission came loud and clear through shuttle and domes alike.

"As you are all well aware, we have had an attempt to take over the ESUN by a person called Dekim Barton. He has disrupted everyone's lives with his callous and cruel attempt to gain control. Preventer has managed to stop this man and you will have heard the earlier broadcast from him confirming his defeat. My agents have also managed to reverse the Firecell he thrust upon us all, and as you will all be aware of now that most utilities and the like are back and functioning." Une took a breath and closed her eyes for a brief moment.

"However, Barton had an army of men, an army he dispatched to the earth before he was brought down. This army continues to march forth, their intent to stick with Barton's original plan..."

#

In the ESUN building, the amassed army were also listening to the broadcast, snorting and jeering in various places; all agreeing they would continue on and bring down the ESUN and rescue their leader.

"Citizens of the earth and colonies, I have something I wish to share with you all, especially those men in Barton's army..."

#

"What the fuck is Une up to?" Duo muttered from where he stood in the control room.

"I have no idea," Heero replied.

"I think we're about to find out," Wufei stated.

On the floor, Barton paled.

#

"Earlier in the week we received several broadcasts from Barton along with his demands. Believe me when I say that the ESUN and Preventer did not treat these demands lightly. Just before the Firecell was fully released, those of us at the ESUN headquarters received this private broadcast from Barton. I'd like to share it with you all..." Une nodded to Copper who tapped a few keys.

There was a little static, then the screens cleared and a broadcast began to play...

_Barton's face appeared on the screen, a self satisfied smile on his face. "Ah, hello again. It's nice to see most of you together," Barton began. "I take it you have had your meeting? Your hour is up and I'm ready to hear your decision."_

"_Now see here." Senator Lynch stood up and faced the screen. "I suggest you stop with all this bullshit and crawl back under whatever rock it was you crawled out from and stop playing games. The ESUN is doing a fine job of running the affairs of the earth and colonies without your interference."_

_A gray eyebrow raised itself and a sharp bark of laughter followed. "Really?" Barton asked. "Seems to me the ESUN is making a mockery of everything. You lot don't give a damn about the colonies, if you did then why are they still struggling?"_

"_They're getting their funding, the rebuilding is in place and several schemes are being implemented to bring the economies back up to par," Lynch snapped._

"_Then you are delusional. When was the last time you visited a colony, senator?"_

_Lynch remained silent._

"_If your mob hadn't been siphoning off funds, especially from L2, then the colonies would be a lot more prosperous than they are right now," Une interrupted._

_Several jaws fell slack with that revelation. _

_Barton's eyes narrowed and he glared at the Commander._

_Une didn't flinch. "Oh yes, Preventer is quite aware of your activities, Barton. We know you've had Richards and Wainright doing your dirty work for you, taking funds and using those funds to build yourself and your followers to what you are now. Tell me, have you informed the people of L2 of your activities? Let them know the reason they aren't advancing as quickly as the other colonies is because you've stolen their funding?"_

"_Sometimes a sacrifice is needed, Commander. L2 isn't all that important, in fact, I think we would be doing the entire sphere a favor in removing it from the picture. It's only full of criminals, whores and drug addicts, and who is going to miss them?"_

"_How dare you!" Relena spat, her anger well and truly roused._

_Une put a hand on the girl's arm, warning her not to say anything further. Instead, she fixed her icy glare on Barton. "You would know, wouldn't you, Barton? After all, isn't that where you've recruited your army from?"_

_Barton's eyes narrowed. "How do you know about my army?" he demanded._

_Une smirked. "Oh, I have my ways," she replied. "I guess they're not good enough to have a colony and exist, but they're good enough to form an army and sacrifice their lives for a delinquent such as yourself. I wonder what they would think about their leader if they were to know the truth?"_

_Barton turned a rather deep shade of red for a moment before regaining his composure. "Enough!" he thundered. "I want an answer. Is the ESUN going to stand down or not?"_

"_No, Barton," Lynch spoke. "The ESUN is not afraid of you and your stupid ideas. We will not stand down and allow you to take over; we will not be cowed by a dictator like you."_

The broadcast finished and for a moment there was complete silence everywhere.

Then once more, all hell broke loose.

tbc...


	105. Chapter 105

**Thank you all for reading and warm hugs for the kind feedback!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 105

[ESUN Headquarters]

Silence fell over the army all listening to the broadcast. Looks of disbelief were everywhere as the men struggled to comprehend what they'd just heard. As the words and meaning started to sink in, the disbelief soon turned to anger.

"It's got to be some sort of trick."

"Barton wouldn't have said that – would he?"

"It's Preventers way of trying to undermine and unsettle us!"

"But what if it's true?"

"I saw those senators on the satellite."

"The funds had to come from somewhere..."

Men began to shout at each other, throwing their thoughts around and questioning all they'd seen. It didn't matter though how doubtful they were of the broadcast being genuine, in their hearts they knew it to be true. The words that had been spoken, the references to the way in which L2 was lagging behind in the rebuilding scheme only backed up what the people already could see for themselves.

As the realization began to settle in, the anger turned direction. No longer was it focused against the Preventer organization, but towards Barton himself. They had been conned, taken for a ride, fed lie after lie and like good little soldiers, they'd eaten it up.

"What the fuck do we do now?" asked one voice.

"I know what I'd like to do," growled another.

"Barton should be made to pay for this."

"Kill the bastard!"

Yells and shouts, all of them calling for Barton's blood in many and varied ways, reverberated around the ESUN. The army was beyond angry, they were majorly pissed off and someone was going to pay.

"Barton isn't here though, he's back on the satellite," someone stated, bringing them all back to the matter at hand.

"Let Preventer have him, he can rot in jail."

"Yeah, leave him to Preventer," came another voice.

"Fuck the bastard, he's on his own. I quit!" yelled another.

"I quit too!"

Many voices all joined in, all stating the same thing. They were no longer going to be loyal to a man who deemed themselves and their home Colony expendable. The carefully constructed army began to fall apart, just as Une had hoped would happen once the broadcast was made.

And as her agents had also stated, that once the shit hit the fan, the army would disperse, each looking out for number one.

With a mass mutiny, the army decided enough was enough, Barton could go fuck himself. One by one, they began to leave, making their way through the building, ransacking it as they went as they needed something to take their frustration and anger out on.

As they began to filter from the building, they were met by Preventer agents and the police force.

# # #

[Preventer Headquarters]

With the broadcast from the box finished, Une waited for a moment, then she spoke again.

"People of the Earth and Colonies, I apologize for having made you listen to that, but this is the man that is responsible for your current state, the man who wanted to become the leader of the entire Earth sphere. I'm pretty sure I'm safe in assuming that Earth and Colony citizens alike have no wish to be governed by a man like this."

"Barton is in custody, his men currently being rounded up and all will stand trial for their crimes. Thank you for your attention..."

Une nodded to Sky and Copper, both terminating the broadcasting. Once she knew she was no longer 'on air', Une leaned forward and rested her head in her hands, a loud sigh escaping.

"Are you all right, Commander?" Sky asked quietly.

"Not really," Une replied. "But I'll have to be to clean up this mess, won't I?"

Sky smiled. "That was one hell of a broadcast, ma'am."

Une grinned. "It wasn't bad, was it?"

"All I can say is thank god the ESUN always recorded every incoming transmission," Copper stated. "It proved to be more than helpful in this case."

"Yes, we thank god for small mercies. Now, Sky, I need you to find out what is happening down at the ESUN headquarters." Une stood up and regained her composure.

"Right away, Commander."

# # #

[Preventer Shuttle Port]

"That's everything, sir," said the mechanic as he closed the cargo bay doors on the shuttle and handed over the clip board.

Agent Oil took the paperwork and checked it off against his own. "Thanks. I'll get in touch with Storm and we should be ready to go."

"Good luck, sir." The mechanic left to attend to other pressing matters, Oil headed for the offices and where he knew Storm and the other agents would be.

Agent Mercury had finished his brief and was collecting up all his paperwork. He smiled when Oil entered. "All set?"

"Yeah. Transport shuttle is fully loaded with all the requested gear. Personnel are boarding now. What about you?"

"All briefed and ready to go."

"Where's Storm?"

"He was doing a last minute flight plan check for us all and said he'd meet us by the shuttles in five."

"Best get going then."

The two agents left, making their way to the shuttles and Captain Storm.

Having spoken the last few words of advice, double checked all the paperwork and wishing the agents the best of luck, Storm left the area so the shuttles could close themselves up and head out to the launching mechanisms.

The four shuttles taxied out, the transport shuttle and one of the carriers lining up for the first launch. The catapult was locked into place and within a couple of minutes the first two shuttles were launched and on their way. Once the mechanism returned to its position, the remaining two shuttles taxied forth, locked on and were similarly launched.

"Shuttle 151, this is Preventer shuttle port, Captain Storm speaking. Do you copy?"

"Loud and clear, Storm."

"Status?"

"Launch was text book, all controls are functioning normally. Flight plan is loaded and auto pilot about to be engaged. Once we have cleared the atmosphere, will engage booster rockets. ETA to satellite XRB 23 once boosters engaged, six hours."

"Roger that, Mercury. Check in with HQ each hour," Storm replied.

"Will do, Storm."

"God speed and stay safe."

"We'll do our best. Shuttle 151 out."

"Preventer shuttle port, out." Storm sat back in his chair for a brief moment and prayed all would go well for the recovery team. Picking up his head set again, he asked to be connected with Headquarters.

"Preventer communications, Forest here."

"Forest, it's Storm from the shuttle port. Please let the Commander know that shuttles 151, 381, 246 and transport shuttle 134 have all launched safely and are on their way to the satellite."

"Roger that, Storm. I'll contact the shuttles shortly to confirm everything is still go ahead."

"Thanks, Forest."

"No problem. Communications, out."

"Shuttle port, out."

# # #

[Preventer Headquarters]

"Agent Salt has reported in that they have arrested eighty-five percent of Barton's army, ma'am," Sky informed the Commander.

"Good. What about the remaining fifteen percent?"

"Rounding them up now. They expect to have them all in custody in the next couple of hours."

"The police?"

"Are assisting in transporting the prisoners to the local jails. They will interview and compile a list of all the members of the army over the course of the next few days."

Une smiled at that. It would free her agents up to continue with more important work if the police were to do the more mundane but necessary paperwork. She made a mental note to send the police commissioner a bottle of scotch for his cooperation.

"Ma'am?"

"Yes, Forest?" Une turned from where she was still sitting in the small side room they had used to broadcast from.

"Captain Storm has reported in. All shuttles have launched successfully and are satellite bound. Would you like me to contact them?"

"Yes, please. I'll be out in a moment, Forest. Once we have confirmed with the shuttles, I want you to contact the agents on the satellite; I wish to speak with them and give them further orders."

"Roger that, Commander." Forest left to do as he was bid.

"Think we might be getting to the end of this fiasco?" Sky asked.

"There's still a lot to wrap up, Sky, but I think we can safely say there's a light at the end of the tunnel and it's starting to get a bit brighter."

"About time," Sky muttered.

"I second that, Sky."

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 Control Room & Shuttle 121]

"Shuttle 121 here, Sky. Air speaking," Trowa said as the communication came through.

"I have the Commander on the line for you, Air. She has further orders for your team up there," Sky stated.

"Roger that, Sky. One moment and I'll have the agents currently in the Dome on line too."

"No problem."

Trowa turned to Quatre who smiled back. "Already on it," Quatre said before Trowa could say anything. "Ground team, this is Space, do you copy?"

"Day here, Space. What's up?" asked Heero.

"We have the Commander on the line with further orders. Switch to frequency 24 to receive."

"Roger that, Space." Heero flipped the switch around until it read 24. "You guys all get that?" he asked the other agents.

"Yeah," Duo replied as he changed the frequency to 24.

Wufei and Zechs were likewise adjusting their communicators.

"All set," Zechs said.

"All agents ready to receive, Space," Heero told Quatre.

"Roger that. Stand by." Quatre turned back to Trowa. "Everyone is ready," he confirmed.

"Sky, this is Air. All agents are ready to receive."

"Thank you, Air. Handing over to the Commander now."

Une moved a little closer to the transmitter. "Agents, I have some news for you all and orders. I take it you all saw the broadcast?"

Several affirmatives came back.

"The broadcast was effective. Barton's army has revolted against him and abandoned their plans. Agents are currently arresting them."

"Yes! About time something good happened," Duo cheered. He turned to look at Barton who was sitting on the floor, his face showing just how angry he was with the turn of events. "Hear that, asshole? Your army has turned against you. You should have listened and quit ages ago."

Barton gave the long haired man a scathing glare. It was bad enough that he'd been thwarted, but to have this bastard rubbing his nose in it too? Barton swore under his breath, he _would_ have revenge.

"I have agents on L2 scouting out the reactions there of the people to the broadcast too and expect a report in from them very soon," Une continued. "Captain Storm has been in touch and the shuttles have launched as planned. All are currently on their way to the satellite. Agent Mercury is in charge of the shuttle teams and will be contacting you soon with an ETA and to get an update on the situation there. Agent Oil is in charge of the transport shuttle team and has all items on the inventory on board."

"That's a relief," Trowa muttered.

"What are the orders, Commander?" Wufei asked.

"Whilst you're waiting for the shuttles to arrive I want you to round up all of Barton's men on that satellite and contain them in a secure area. Once the shuttles arrive, the teams will take over and begin the process of removing the prisoners to the shuttles ready to be transported back to Earth to stand trial. I don't think you will have too much in the way of resistance if they have all seen or heard Barton's speech earlier."

"Roger that, Commander," Wufei replied.

"Once that is in progress, I expect you to bring Agent Mercury up to date will all that's been going on. Agent Oil and his team will need to be briefed on the damage to Shuttle 121. Agent Space?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"What is the damage to the cargo area of the shuttle?"

"Cargo bay is pretty stable, only minor, external plating damage," Quatre replied.

Une went silent for a moment.

"Commander?" Quatre prompted.

"Sorry. The cargo hold will be capable of transporting the Gundams back to Earth?"

"I can't see why not if the damaged external plating is replaced."

"Okay. I want those Gundams all locked down safely inside the cargo hold before the other shuttles arrive. Agent Wind?"

"Yes, Commander?"

"Once those Gundams are safely locked down, I want you to seal the cargo hold, use the black code to lock it down. I don't want any agents other than you six to even know those Gundams are in there."

"Understood, Commander."

"Fire, once Mercury and Oil have been briefed, hand over the operation to them. You and Agents Day, Night, Air and Space are to return to Earth in shuttle 221. Agent Wind, you will remain on the satellite until the repairs to the Transport Shuttle 121 have been completed. Then you will pilot it back to Operations base."

"Yes, Commander," Zechs replied.

"Commander?" Duo interrupted. "What do you intend to do about the Gundams?" His voice held an edge to it, one that clearly stated Duo's mood could easily swing either way depending on what Une's response was.

"Agent Night, whilst I do not appreciate my orders being questioned by an agent, I can understand your reasons for doing so. Those Gundams will be returned to where they have been stored these past eight or so years. They will be repaired and maintained and remain hidden, hopefully they will never need to be used again."

"I want to know where they are going," Heero stated flatly.

"I am not at liberty to give you that information, Day," Une growled.

"With all due respect, Commander, I feel we have a right to know. They are after all, _our_ Gundams." Wufei's tone held a dangerous edge to it.

"Commander, I can assure you that none of us wishes to have to use the Gundams again, but as Fire pointed out, technically they _are _our property and we do have the right to know where they are being stored. I know I speak on behalf of all of us when I say we will not try to take them from storage, we just want to know where they will be," Quatre explained, his diplomatic nature serving him well.

Une sighed. "Okay. I will leave it to Agent Wind to give you the coordinates and position of where they will be hidden."

"Thank you," Heero murmured, relief flooding his system as no doubt it was also flooding the other pilots' systems.

"Once you are ready to leave the satellite, contact headquarters with all the details. Once you have landed safely at the Preventer shuttle port, I will expect you to come to Headquarters to report in and be checked over. The debrief can wait for a few hours. Any questions?"

No one had any so the Commander bid them farewell. Once the communication was cut it was decided that Quatre would come into the Dome and help in the rounding up of all Barton's men. Wind and Fire would assist him whilst Day and Night removed the prisoners from the control room to the section of the Satellite that Barton had used as a prison.

With everyone now sure of their role to play, Wind and Fire left the control room to meet up with Quatre and begin their part of the clean up. Trowa remained in the damaged shuttle, monitoring the airwaves and keeping in liaison between the two parties in the Dome.

Once they were alone in the control room, Heero took a moment to hold his lover and kiss him fondly. "Won't be too much longer and we will be on our way back to Earth where Sally can take a good look at you," he murmured softly into Duo's ear.

"I wish Une would wait a day or two before the debrief," Duo sighed. "I really want to see Keitaro." He'd missed his son so much and his heart ached to hold the tot in his arms again.

"I know you do," Heero replied. "I want nothing more than to be safely back home with both you and my son too." Heero ran a hand lightly over the soft swell of Duo's abdomen. "And our new addition, if Sally tells us things are positive." There was no question in Heero's mind that they would be going ahead with the pregnancy, that is if there was one.

"God I love you so much," Duo whispered. "Are you sure about this, Heero? There's a lot to be considered if I am pregnant again."

"I know there is, Duo. But I wouldn't ask you to give the child up, no way would I do that. I love both you and Keitaro so very much and another little one could only bring more joy to our family."

Family...

Duo found himself choking on the tears that wanted to escape. Yes, he had that something he'd always longed for; a family. "I don't know whether to be hopeful that I am expecting again or hopeful that I'm not," he replied.

"I don't understand," Heero said with a frown.

"After what I put you through whilst I was pregnant with Keitaro, I don't think I have the right to ask you to do all that again."

Heero chuckled. "I don't care, Duo. I'll gladly suffer through the mood swings, the hormonal imbalances, the constant need to visit the bathroom, the cravings..."

"If you're so happy to put up with all that lot then I suggest you should be the one to carry the child," Duo teased. "I for one am not looking forward to all the crap that goes with it. I've only just gotten used to seeing my toes again. Plus I'm kinda fond of my six pack, now it looks like I'll have to put up with a keg again for a while," he said with a rueful smile.

Heero laughed. "I'm sure it will all be just fine."

"Easy for you to say," muttered Duo. "You're not the one that has his body hijacked."

"No, no I'm not, but I will be there for you every step of the way."

"I know you will, Heero," Duo sighed and rested his head against the firm shoulder. "But there's one hurdle we have to get over first."

"And that is?"

"Sally. She may advise against carrying another child so soon. She did say that falling pregnant so soon after Keitaro could be very hazardous to my health."

"We will cross that bridge when we come to it," Heero stated firmly and pressed a kiss to the crown of Duo's head. "Now, whereabouts are those cells in this Dome that we can use to confine these prisoners in?"

"Over that way," Duo said with a nod of his head in the direction of the cells. "They're about three corridors over."

"Okay. I suggest we start forming this lot up into some sort of group then. Those that are uninjured can assist those with injuries that need the help."

"Right you are, boss," Duo snickered.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 – Main Hangar]

Quatre cautiously entered the main hangar of the Dome, immediately spotting the two Gundams standing like sentinels not far from the opening. The place was conspicuously deserted, but Quatre didn't lower his guard for a moment. He moved through the hangar, keeping to the shadows and behind cover should he need it. When he reached the far side and entry into the main Dome, he couldn't help but smile.

No wonder the place was deserted, Wufei and Zechs had already rounded up those people present in the hangar section and had confined them all within a small room. Wufei acknowledged his presence and met him on the other side of the depressurization chamber.

"Looks like you guys have everything under control," Quatre said as he removed his helmet.

"This is only those present in the hangar," Wufei returned. "There are still quite a few of Barton's followers loose in the Dome."

"I see."

"There wasn't much resistance though, I think that little speech of Barton's that the Commander broadcast has taken care of any loyalty to him."

"Serves him right too," Quatre stated. "What sort of a man would condemn an entire Colony? Especially when most of his followers were recruited from L2."

"It doesn't make much sense, I agree. But then again, the man's intellect and sanity must be questioned too. No one in their right mind could possibly think they could take over the entire Earth sphere and Colonies."

"You got that right, Wufei."

"He will be tried before a court and pay for his crimes. Justice will prevail and be served."

"Of that I have no doubt," Quatre said with a smile. "Now, what is the plan and where are we headed next?"

"These men are secure in this room for now. Wind and I thought we would leave them there for the moment and move back into the Dome. We plan to search it in sections, grid by grid," he replied and showed Quatre his palm top where the blueprint of the Dome sat, neatly divided up into those grids. "As we locate more men, we will take them into custody and find a safe place to hold them. Once we are sure we have everyone in custody we will start to move them to the cells Maxwell told us about."

"Sounds like a good plan to me. What about Heero and Duo?"

"They are currently moving Barton and those arrested in the control room to the cell area. Once they have done that, they will proceed to sweep that half of the Dome and arrest any other personnel they find."

"Right." Quatre rubbed his hands together. "Then I suggest we get moving."

Guns drawn and at the ready, Wufei, Quatre and Zechs began the methodical search of their section of the Dome.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 – Control Room.]

Heero and Duo managed to arrange their prisoners so that the able ones were assisting those that had been injured. After Barton's words in the broadcast Une had played, there was little resistance from the techs and few soldiers. As predicted, they were all still shocked by Barton's words and consequently their loyalties had died. They were a pretty submissive lot now that the truth was out and both Heero and Duo held the slight fear that someone might try to turn on Barton and take revenge into their own hands; thus they kept a close eye on everyone as they shuffled into place.

Once they were all assembled into some form of order, Heero began to escort the injured out into the corridor where he had them line up against the wall and wait as Duo brought the rest out to join them.

Simons was supporting Barton, the tech really not caring much about his former boss. The game was up, they had been defeated and it was a foregone conclusion they would all stand trial. Barton would be going away for a long time and Simons was relieved at that. The man sure had a cruel streak in him and Simons was glad the plan hadn't succeeded.

With one of Barton's arms around his shoulders, Simons assisted him into the corridor and leaned against the wall. Barton was heavy – even more so as the man was partially unconscious.

Or so it seemed.

Simons found himself sliding down the wall, Barton pulling him to the floor as he declined to take his own weight.

Something out the corner of his eye caught Barton's attention and the man turned his head slightly to see what it was. His eyes took on a feral glint, the corner of his mouth quirking up. He took a quick look to see where his captors were, noting that the one called Day was keeping a watch on the line of techs and right now his attention was at the doorway end of the line. Maxwell was just coming out with the last of the prisoners.

Barton took the slim window of opportunity and playing on his injuries, slipped sideways. As he did, his hand snaked out and grabbed the item that had caught his attention.

Feeling his ex boss sliding away from him, Simons shifted and reached for the man, pulling him back up. "You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," came Barton's reply.

"Okay, everyone on their feet," Heero barked out.

The prisoners all shuffled to comply – all except Barton. Simons was having a tough time trying to haul the other man to his feet, Barton not helping at all, in fact he was playing possum, eyes almost closed and giving the appearance he'd passed out.

"What's up?" Duo snapped when he noticed Simons struggling to get Barton to his feet and began to move towards the pair.

"He's unconscious and I don't have the strength to lift him," Simons grunted.

"Fucking asshole," Duo muttered. "I'll soon get him on his feet."

Barton waited until the long haired agent was poised over him, hands reaching out to grab his shoulders – then he struck.

Duo reached for Barton, hands about to close on those shoulders when he caught the sudden movement. He tried to jump back out of the way, but it was too late.

There was the flash of metal before the knife found Duo's abdomen and buried itself inside.

tbc...

AN: Please don't kill me – if you do you won't know what happens next. *grin* I'm quite happy to dodge the rotten fruit though and I swear I'm working on the next part now.


	106. Chapter 106

***sneaks in***  
**I did promise not to make you all wait too long for the next chapter and I've had the muse chained until he finished this part. We got lucky - no ****interruptions.**

**Hope this makes up for the bombshell of the last chapter.**

**Unbetaed, please forgive any errors.**

***falls into an exhausted heap***

**Enjoy...**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 106

[Satellite XRB 23 – Control Room Corridor]

The knife settled itself into Duo's abdomen, Barton's strength having run out before he could plunge it deeper or twist it.

Simons watched in horror as the knife flashed forth, then without thinking, he lunged forward. As Barton passed out from the exertion, so Simons knocked him to the floor to prevent anything further from happening.

Duo's eyes widened in surprise, then turned dark with anger, followed by fear. A sort of gurgled, strangled cry left his lips as he looked down to where the knife was embedded in his gut. He wrapped his hands around the hilt, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead as his only thought was for the child within that he was most likely carrying.

Hearing the scuffle, Heero's head snapped around, his eyes growing wide as a scream tore from his throat. Before he was aware of it, his feet were carrying him down the corridor to his husband and love of his life.

Blood was oozing sluggishly from the wound, it felt like a thousand needles were passing through his insides and Duo did his best to stop both the blackness from invading and keep Shinigami inside his box. The demon within was pounding in frustration, wanting to come forth and destroy this mortal that had harmed what was his.

"DUO!" Heero cried and caught the braided man just as he started to fall. He lay him down gently on the corridor floor and noted Duo's hands wrapped around the hilt of the knife. "No, Duo, leave the knife where it is, if you pull it out it could do more damage," he said, his voice barely containing the terror he felt.

"Hurts," came Duo's scared reply, the word laced with fear.

"I know it does, Duo. Please, listen to me. Remain calm, help is on its way."

Duo's hand reached out and grabbed Heero's forearm. "The baby," he whispered. "Oh, god, Heero. The baby. What if it's hurt my child?" Duo's voice was starting to raise, become hysterical as the thought of his unborn child being hurt, or even worse, killed, invaded his mind.

"Fuck," Heero cursed. "That bastard," he snarled, blue eyes sparking with fear, anger and hate. Looking to where the knife protruded, Heero wasn't sure if it would have connected with Duo's womb or not. He really wasn't all that clued up when it came to his husband's unusual anatomy. Sure he knew the basics, where the body's main organs were located and such, but Duo was different.

"Hold on, my love," Heero reassured as he grabbed for his communicator. Pushing the button on the thing, he was quick, short and to the point. "All agents, this is Day. Agent down, repeat, agent down. Status critical, require immediate assistance to the Control room corridor." Finished with his call for help, Heero dropped the communicator, Duo was his priority now.

"You, give me your shirt, and you, your sweater," he snapped at two of the prisoners. Both complied immediately, pulling the garments off their bodies and passing them over. The shirt was bunched up and placed under Duo's head, the sweater lain across his upper body to keep him warm. Heero noticed the slight trembling of his lover's body indicating that shock was starting to set in.

Another shirt, torn into strips was handed to him. "Here, use this to cover the wound."

Heero looked up into the concerned eyes of Professor Hawkins and with a nod, took the offered strips of material. The professor squatted next to him and began to assist. Heero packed the cloth around the wound, being as gentle as he could, doing his best to stem the blood loss and hold the knife still. Whilst he worked, part of his mind was on Barton.

Where did he get the knife? All the prisoners had been patted down and all weapons removed. Those weapons had been secured and come to think of it, there hadn't been any knives amongst the small cachet they had confiscated. The only knives he was aware of were the ones Duo had earlier – the ones he'd used on Zaheer...

The realization suddenly dawned on him and he took a closer look at the knife hilt.

It _was _one of Duo's.

When Duo had confronted Matthews and Zaheer in the corridor earlier, he'd used his knives to attack and bring the pair down. Running what he recalled of the scene through his mind, Heero suddenly remembered.

When Duo had been dealing with Zaheer, the big man had tried to grab the knife that had ended up on the floor when Heero had shot the gun from Zaheer's hand. He'd stepped on the man's hand to prevent him from picking the knife up and that had earned him a reprimand from his lover who insisted on taking care of the bastard himself. With the following flurry of activity – namely Duo letting Shinigami forth to destroy Zaheer - Heero had completely forgotten about the knife.

The item had obviously remained on the floor of the corridor; until now.

Heero berated himself, cursed his own stupidity and that he'd completely forgotten about protocol, leaving the knife behind. Had he followed his training the knife would have been picked up; but he hadn't, and now that knife was embedded in his husband's gut, his love lay critically injured, their child possibly dead and all because he hadn't double checked the corridor.

This was all his fault.

A hand lay itself atop of his shaking one and Heero turned to look into Hawkins' concerned eyes. "We need to get him out of here. He needs urgent medical help," the professor said softly.

Heero looked at the prone form of his lover, the shallow breaths and semi conscious state. "I know," he replied. His gaze connected again with Hawkins. "Watch him," he said as he stood up.

The professor blinked as those blue eyes that were clouded with pain, sorrow and concern suddenly changed into chips of ice.

Heero spun on his heel and reached for Barton.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 – Dome]

The three agents were currently working their way through the Dome when Quatre suddenly gasped. Both Zechs and Wufei turned to the blonde who was doubled over, clutching at his stomach.

"Space?" Zechs questioned.

Chang moved closer to the smaller man and put a hand on his shoulder. "Winner? What's wrong?"

Winner shook his head. "Don't know. Just had this sudden, sharp pain in my abdomen," he gasped out.

"Are you ill?" Zechs asked, a frown appearing between his brows.

"It's not me," Quatre gritted. "It's someone else."

Zechs raised an inquiring eyebrow.

Chang was quick to explain. "Winner has a strong sixth sense, some call it empathy. He can feel the emotions and pain of another, especially those close to him." He left it at that, Zechs could work it out for himself.

"Well shit," Zechs muttered.

Quatre placed one hand against the corridor wall and tried to pull himself upright. He forced his shields to come up and block some of the pain so he could think clearly.

"Winner, do you know who?"

"Not sure," Quatre said as the pain began to recede a bit.

Their communicators crackled into life.

"All agents, this is Day. Agent down, repeat, agent down. Status critical, require immediate assistance to the Control room corridor."

Zechs, Wufei and Quatre all turned to each other, their wide eyes connected as their respective minds scrambled to process the words.

"Duo," Quatre said softly.

"Maxwell," Wufei stated.

"Agent Night?" Zechs shook his head.

"Shit, it's Duo," Quatre cried. "We have to get to them now!"

The three agents didn't waste any time, all took off running in the direction of the Control room corridor.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 – Transport Shuttle 121]

Trowa had left the cockpit of the shuttle and was currently in the medical section of the shuttle. The morphine was starting to wear off and the pain from his injured shoulder and ankle was starting to make its presence felt.

He managed to locate another phial of the drug and was busy injecting it into his blood stream when the communicator buzzed.

"All agents, this is Day. Agent down, repeat, agent down. Status critical, require immediate assistance to the Control room corridor."

"Shit!" Trowa pulled the needle from his arm and tossed it into the medical trash can. Grabbing his communicator, he pushed a button as he hobbled as fast as his ankle would allow back to the cockpit.

"Heero? Heero? Dammit, Yuy, fuckin' _answer _me!" Trowa growled. A cold knot of fear had lodged in his gut and Heero's silence only compounded the feeling.

"Day? What the fuck is going on? Who is hurt?" he tried again, but still no reply.

"Air, we're on our way now to Yuy's position," came Wufei's voice over the unit.

"Chang, what's happening? Who is hurt, what are the injuries?" Trowa demanded.

"I don't know anything at the moment. We suspect it's Maxwell and will be able to confirm once we get to Yuy's position." Wufei panted the words out as he ran down corridors along with his team mates.

"Fuck!" Trowa's fist slammed into the arm of the pilot's chair.

"Trowa, sit tight. We will contact you as soon as we get to Heero and know what's going on," Quatre's calm voice came over the link.

The blonde's voice calmed his lover and Trowa sank gratefully into the pilot's chair. "Roger that, Quatre. I'll keep the line open."

"Will update you soon and keep our links open too. Love you."

"Love you too, Quatre. Be careful."

Leaning back into the chair, Trowa ran a hand across his face and through his bangs, wincing when he brushed over the cut to his head. "Please let Duo be okay," he murmured. He sat bolt upright in the chair. "Shit, the baby!"

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 – Control Room Corridor]

Barton was lying slumped on the floor, the plunge of the knife had taken the last of his reserves and he was now in semi consciousness. Simons had pushed him down and covered him to stop any further attempt at injuring anyone, but when Simons saw Heero get up and turn in his direction, the computer tech hastily shoved himself from his ex-boss and scrambled back. No way was he going to be caught between the anger that radiated from that agent and Barton.

Heero closed the distance between himself and Barton in a couple of strides, his rage was clear in every line of his face, his body trembling with the effort of containing that rage. Blue eyes as cold as the arctic settled on Barton's form and hands reached out.

Grabbing the man by the shoulders, Heero hauled him up to his feet and slammed him against the wall.

Barton's eyes flickered open, the pain of his already injured body growing as he was slammed into a wall. He cracked his eyes open, noting who had him by the shoulders.

"You fuckin' piece of shit," Heero snarled.

Barton smiled. "Ohhh, did your little, faggot lover get hurt?" he slurred.

Heero's fist connected with Barton's stomach, knocking the wind right out of the man. "Bastard," he hissed. "I'm gonna make you pay for that."

Sucking air back into his starved lungs and ignoring the pain from his ribs as he did so, Barton leered again. "I hope he dies," he spat.

A sound, completely inhuman tore from Heero's throat. It was like a guttural growl mixed with a snarl of rage. He lifted Barton clean off his feet, holding the man by his throat and then flung him at the wall again.

The prisoners that were all in the corridor and up to that point had witnessed what had gone on with horror, all pulled back and away, trying to put as much distance between themselves and this madman that suddenly appeared and was hell bent on destroying Barton.

None of them felt anything at all for their former boss. Any respect or loyalty they'd had was completely snuffed out with the broadcast a short while ago. As far as they were concerned, Barton was on his own and deserved everything he got.

Hawkins remained with Duo, monitoring the long haired man as best he could. He kept a close watch on the wound where the knife still sat, hoping the blood loss had been stemmed. He watched the fight going on to the side from the corner of his eye.

Barton's body slid down the wall, but before it could completely hit the floor, Heero grabbed him again and sent a couple of hard punches to the man's mid section, cracking a couple more ribs in the process. A warning bell was going off in the back of his mind, a voice telling him not to kill the prisoner, but for the moment he told the voice to fuck off.

His fist connected with Barton's face, breaking the man's nose and sending blood gushing forth to coat Barton, himself and the corridor. Heero paid it no mind though. He couldn't see through the haze of anger that clouded his vision, didn't want to see either. He was hell bent on making this asshole suffer for what he'd done to Duo.

Hauling Barton to his feet again, Yuy pushed him against the wall and wrapped his hands around Barton's throat. Slowly but steadily those fingers began to close, gradually cutting off the flow of air.

Barton began to squirm. His arm came up in a feeble attempt to push Heero away, but his strength had failed. Blackness began to invade his vision, body starved for oxygen and beginning to shut down.

#

Wufei was the first to come skidding around the corner to the corridor. His obsidian eyes immediately took in the situation and he aimed for Yuy. "Agent Day! Stand down!" he barked.

Zechs and Quatre were only a second behind Wufei, glancing around and weighing up the situation. Zechs took off after Chang to back him up, Quatre aimed for Duo.

"Oh, Allah, Duo," Quatre whispered, crouching down beside the injured man. When he spotted the knife hilt protruding from Duo's abdomen, his blood ran cold. "Fuck," he snarled. Looking up he realized there was another man sitting beside Duo and doing his best to keep the man alive.

"Professor Hawkins," the professor introduced himself.

"Agent Space," Quatre returned. "What happened?" he asked as his hands gently probed around Duo.

Hawkins relayed what had transpired. "I think he will be okay. The bleeding has slowed a lot," he told Quatre.

The concern didn't leave Quatre's face though. He looked up to the professor. "That might well be, but there could be severe internal damage," he stated grimly.

"It's possible, but I don't think he's bleeding internally, his color's not too bad."

"That's not what I mean," Quatre stated. He couldn't say anymore as he didn't want to give Duo's secret away.

The professor looked quizzically at him.

"Don't worry about it," Quatre replied. "We need to get him to expert care immediately."

"I agree, but I don't think there's a qualified doctor, let alone the necessary equipment here on this satellite to deal with this," Hawkins responded.

"We need to get him back to Earth." Quatre ignored any further conversation, instead he moved away a little and grabbed his communicator. Before he could speak into it, his attention was diverted to the rest of the agents and Barton.

Heero dimly heard Chang's words through the fog of his anger, but he paid them no heed. His fingers closed tighter, intent on choking the life from Barton's form.

"Agent Day, stand down!" Zechs yelled, repeating Wufei's order. He knew better than to approach the man whilst he was in this state, if he did he was liable to end up severely injured if not dead himself.

When Heero still refused to respond. Wufei drew a little closer. "01, situation in hand, area secure. Stand down," he said in a quiet, but firm tone. Heero had always obeyed commands during the war, it was simply his soldier training. Wufei could only hope that some of that training was still present.

The words did register and Heero's soldier instincts overrode his rage. His fingers began to relax until they finally released Barton's neck.

Barton slid down the wall, gasping and wheezing, drawing that oxygen back into his body.

Heero stood there, silent and still whilst his mind began to clear.

"It's okay, Yuy. Situation is contained. We have your back." Wufei moved a little closer.

Slowly, Heero's eyes cleared, returning to their normal, intense blue and he focused on Wufei. "Chang?"

"It's me, Yuy." Wufei put his hand on the Japanese man's arm and squeezed.

"Duo..." Heero choked out. "He tried to kill Duo..."

"I would have succeeded too," came Barton's snarl. "With any luck that bastard will bleed to death..." Barton didn't get to finish his sentence, instead there was the sound of cracking bone as Wufei's foot connected with Barton's jaw, breaking it easily.

"No one asked you, asshole," Wufei snarled. "Now shut up."

Both Quatre and Zechs looked at the Chinese agent in disbelief.

Wufei shrugged. "He was getting on my nerves."

"Why am I not surprised," muttered Quatre. "If he can shove a guy in a closet with dead bodies, this shouldn't be unexpected..."

Taking Yuy by the arm, Wufei led him back to where Duo was lying on the floor. "What happened?"

Heero began to relate the course of events, Quatre taking advantage of the moment to make his call.

#

"Air, here. Quatre? What the fuck is going on?"

Trowa was both relieved and scared when Quatre called in.

"It's Duo. He's taken a knife to the abdomen, depth and internal damage unknown. External bleeding controlled for the moment and knife still remains embedded..."

"The baby..."

"Trowa, I don't know," Quatre sobbed. "I can't feel anything from Duo, just a cold, empty void."

"Oh no," whispered Trowa.

Before their conversation could go any further, Wufei chipped in. He'd listened to Heero's tale and summed up the situation. He straightened his spine and took over.

"Air, get on the radio to headquarters. Inform Une of the status up here and let her know we need immediate medical attention for Maxwell. Yuy and I will be bringing Maxwell back with us. Space and Wind will remain here and move these prisoners to the holding cells. Once that is complete, they will continue on with our orders to find and imprison all personnel on this lump of rock."

"Roger that."

"Air, can you make it over to the other shuttle?"

"I think I can, might take me a little while, but I will do it; why?"

"Get to the other shuttle and fire it up. I want you to taxi it into the hangar. Day and I will meet you there with Night. Once the shuttle is inside the hangar we can seal the hangar and pressurize. We cannot bring Maxwell out any other way, his suit has been damaged and, well, you know what will happen."

None of them had to be told twice. They all knew the risks of having a suit failing on you when in space; and it wasn't at all pleasant.

"I copy that, Fire."

"Good. Get onto it now. We will contact you once we're in the hangar area. Fire out."

"Roger, Fire. See you soon." Trowa leaned back in the seat and let a puff of air escape. Life wasn't fair, Duo had gone through enough without this as well. The anger began to build in Trowa, but rather than waste any time, he shot out of his seat and ignoring the pain of his ankle and shoulder, forced himself to jog through the shuttle to the depressurization chamber.

#

With his speech finished, Wufei turned to the rest of the group.

"Space, Wind. Escort these prisoners to the cells as planned. You might want to put Barton in one by himself. I don't trust any of these other men not to take a swipe at him and I want him alive so that once Une's finished with him I can kill him myself."

Both Quatre and Zechs nodded, declining to say anything about Fire's intended threat.

Wufei turned his attention to Heero and the professor. "You and I will carry Night back to the hangar and onto the shuttle once Air has it in position. The professor can come with us. Once we are on board and secure, we will return to Earth where Maxwell can be treated."

Both Heero and the professor nodded. Noting Wufei turning back to speak with Zechs again, Heero spoke briefly to the professor.

"I'm just ducking back into the control room, we need something to act as a makeshift stretcher to carry him on. I'll be back in a moment." Heero moved off to locate something he could use, the professor watching him go.

"Wind, I will contact headquarters and the other shuttles once we are Earth bound and bring them up to speed. I want you and Space to remain here and continue with the original orders. The retrieval shuttles shouldn't be too far away, so by the time they get here you should have all of Barton's men in custody. Brief Mercury on the status and remain here as per Une's instructions. Space is free to return to Earth as soon as conveniently possible. Any questions?"

"No, it's all perfectly clear," Zechs replied.

Quatre wasn't too happy, he wanted to be on that shuttle too. "Why do I have to stay here?" he asked.

"Because Wind can't do it all on his own. Yuy is needed to take care of Maxwell, the professor also requires medical assistance and Air needs a doctor too. You are the only one that is fully functional."

Quatre had to concede that point. Wufei was also injured, although no where near as bad as any of the others. "Okay, but once the other shuttles get here and we hand over, I'm heading back to Earth as soon as I can," he warned.

"I would expect nothing less," Wufei replied. He turned his head as he saw Heero stepping out of the control room with what appeared to be a door in his grasp. "Good luck, agents. I will keep in touch." Wufei spun on his heel and went to give Yuy a hand.

Between them, they managed to get Duo onto the door. Heero took one end, Wufei the other and with the professor keeping a watch out, they headed off through the corridors towards the hangar.

"Might as well get started," Zechs sighed and looked to the motley group. "Okay, everyone, move out."

The prisoners all managed to get to their feet and those that were capable of walking began to do so, those that were too injured were carried or assisted by the others. Barton was still unconscious and Simons didn't fancy having to carry the bulk of the man so he shook his shoulders to wake him up.

Barton growled as he was drawn from his dark state, pain blossoming once his brain started to work. He grunted and blinked.

"Time to move," Simons informed him and dragged the man to his feet.

Barton gave a yelp of pain and would have said more, except his jaw wasn't working so words were a little difficult to form.

"Move it you excuse for a human being," Quatre snarled, his voice so tainted with hatred that even Zechs had to look twice to make sure this was the normally polite and quiet blonde.

With Simons on one side and more or less dragging him along, Barton was escorted to the cells.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 – Shuttle 121]

Trowa made it to the depressurization chamber and quickly pulled on another flight suit. Securing his helmet, he checked the small gadget in his hand whilst waiting for the pressure to equalize. Once the green light flashed, ho opened the door and hobbled down the ramp. The gadget told him where the other shuttle was and once the Transport shuttle was locked down again, he set off across the satellite surface.

Like Quatre earlier, he kept his wits about him, although there had been nothing to indicate anyone outside and about to attack him, it still paid to be wary. The gadget guided him across the litter strewn landscape and he breathed a sigh of relief when he located the shuttle ramp. Passing the security check, he entered the shuttle and as soon as he was through the pressurization chamber he removed his helmet and headed directly for the cockpit. Settling into the pilot's seat, he flipped several switches and punched a few buttons. He'd get this baby moving towards the hangar first, once he was mobile he'd call in to headquarters.

The engines began their power up sequence, coming on line one by one. Once they had all fired up, Trowa eased the joystick back and the craft began to rumble forward. Given the wreckage still littering the landscape, he fired the boosters and brought the shuttle into a hover. Noting where the hangar was, he steered the craft towards it.

Slipping on his head set, he placed the call to Preventer headquarters.

# # #

[Inside Duo's abdomen]

The small fetus floated lazily, quite content in its small world. It had no clue as to the dramas that were unfolding outside its current universe.

For now it was safe, warm and had all it needed. Occasionally it would be flooded with something alien as its mother's blood stream passed over a hormone or two that had been released into the system to cope with whatever it was its mother was dealing with.

Those hormones didn't have any adverse reactions though, just made the fetus a little unsettled.

It kicked out at nothing in particular, the tiny movement undetected by its mother and only causing small ripples in the amniotic fluid that protected it.

Another influx of adrenaline had the fetus feeling restless and it turned in the womb, trying to bury itself into the lining.

Fortunately, the fetus was still blind, the eyes not open or functioning properly at this stage of its development and therefore it didn't see the shadow of the knife blade as it pierced the skin of its mother's abdomen and barely missed the safe world it was ensconced in.

The first the fetus knew that something was not quite right was when the exchange between its own blood stream and that of its mother wasn't as normal as usual. The blood flow to the placenta was slow and sluggish, the necessary nutrients and gasses lacking somewhat.

The tiny being moved about, fretting a touch and then curled in on itself. Snuggling into the womb, the fetus drifted off to sleep, unknowing of the danger its mother was currently in.

tbc...


	107. Chapter 107

**Many thanks to all for reading! Hugs to everyone who has dropped in a review - your feedback is very much appreciated. :)**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 107

[Preventer Headquarters – Communications]

"How long do you think it will be before we can finally leave this place, go home and get some decent rest?" Sun asked from where he was sitting, drinking another coffee and keeping an eye on the transmitter.

"I'm hoping it won't be too long," Forest said as he got up and stretched.

"My missus will be fussing all over me when I get back," Oak grinned.

"I can't wait to have a beer," Sky chuckled. "I think I'm all caffeinated out."

"I'd say once these shuttles have arrived on that satellite a couple of us can leave," stated Forest.

"Which two?" Sun questioned with a raise of his eyebrow.

"Guess we may have to draw straws. Although I don't mind staying on," Sky said in an amused tone.

Oak looked at the other agent. "After being locked up in this building for the past few days I'm rather looking forward to my own bed. I'm more than ready to get out of here."

"Aww, does that mean you don't like spending time with me?" Forest teased.

"Sorry, you're not my type," Oak shot back.

"How come you're so keen to stay, Sky?" Sun asked.

"Oh, no real reason, just the thought of the size of my next pay check," Sky replied in a sly tone.

The other three fell silent for a moment.

"Ooh, yeah. We should be getting quite a large check after this fiasco," Sun mused.

"I guess I could be persuaded to stay for a while," Oak snickered.

"Preventer Communications, this is Agent Air, do you copy?"

Sky immediately turned in his chair and fiddled with the dial on the receiver. "This is Preventer communications, Sky here. I read you loud and clear, Air."

"Sky, I need to speak with Une immediately. We have a critical situation up here that requires a change in orders."

"Understood. Commander is being paged directly." Sky turned to look at Sun, noting the other agent was already on it. "Stand by, Air."

Sun immediately paged the Commander, Forest and Oak looking on with questions in their eyes.

"Une here."

"Commander. We have Air on the radio, he wishes to speak with you immediately in regards to a critical situation."

"Patch it through to my office, Sun."

"Roger that. Patching through now." Sun nodded to Sky.

"Air, I'm putting you through to the Commander's office."

"Thanks, Sky."

"Une here. What's happened, Air?"

"Commander, we have a critical situation and need to return to Earth immediately. I do not have all the complete details, only what has been relayed thus far. Agent Night has been seriously injured. Barton tried to take him out with a knife to the abdomen..."

"Shit!"

"He's still alive, knife is still embedded. Agents Day and Fire are bringing him back to the shuttle now along with Professor Hawkins. Shuttle 221 is capable of flying back to Earth and I'm currently moving it to the hangar for boarding. Agents Space and Wind will remain on the satellite and continue with the arrest and containment of Barton and his men. Once the other shuttles arrive they will hand over to them."

Une pressed a hand to her mouth and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath she responded. "I understand, Air. I will inform Mercury of the status."

"Une, Duo will need expert help..."

"I know that, Barton. Preventer has excellent medical staff here and I will have them scrambled immediately."

"Commander, with all due respect, Duo needs _Sally_, no one else."

"Barton, Doctor Po is currently confined to the Mansion with Nurse Brown..."

Trowa cut her off. "Une, we have a strong reason to believe that Duo is pregnant again."

There was silence for a moment.

"Oh, God," Une whispered. "The knife-"

"We do not know if the knife has made any contact with the baby."

Une snapped out of her thoughts. "Air, proceed as planned. Once the others are on board set a course for Preventer shuttle port. I'll alert the port you are coming in on a code red and you will have complete clearance. There will be a chopper waiting for you with Sally on it; it will bring you directly to Headquarters."

"Thank you, Commander," Trowa sighed.

"Contact me as soon as you are space born with an ETA and an update on the status of all agents and the professor so that I can have the medical section prepped and ready to go."

"Roger that."

"Air?"

"Yes?"

"God speed."

"Roger. Air out."

"Commander out." Une disconnected and placed her head in her hands.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 – Hangar]

Heero and Wufei moved as fast as they dared through the corridors, trying to get to the shuttle hangar as quickly as they could and cause minimal discomfort to Duo on the way. Heero was in a cold sweat, a lump of fear lodged in his throat as he fought against his emotions. He needed to remain calm, had to stay focused for Duo.

"Not much father now," Wufei panted out as they rounded another corner.

Heero opted not to reply, better to keep his energy for carrying his partner. Professor Hawkins remained with them, keeping a constant eye on Duo's wound and the packing securing it.

"Up ahead," Wufei stated and Heero breathed a sigh of relief as he spotted the doors that would take them to the outer section of the hangar.

They slowed their pace and with the professor playing the role of 'doorman', they managed to get Duo and his makeshift stretcher through. Once they were in the outer section, Wufei aimed for the main control console, Heero remained with his lover and the professor collapsed gratefully into a vacant seat.

Taking up residence, Wufei noted the shuttle nosing its way into the main hangar. The two Gundams still stood to the side, holding a silent vigil. Wufei made a mental note to remind Space and Wind they would need to secure those Gundams too before the back up shuttles arrived. Watching through the large window, Wufei observed how Trowa managed to maneuver the shuttle in and 'park' it, even with his injuries. As soon as the shuttle was stationary and beginning to power down, Wufei was on the keyboard and sealing the hangar.

Warning lights began to flash, indicating the hangar was about to seal off and pressurize and within a couple of minutes the green lights appeared, indicating all was now safe.

Trowa powered the shuttle to stand by mode and left the cockpit. He aimed directly for the hatch and once the all clear was sounded, he opened it. His eyes fell on the three heading directly for him, a stretcher of sorts between them. "Oh, god," he whispered to himself as the agents drew closer. He could see Duo's still form, the padding around his abdomen and the look of fear on Heero's face. He moved to the side as they came up the small ramp and inside the shuttle. "Take him straight through to the medical bay," Trowa ordered.

Wufei was in the lead and did what Trowa said, moving swiftly through the shuttle to the medical section. Once they had Duo there, he was quickly transferred from the door to the bed. Taking charge, Chang barked out his orders.

"Air, Day, both of you stay here with Night. Strap him down and prepare for launch." Wufei turned to the professor. "Ever copilot a shuttle before?"

"Actually, no," the professor replied.

"Come with me, you're about to get a crash course." Turning his attention back to the others, he continued. "Once we are space borne I will return. Air, you have had some medical training, please do what you can for Maxwell. Did you contact HQ?"

"Yes, I did," Trowa replied.

"You can fill me in once we're mobile. Come on, professor, we need to haul ass." Wufei spun on his heels and tore off to secure the shuttle hatch. Once that was done he took the professor through to the cockpit. "Sit in that chair there," Wufei ordered and took up residence in the pilot's seat.

The professor was looking a little bewildered by all the electronics, but that wasn't what worried him the most - he was more perturbed by the fact that the young man beside him actually _knew_ what he was doing!

"Here, put this on." Wufei thrust a head set at the professor who obediently put it on. "This is the computer terminal and keyboard," Wufei informed him. "I need you to link to the Satellite's main frame and depressurize the hangar then open the doors so we can leave."

"Okay." The professor knew he could do at least that much. Quickly he typed in commands and seconds later he was into the main computer. Fingers flew across the keyboard, the computer responding and the lights outside in the hangar changed from green to flashing red again.

Whilst the professor was busy securing their exit, Wufei did the run down on the shuttle. He checked all the instruments, flipped the necessary switches and began the power up sequence for the engines. It didn't take them long to respond as they had been in stand by mode.

"Hangar doors should be opening at any moment," the professor told him.

"Thank you. Once we are moving out, I will need you to keep an eye on this gauge here." Wufei pointed to the instrument. "Read off the revs to me."

"Got it," Hawkins responded.

"Medical bay, this is the cockpit. Are you all secure down there?"

"This is the medical bay. Everyone secure," came Trowa's voice.

"We are about to leave the hangar and should have lift off from satellite a couple of minutes after."

"Roger that, Fire."

"Leaving hangar now." Wufei eased the joystick forward, the shuttle responding and rumbling gently out and onto the satellite surface. Wufei turned it away from where the other shuttle still stood and the wreckage of their battle, aiming for a relatively clear space on the powdery surface. Holding the shuttle in place, Wufei began to build the power in the engines. "Start counting, professor."

Hawkins switched his attention back to the instrument Wufei had pointed out to him and began to relay the numbers. "One thousand, one thousand two-fifty, one thousand five hundred..."

Wufei increased the power to the engines.

"One thousand seven-fifty, two thousand..."

A couple of switches were flipped, Wufei concentrating hard.

"Two thousand five hundred, two thousand seven-fifty, three thousand..."

"Are you buckled in?"

"Yes. Three thousand five hundred... four thousand..."

"Thanks, you can stop now." Wufei eased the joystick forward, operating the pedals at the same time and bringing the shuttle into hover mode. Gradually he raised it higher until the instruments told him he was clear of the surface by two hundred meters. He hit the thrusters, pulling the joystick back and raising the nose of the shuttle.

The engines surged forth, pushing the large craft forward and up, a dust storm being kicked up behind them from the back wash of those engines. Watching the navigational system, Wufei guided the shuttle away from the satellite surface and into the blackness that surrounded it.

The professor watched out the window as the satellite and its Dome began to get smaller. Turning his attention to the front, he noted the dark expanse ahead of them, dotted with many glittering stars. As the young man beside him tilted the joystick so the shuttle banked slightly bringing the blue planet into his line of vision. It was still quite a distance away but the professor was in awe of just how beautiful it looked.

Wufei allowed himself to relax a fraction as the shuttle responded to his touch. Eyes began to scan over the instruments, noting the airspeed, velocity and distance to the Earth. "Professor, please bring the computer back on line."

Hawkins grabbed the keyboard again. "All set," he told the pilot.

"Type in these commands." Wufei reeled off a list of numbers, degrees and letters, all of which were duly typed into the computer. "Thank you."

"No problem," replied Hawkins.

Pushing a couple more buttons, Wufei set the auto pilot, let the joystick go and leaned back in his seat. "May I have the keyboard, please?"

The keyboard was handed over and Wufei ran a quick check of all systems, including the flight plan he'd asked the professor to type in. All was working perfectly. He pushed the keyboard to the side and rubbed his tired eyes.

"Is everything okay?"

"If you mean the shuttle and the flight plan, then yes, all is working fine. The auto pilot is engaged and we are en-route to a secure, Preventer shuttle port." Wufei turned back to the instruments and carefully eased the engines back. "Our momentum will carry us through space, but I'm leaving the engines on minimal to give us a little more speed. We need to get Agent Night to medical help as quickly as we can."

"I quite understand. I must admit, I am impressed with your skills, agent."

"Thank you, but I am only doing what I've been trained to do."

"You seem to be too young for anything like this, and yet when I look into your eyes, even the eyes of your fellow agents who are also way too young to be what they are, I can see age beyond your years. "

"We were all forced to grow up too soon, professor. Each one of us has been through a lot in our short lives, we have seen and done things no one should have to – and that makes you grow up fast." Wufei checked the shuttle again.

Understanding that the agent didn't wish to speak on that subject any more, the professor wisely left it alone. "How long until we reach this shuttle port?"

"Depending on the rate of propulsion and if we get the right window as we approach the Earth atmosphere, we should be there in the next five to six hours," Wufei replied.

"Then I think if the auto pilot is handling everything okay, we should go back to the medical bay and see how your friend is doing."

"I think you are right, professor." Wufei fiddled with his head set for a second. "Medical bay, this is the cockpit. Do you read?"

"Medical bay, we hear you, Fire."

"Shuttle is on auto pilot, we are returning to the medical bay."

"Okay, we will expect you shortly. Medical bay out."

"Cockpit out." Wufei removed his head set and releasing his harness, pushed himself out of the chair. He'd engaged the gravity field, but only minimal, more for the safety and comfort of Maxwell than anything else.

"You coming, professor?"

"Right with you." Hawkins pulled off his head set and unbuckled his harness, grabbing the back of the seat and following Wufei out of the cockpit and through the corridor to the medical bay.

# # #

[Mansion]

"That's a good boy, Keitaro," said Sally as she placed the spoonful of mashed up vegetables into the child's open mouth.

Keitaro gurgled and pulled a face. Swallowing the food he opened his mouth for more.

"Here you go, eat all this up and you'll grow to be big and strong like your daddies."

The child snorted, screwed his face up and sneezed. Sally was directly in the line of fire.

"Yuk! Just what I didn't need," Sally moaned as she did her best to wipe the food from her blouse. A wash cloth was handed to her and she took it gratefully. "Thanks."

"No problem. You get used to this with infants," Margaret supplied with a wide smile on her face.

"Pretty boy, give us a kiss," Barney said from his perch on top of the 'fridge. The bird fluffed his feathers then launched into the air, flying across the kitchen and landing on the table by the bowl of baby food Sally was currently feeding Keitaro with.

"No you don't, Barney," Nurse Brown said. "That's the baby's food."

Barney cocked his head, his beady eyes watching the nurse then flicking back to the bowl of food. The nurse kept one eye on the Weiro, knowing how much Barney liked to try and steal bits of the baby's food whenever he got the chance.

"Any further word from Une?" Margaret asked, turning back to the stove where she was attempting to cook something for the pair of them for dinner. It wasn't easy when you had one wrist in a cast.

"No, nothing. I think I'll try to contact her once Keitaro is fed and bathed. Barney!" Sally shooed the bird away, but not before he'd managed to grab a beak-full of food from the edge of the bowl.

Barney flew back up on top of the 'fridge. "Fuck off," he chirped. Nurse Brown took a swipe at the bird with the tea towel. "Missed," chirruped the cheeky bird.

"Barney, any more of that sort of language and it's back in the cage for you," the nurse scolded.

"Give us a kiss."

"I'll give you more than a kiss, you feathered fiend."

Sally's cell went off, startling everyone in the kitchen. Sally dropped the spoon, Keitaro jumped in his high chair and scrunched his face up ready to cry, Margaret almost wore the contents of the saucepan she'd just lifted off the stove and Barney half fell, half flew off the top of the 'fridge, dive bombing Keitaro and landing on the tray of the child's high chair.

"Shit!" chorused Sally, Margaret and Barney.

Keitaro changed his mind about crying, his pudgy hands reaching for the bird that had appeared before him; Barney just managed to avoid being grabbed and jumped onto the table where the child couldn't reach him.

Yanking her cell from her pocket, Sally flipped it open, noting the caller ID. "It's Une," she told Margaret as she punched the button.

"Sally Po."

"Sally, it's Une. I need you to get back here to headquarters immediately. We have a critical situation."

"Critical... What's happened, Une?" Sally frowned as she listened to the Commander's clipped voice.

Une gave Sally as much information as she could – which wasn't a great deal as she didn't have all the facts herself. "I need you back here as quickly as possible, then I can contact the shuttle again if they haven't called in already and hopefully get some further information."

Sally's complexion had paled considerably as she listened to Une's brief explanation, her heart rate increased and a cold sweat broke out all over her body. "Oh my god," she muttered.

Hearing the soft words, Margaret's head snapped around, her eyes widening when she took in the appearance of the normally unflappable doctor.

"I'm leaving now, Une. I'll contact you again once I'm en-route with an ETA."

"Thank you, and please, drive carefully there's still a little bit of unrest out there and the shuttle won't be here for another five or so hours."

"I'll be careful. I'll see you soon. Bye."

Sally hung up, a thoughtful look on her face as her mind ran in circles.

"What is it? What's happened?" the nurse demanded.

Looking up, Sally noted the concern in Margaret's eyes and she swallowed. "I have to go straight to headquarters, there's been a bit of a situation."

"Don't beat about the bush with me, Doctor Po. I want the truth – _now_!" Margaret stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at the doctor.

Sally couldn't help the soft chuckle when she looked at the nurse. "No wonder your patients do exactly as they're told," she snickered.

"Sally, something is wrong, I can feel it, now, are you going to tell me or am I going to have to hold you hostage and pry it out of you?"

"I don't know a lot and neither does Une. What I can say is that Wufei, Trowa, Heero and Duo are on a shuttle and Earth bound, they are expected to land in about five hours or so."

"And?"

"Duo's been hurt. Barton tried to kill him." Sally paused for a moment to try and find the best way to say what came next.

"Doctor Po?" Margaret growled.

"Barton took to him with a knife, it appears to have lodged in his abdomen..."

Margaret's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, god no! He's... He could be..."

Sally placed her hand on the nurse's arm. "I know, Margaret. I have to move, get to headquarters and prep the surgery ready. Once that's done I'm going by chopper to the shuttle port to wait for them to land. The sooner I can get to him to treat him, the better for both him and the possible baby."

"I'm coming with you." Nurse Brown fixed the doctor with her eyes. "Those are my 'sons' and I'll be dammed if I'm staying here when they need me," she said in a tone that clearly brooked no argument.

Sally didn't bother to try and talk the nurse out of it, she completely understood how the nurse had pretty much adopted both Heero and Duo as her own and would want to be there for them. "You have ten minutes to get ready."

Margaret nodded and picked up Keitaro from the high chair. "We will meet you in the hall in five," she stated and walked off with the child to get them both changed and pack a bag for Keitaro.

Sally headed off in the opposite direction to change herself and fill Harim in on what was going on.

Barney watched all the movement with his little eyes and once the kitchen as deserted, he hopped up onto the side of the bowl that had been forgotten in everyone's haste. Helping himself to a few beak-fulls he fluffed his feathers. Miracle growled softly at the bird, watching him carefully from where she sat on the kitchen floor waiting for any scraps to come from the table.

"Fucking weather," Barney chirped.

# # #

[Shuttle 221]

Duo had been strapped onto the small gurney in the medical bay for take off, Heero settling himself into the seat beside his love and holding Duo's hand. The long haired man was unconscious, which in one way was a blessing; but Heero was worried sick.

Sitting across from the other agent, Trowa remained calm in his seat, waiting for the shuttle to leave the satellite and settle into a flight path so he could then do what was needed for his friend. He noted the slight change in the thrum of the engines and silently complimented Wufei on a smooth take off. Duo hardly moved on the bed, which was a good thing.

Having spoken with Chang and confirming the shuttle was now well on its way to Earth, Trowa released his harness, pleased to feel some gravity present. Not only was that a good thing for Duo, but it would also help him with his own injuries. Less gravity meant less pressure on his injured ankle.

Heero's eyes never left his partner's face. Inside he was an emotional mess and barely managing to hold onto his sanity. If Duo was pregnant – and it was highly likely he was – and if that knife had harmed their child in any way, then Une's orders be dammed; Heero would rip Barton apart. As it was he'd wanted to kill the fucker for hurting Duo and only Wufei's orders and the soldier still within him had stopped him from choking the very life out of that bastard.

If their baby was hurt, he'd find Barton, regardless of where or what Une did with him, Heero would find him... and the asshole would wish he'd never been born once Heero had finished with him.

"Yuy, You have to move."

Shaking his head, Heero focused back on the here and now when Trowa's voice permeated his thoughts. "What?"

"I need you to move so I can check Duo," Trowa clarified.

Wearily, Heero undid his harness and shifted to the side.

Trowa immediately moved in, securing a blood pressure cuff around Duo's biceps and noting the reading he got from it. He took the man's heart rate, respiratory rate and checked his temperature, writing the results down on a small clipboard.

"How is it looking?" asked Heero, voice barely a whisper.

"All things considered, it's pretty good news. His temperature is slightly elevated but his heart and breathing rates are well within the normal range. His blood pressure is a touch high, but nothing to be too concerned about. Actually, that's good."

"Good?"

"It means he's not bleeding internally. It's a good thing that no one removed the knife either. We have no idea what, if any, blood vessels or organs it may have connected with. Had it been removed then there's every possibility he could have bled to death within a couple of minutes."

Heero paled further and could only think how glad he was that he'd insisted Duo leave the knife where it was.

Trowa moved to the padding surrounding the knife in Duo's abdomen. "I'm not going to remove any of this as it may start the wound bleeding again, but I am going to pack a little more around it and try to secure the knife too." Trowa reached for several packs of gauze and a few bandages he'd dropped to the bed.

"I'll help you."

"Thanks." Trowa took a pack of the gauze, opened it and proceeded to pack it around the knife and the padding already there. Heero passed him more gauze as he asked for it until Trowa was satisfied he'd gotten enough packing around to keep things from moving. "Pass me one of the bandages please?"

Handing over a bandage, Heero watched in concern as Trowa carefully wound it around the padding surrounding the knife in Duo's abdomen. Two more bandages and Trowa deemed the knife stable.

"Let's check his other wounds and treat them as best we can, once we're finished with Duo I'll take a look at you, Heero," Trowa said softly.

"I'm fine," Heero grunted.

"No, you're not. You have a bullet graze to your arm that requires cleaning and wrapping. You won't be of any use to Duo and his recovery if you're down with an infection from not having had the wound treated," Trowa replied stubbornly.

Nodding, Heero relented. "Okay."

Wufei and the professor arrived at the medical bay then and Trowa switched his attention back to his patient, leaving Heero to explain what was going on.

He cleaned the bullet crease to Duo's arm and hip, packing them both with penicillin powder and covering them with gauze. He checked the strapped ribs and ankle, re-bandaging that ankle as best he could. By the time he'd finished, Heero had brought Wufei and Hawkins up to speed, although he'd kept Duo's probably pregnancy out of it.

Pulling the surgical gloves off and tossing them into the trash, he grabbed a fresh pair and pulled them on. "Next?" he asked.

It didn't take long for Trowa to clean up the graze to Wufei's head, clean out the bullet crease on Heero's biceps and attend to the bullet wound on Hawkins' shoulder. He noted down each person's vitals along with their injuries and the treatment he'd applied – he knew Sally would want a detailed explanation of what treatment had been administered and this was the quickest and easiest way to give that to her.

When he was done, he put everything away and sat down heavily in his chair. "We need to contact Une with an ETA. Also, I need to speak with Sally if she's available and bring her up to date with everything."

"Roger that," Wufei replied. "Day, you and the professor remain here with Night. Air and I will return to the cockpit, place the call and check the auto pilot is still on course."

Heero nodded, not bothering to look up from where he was sitting, eyes locked on Duo's face, hand held gently in his own.

"I'll keep an eye on the pair of them," Hawkins replied.

"Thank you. If you need to contact us, press this button here and it will put you directly through to the cockpit," Wufei stated and showed the professor the intercom unit on the wall.

"I'll remember that," Hawkins said.

With a squeeze to Heero's shoulder, Trowa and Wufei left to contact Une and Sally.

tbc...


	108. Chapter 108

**Many thanks to all for reading. Warm hugs for the kind reviews!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 108

[Preventer Headquarters]

Once Une had made her call to Sally, she left her office, informing Felicity she would be in the communications section if she was needed. With a purpose to her stride she made her way quickly through the building. She had a lot to organize.

Noting Sky at one of the transmitters, she walked in the agent's direction. "Sky, I need to contact the shuttle port," she stated as she entered the communications room.

Sky scrambled in his seat, moving to the side and passing over a head set to the Commander. "Right away, ma'am," he replied and set to the task.

Forest and Oak made themselves scarce, Sun continuing to monitor on the other radio and casting glances across at his partner and their Commander from time to time.

"Captain Storm, I have Commander Une here. She wishes to speak with you." Sky turned to the Commander. "Captain Storm is ready to receive, ma'am."

"Thank you, Sky." Une turned to the unit and closed her eyes. "Storm, I have a shuttle coming in, code red. The ETA is somewhere in the next five to six hours. They will need priority clearance and all assistance."

"I see, Commander," replied Storm. "May I ask what the problem is and which shuttle?"

"It's Preventer Shuttle PA 221, returning from the satellite and carrying a critically injured agent along with other injured agents."

Storm caught his breath for a moment. "I will have all services on stand by and priority clearance for them to land. I will need the shuttle's transmission frequency for contact once they are on approach to the atmosphere."

"I will have all that sent through to you in due course, Storm."

"Roger that, Commander."

"There's more, Storm. I will need a helicopter fueled and ready to transport the injured to Preventer headquarters. Doctor Sally Po will be arriving at the shuttle port prior to the shuttle's landing and will travel back here on the chopper with the injured."

"Copy that, Commander. I'll get right on to it."

"Thank you, Storm. I will have all the necessary information sent through as soon as I can and also let you know when to expect Doctor Po."

"No problem, Commander. Will there be anything else?"

"Not at this stage, Storm. Commander out."

"Storm, out."

Une leaned back in her chair and blinked her tired eyes.

"Are you okay, Commander?" asked Sky, his tone a touch worried.

"Nothing that several hours of sleep wouldn't fix," Une muttered. She gave the agent a rare, soft look. "I'm okay, Sky. I'll be a hell of a lot better though once this is all finished."

"Amen to that," Sky smiled in return.

"Okay, sympathy time is over. I need to contact Mercury and let him know of the latest developments. I'll also need to try and get in touch with the agents remaining on the satellite."

"I'll get Oak to try and raise the agents on the satellite if you wish, Commander?"

"Thanks, Sky. Can you get me Mercury first though?"

"Right on it, Commander."

# # #

[Mansion]

Margaret joined Sally by the front door just short of the ten minutes she'd been given. Sally took the child from the nurse and carried him out to the car where Harim was busy tightening the straps to the baby seat.

"All done, Miss Po," Harim said as he backed his body out from the back seat.

"Thank you, Harim," Sally replied and began the task of settling the infant into his seat and strapping him in.

Margaret opened the opposite door and placed the child's bag on the floor before getting into the passenger seat and putting her seat belt on.

"I'll go open the gates for you," Harim said.

"Thanks. One of us will be in touch when we have any news, Harim," Sally informed the man as she took her place behind the wheel.

"That would be appreciated, Miss Po. Please, take care and look after Master Duo and Master Heero."

"I'll do everything I can to make sure they both return in good health."

The Maguanac nodded and left to open the secure gates. He was worried, Sally having given him what little facts she had and they hadn't painted a very good picture. Harim, along with the other Magunacs had met all the Gundam pilots at some stage during the war, but Master Duo always held a soft spot in their hearts. All the Maguanacs would protect Master Duo to their dying breath if they had to, just as they would for Master Quatre or any of the other ex-pilots; but Master Duo was something special to them all.

Harim frowned and sent a silent prayer to Allah that the young man would be okay.

Sally started the car and drove down the sweeping drive to the gates. They were still in the process of opening and she had to wait a minute before they were wide enough for the car to pass through. Once on the road she headed for Preventer headquarters, eyes alert for any sign of unrest.

When she got to the main highway without incident, she spoke to Margaret. "Could you get my cell out of my bag and call Une for me please? I need to let her know when we should be arriving."

"No problem." Margaret fished around until she located the cell phone.

"It's on speed dial, press two," Sally said when she noticed the nurse frowning at the item as she tried to locate the Commander's number.

"Ah." Margaret did as requested. The phone connected and Margaret listened to the sound of it ringing; after a few rings, it was answered.

"Sally, how long until you're here?" came Une's voice.

"Commander Une, it's Margaret Brown, Sally is driving right now."

"Ah, sorry about that, Margaret."

"No problem. We are on our way and we should be arriving at Headquarters in..." Margaret looked to Sally.

Glancing at the clock set in the dashboard, Sally did a few mental calculations. "ETA twenty-five minutes, give or take five or ten."

"Sally says about twenty-five minutes, give or take five or ten, Commander," Margaret stated, relaying Sally's words.

"Thank you. Could you please ask Sally to come directly to my office when she gets here and I will brief her further. If I've not already spoken with the agents currently on the returning shuttle, I can do so whilst Sally is with me."

"I will pass that information on, Commander. Is there anything else?"

"Not at the moment. Margaret, I take it you are aware of the status?"

"Yes, yes I am, Commander and I want you to know that I fully intend to be present to assist Doctor Po in any capacity that I can."

Noting the firmness of the tone, Une couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm sure Sally will be more than grateful for your help, especially with Agent Night." Une didn't need to say anything further, both the Commander and the nurse knew exactly what was meant with those words.

"We will see you shortly, Commander."

"Roger that. Stay safe. Bye." Une disconnected the call.

Margaret popped the cell back into Sally's bag and relayed Une's side of the conversation to Sally, the doctor having heard Margaret's side.

"I'm glad Une doesn't have a problem with you coming in to assist me, I don't think I could handle Duo's injuries by myself and I really don't fancy having one of the other agents or medical staff assisting, especially as I'm going to have to check and see if Duo is pregnant again."

"I couldn't agree more." The nurse was silent for a moment, her mind ticking over. Finally, she spoke her thoughts. "How do you think he will cope with another pregnancy this soon after having had Keitaro?"

Sally didn't reply right away, her mind was working overtime with all the possible scenarios. At last she spoke, her tone serious. "In a woman it wouldn't be quite so bad, but in Duo's case there are a lot of unknown variables. His body is still stressed from carrying Keitaro, the wound from the delivery, whilst healed, is still weak. I'm not even going to contemplate how his womb would cope. I suggest we wait and see what the ultra sound shows up, then we can consider all the other elements to this."

Nurse Brown nodded. She could understand exactly where the doctor was coming from. This would be a case of checking everything first, then deciding on a plan of action. Before settling back into her seat, she checked Keitaro, the youngster had fallen asleep in his baby seat. Smiling to herself at the innocent looking babe, the nurse turned her attention back to the passing landscape.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23]

"I think that's all of them," Quatre announced as he set the lock on the cell door.

"One way to be sure," replied Zechs. Quatre raised an eyebrow., Zechs expanded on his words. "I'll run a heat scan over the Dome from the shuttle. It will pick up on any heat source within the Dome. We can then use the process of elimination to see if we have missed anyone or not."

"Smart thinking," Quatre replied. "Don't forget we have to pick up the two senators and there's a couple of goons Duo left tied up somewhere as well."

"Do you know where?"

"Yeah, Duo did pass on the sections. I've got them noted down."

"Okay. I'd suggest we head back to the shuttle then and scan the Dome."

"We need to take Wing and Deathscythe back to the shuttle and secure them too," Quatre reminded the other agent.

"Shit! I'd forgotten about those two. I hope you know the codes to get into them," Zechs said as he moved off through the corridors in the direction of the hangar.

"As long as neither Heero or Duo has changed them then I do know the codes," Quatre replied, jogging a little to keep up with the taller agent.

Zechs grunted and continued on his way. As they traversed through the Dome, Zechs thought about Barton and the other prisoners. It hadn't taken much to secure them all, none was willing to put up a fight, not after Une's broadcast of Barton's speech. Zechs would be very surprised if Barton had anyone left who gave a shit about him; other than to kill him that was.

Barton had been placed in a cell by himself, more for his own protection than anything else. Besides, Zechs didn't want Barton dead before they got him back to Preventer; aside from having a very annoyed Commander after them if that were to happen, they'd also have one very pissed off Yuy as well and in Zechs' book, Yuy was by far the worst of the two evils.

Barton had received minimal first aid, just enough to insure he would remain alive, but not enough to remove the pain of his injuries. That pain would serve to remind the man of the pain he'd caused others and the pain he was yet to experience.

The hangar lay up ahead, the two agents entering within minutes. Quickly locating their space helmets, they put them on and passed through the depressurization chamber.

Quatre approached the two Gundams, the mecha standing silent but threatening. "Which would you care to pilot back?" he asked Zechs.

"I'll take Wing if that's okay. I've piloted it before so I'm familiar with it. I've never been inside Deathscythe," Zechs replied.

"I don't think Duo would forgive you either if you put so much as a scratch on his beloved 'Scythe," chuckled Quatre as he approached the white and blue mecha. "Give me a moment, please," he said and quickly ascended Wing via the cable. Once standing by the cockpit, Quatre punched in a code to the small keypad, the hatch hissing open within seconds. Grinning to himself, Quatre allowed the cable to lower him back down. "All yours," he said.

"Thank you," Zechs replied and taking the cable, rose into the air and to the cockpit of Wing.

Quatre moved to Deathscythe, riding the cable and punching in the code once he was by the hatch. The hatch swung open, Quatre climbing inside and sealing it again. He quickly brought the mecha fully on line and opened up the communications port. "You okay in there, Wind?"

It had only taken a moment for Zechs to familiarize himself with the suit's controls and he soon had the power building up. Quatre's face appeared on the small vid screen, Zechs answering the blonde. "Everything is fine. All controls are on line and I'm ready to move out when you are," he replied.

"Okay, follow me." Quatre grasped the controls and Deathscythe began to walk from inside the hangar. Once Wing had also moved outside, the pair powered up the thrusters and gently guided the suits back to the shuttle. The cargo bay doors were opened and the mecha took their places inside the shuttle's belly alongside the other three Gundams.

The bay doors closed, sealing the shuttle and re-pressurizing the hold. Both Zechs and Quatre powered the Gundam's down, turning all systems off line and leaving the suits to 'sleep'. Sealing the hatches, Zechs aimed for the exit, Quatre taking a last look over all five suits and feeling his heart tug when he looked at the damage done to Heavyarms. With a deep breath, he turned and followed Zechs from within the hold, Zechs sealing the doors and securing them with a code that was known only to him and a couple of others.

"Let's head for the cockpit and run the scan, then we can contact Headquarters and fill them in on our status. We might be able to get an update on the others too," Zechs stated and turned to go to the cockpit.

"I'm right behind you," Quatre said.

It didn't take long for Zechs to bring up the program and scan the Dome. Various heat sources showed up on the screen and the pair were able to separate those sources that were the machinery currently keeping the Dome running from the human element. The bulk were in the cells, a few, smaller pockets scattered here and there which both Zechs and Quatre were able to identify as being other prisoners they'd secured.

Satisfied that they had everyone accounted for, it was time to contact headquarters.

# # #

[Shuttle 221]

Sitting in the medical bay, Hawkins glanced around him, eyes coming back to rest on Heero and the young man currently lying in a critical condition on the small bed. He could see the fear, the worry etched into every line of the chocolate haired man's body. "I sincerely hope he will be all right," Hawkins said softly.

Heero grunted softly in reply.

"He's a remarkable young man. I don't think Barton would have been able to be stopped if it wasn't for him." Hawkins paused before continuing. "When I first met him in the control room, I wasn't sure which side he was on. Barton had him programing those mobile dolls and training the pilots. It wasn't until I spoke with him in the bathroom that I began to understand a little better. He asked me to help him come up with a code or something he could slip into the programing that wouldn't be detected. I"m glad I decided to go with my instincts and trust him. I only wish I could have met and known him under different circumstances, he's got a brilliant mind on him and a true sense of justice."

"He's the kindest person I know," Heero said softly, eyes never leaving Duo's unconscious form.

"Yes, he is. He doesn't deserve this," Hawkins said.

"No, he doesn't, and I'm going to try and make sure nothing like this ever happens to him ever again."

"Is he... Are you two..." Hawkins wasn't a prude by any means, but he couldn't find the words he wanted to ask the question. Heero saved him from embarrassing himself though.

"He's my lover, my partner, my husband. He's my heart and soul, my entire world. If I lose him, my life isn't worth living."

The words were whispered, Hawkins only barely catching them; but he understood completely. He placed a hand on Heero's shoulder and gently squeezed. "A love like this is hard to find. I hope you two live a very long life together."

Heero didn't reply, he didn't need to.

Hawkins sat back in his chair and let his eyes slip shut. The nightmare was almost over.

#

"Preventer Headquarters, this is Shuttle 221. Do you read?" Wufei said and waited for a reply. Beside him, Trowa sat with his own head set on.

"Shuttle 221, this is Preventer Headquarters. Agent Sun here, I copy you loud and clear."

"Sun, this is Fire. Is the Commander available? I wish to brief her on the current status."

"Commander is in the other room. One moment and I'll get her, Fire."

"Thank you." Wufei looked to Trowa who tilted his head.

"Fire, what news do you have for me?" Une asked a moment later.

"Shuttle is still on course and our ETA with the shuttle port is four hours. We should break through the atmosphere at 23:00 hours providing we catch the window."

"Roger that, Fire. I will let Storm know the times shortly. I have briefed Storm on the situation and there will be a chopper waiting at the port with Sally Po on board to transport you all directly to Headquarters. As you get closer to Earth, Sky or Sun will send you the frequency for the shuttle port and they will assist in bringing you home."

"Thank you, Commander."

"What is the status of the agents on board?" Une questioned. "Sally will be arriving here at Headquarters very shortly and it would be helpful if I can let her know what to expect so she can have the appropriate medical facilities prepped and ready."

"Commander, it's Air here," Trowa said, taking over the conversation from Wufei. "I have examined all on board and treated what I could. Agent Night is the most serious and requires expert help as soon as possible."

"Air, please give me the basics," Une replied, her tone clearly stating that she was not alone and therefore Trowa wasn't to make any reference to Duo's possible pregnant state.

"Agent Night has a bullet crease to the upper arm and one to the hip; he also has cracked ribs and a sprained ankle. There are minor contusions and bruising, but his main problem is the knife embedded in his abdomen. His blood pressure is slightly high but stable and I don't think there is any internal bleeding at this point in time. I have made no attempt to remove the knife as I have no clue if it has damaged any vital organs or blood vessels."

"Wise move, Air. The others?"

"Agent Day also has a bullet crease to his biceps and several contusions – none of which are life threatening. Agent Fire..."

Wufei scowled.

"Agent Fire has bruising, minor contusions and a deep laceration to the scalp; which I have cleaned up as much as possible but it may require stitching. The professor has multiple bruising, some contusions and a bullet wound to the shoulder."

"And?"

Trowa could hear the raising of the Commander's eyebrow. "All persons vitals are currently stable but only minor pain relief has been given at this stage as I don't know what Sally intends to do."

"Agent Air... What is _your _status?" Une growled.

"Operational."

Before the Commander could speak, Wufei jumped in. If he had to suffer, then Barton could too. "Air has a strained shoulder, laceration to the head and a possible broken ankle."

"And _he_ says he's operational," Une muttered.

"Air has also been treated as best we can, Commander; although I wouldn't recommend giving him any morphine," Wufei stated. Trowa scowled.

"Why...? No, don't bother answering that, I don't want to know. Fire, Air, I will pass all this information on to Sally as soon as she gets here. Continue on course for now, I'll have Sun contact you with the shuttle port frequency shortly. Once you have that I expect you to contact Storm at the port. I will be in touch again soon as Sally will probably want to talk to you, Air."

"Commander, have you heard anything more from the satellite?" asked Trowa.

"Not as yet. Oak should be checking in with them soon though."

"Roger that."

"Thank you, agents. Stay safe. Une out."

"Shuttle 221, out." Wufei pushed the button and removed his head set. Turning to Barton he gave the man a nod. "I think we should check on the others then see if we can't get some rest. I'll take first watch."

"Sounds good to me, Wufei."

The pair went back towards the medical bay to let Heero know what was going on.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 – Shuttle 121]

Zechs and Quatre sat down in the cockpit, both slipping on head sets. Just as Zechs was about to contact Headquarters, the communication's light lit up and a familiar voice came over the unit.

"Agents Wind or Space, this is Agent Oak at Preventer communications, do you copy?"

"Looks like they beat us to it," Quatre grinned.

Zechs gave an amused smile and answered. "Agent Oak, this is Wind. We copy you loud and clear."

"Good. Commander requires an update on the status there."

"Roger that. Barton and all his men have been detained and secured. We have run a heat scan over the Dome and cannot locate any further persons than those in confinement."

"That's good news, Wind. Commander has been in touch with Mercury and the clean up crew has been briefed on your situation. Those shuttles should be arriving in another two or three hours. I have given Mercury your frequency and he will be in touch when the shuttles are roughly an hour away to discuss approach and will be the best place for the shuttles to be situated once they have landed."

"Sounds good to me, Oak."

"Commander wishes to know if shuttle 121 is secure."

Wind translated that into 'Une want's to know if the Gundams are safely locked down.' "Inform the Commander that the shuttle is safe and secure."

"Roger that, Wind."

"What would the Commander have us do whilst waiting for the back up shuttles?" asked Zechs.

"Commander says to relax and rest."

"Agent Oak, this is Space here. If there's nothing more we can do here I wish to head back to Earth. My partner, Agent Air was wounded along with several other agents that are now on their way back and I request permission to leave and join them."

"One moment, Space. I'll have to contact the Commander on that, she's currently in her office."

"No problem, I'll hold," Quatre replied with a snicker. Zechs rolled his eyes.

Oak paged the Commander and explained what Quatre wanted, Une giving permission. "Agent Air?"

"Still here, Oak."

"Commander says you may leave if you wish, but she doesn't see how you're going to get back here to Earth. You'll have to wait for either shuttle 121 to be repaired or come back on one of the other shuttles when they're done up there."

"Ah, I think I can get back before then," Quatre replied cryptically.

"Well, if you can I don't see why not, the Commander has given you the all clear."

"Just leave it to me, Oak. I'll contact you again and fill you in."

"Thank you. Is there anything else, Agents?"

"Nothing at this stage," Zechs replied.

"Good luck. Oak out."

"Shuttle 121, out."

With the connection cut, Zechs turned to Quatre. "And just how do you propose to get back to Earth?" he asked, curious to know what Quatre had planned.

"It's quite simple, my dear Zechs. I'll put out a call and see what Winner shuttles are in the vicinity and get one to stop by and pick me up," Quatre replied, a little smug.

"Just like hailing a cab or catching a bus," Zechs muttered. "I should have known."

Quatre smirked. "Sometimes it's good to be me," he snickered.

Zechs just shook his head.

"Mind if I borrow the radio?"

"Feel free," Zechs replied and leaned back in his seat, stretching his arms out above himself. "I think I might head aft and find a cabin to take a nap in. Let me know if you manage to hitch a ride."

"Will do."

# # #

[Inside Duo's Abdomen]

A gentle thrum passed continuously through the fluid surrounding the fetus; it was a sound and vibration all in one and did soothe the tiny being. Unaware of what was transpiring outside its safe world, the small babe moved a little in the fluid.

The body was perfectly formed, translucent skin covering the body, tiny fingers and toes fully developed whilst the remainder of the internal organs were in their various stages of development. Still dependent on its mother for the nutrients required to complete its development, the fetus was used to receiving other elements in the exchange from time to time.

Mostly, these other elements had no ill effect on the child, and the human body, in its wisdom, was very good at filtering out harmful items from the exchange. But there were some things even the body had no control over.

Unknowing of the injured state of its mother, the first sign the fetus had that anything was wrong was when the blood supply began to slow a touch and the exchange of vital gasses diminished. Whilst it wasn't significant enough to harm the developing child, it did have a mild effect.

The fetus slowed in its activities, not enough energy was reaching it for it to be as active as normal and what nutrients it did get were being channeled into its developing body. Combined with the hormones its mother's body was releasing to combat the injuries and the fetus was being overwhelmed one moment and then left feeling drained and exhausted the next.

It was all too much for the babe to handle; shoving a tiny thumb into the small mouth, the fetus curled in on itself and went to sleep.

tbc...


	109. Chapter 109

**Thank you to everyone for reading and warm hugs for your kind reviews!**

Unbetaed - please forgive any errors.

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 109

[Preventer Headquarters]

The entrance to the Preventer building parking area lay ahead and Sally gave a soft exhalation as she spotted it. They had been lucky during their drive to headquarters and only encountered a couple of mobs of people still roaming around. Fortunately for them, the mobs had been focused on other things and they'd managed to drive through without any mishap.

The gates to the parking area were closed, a couple of agents just to the side in the security boxes watching her approach. As she drew closer, Sally slowed down and then brought the vehicle to a stop. One agent stepped out, the other watching his back with a gun in his hand.

"Identification, ma'am?" the agent asked.

Sally grabbed her purse and pulled her ID from within, passing it to the agent to check. Nurse Brown also removed her ID from her purse and passed it over.

"Won't be a moment," the agent stated and stepped into the security booth where he scanned the ID; the other agent kept the gun trained on them at all times. A few seconds later, the agent stepped back out and passed the ID back. "Sorry for any inconvenience, Doctor, but with all the shit that's been going down we can't take any chances."

"That's quite all right, we both understand and to be honest, I'd be really worried if you didn't go to these lengths," Sally replied as she tucked her ID back into her purse.

The gates were opened and Sally drove inside, parking the car in the section reserved for the medical staff. Once the engine was cut, she got out and fetched Keitaro from his baby seat whilst Margaret removed the child's stroller from the trunk. Settling the babe into the stroller, Sally couldn't help but smile as the child remained asleep, an innocent look on his cherub face.

"He truly is a little miracle," Sally murmured.

"Yes, he is, and I sincerely hope his possible future brother or sister survives all this to share a long, healthy life with him."

"I agree with that," Sally whispered. "Come on, we need to go see Une and find out the status." With Margaret handling the baby bag, Sally took a firm hold of the stroller handles and began to push the child towards the elevator.

Within a few minutes they were walking down the corridor to Une's office. The building was pretty quiet, even if it was just late afternoon - early evening. With all that had transpired it didn't come as a shock to Sally, she fully expected all able bodied agents to be out in the field. Arriving at the Commander's door, Sally knocked and entered.

Felicity looked up at the knock and then person entering. "Doctor Po, it's good to see you," the secretary said.

"You too, Felicity," Sally replied, taking in the tired looking secretary and the slightly rumpled clothing. "I need to speak with the Commander, I believe she is expecting me?"

"Yes, she is, Doc. She's down in Communications right now, I'll let her know you're here." Felicity pushed the numbers for Une's pager. "Take a seat, she shouldn't be too long in answering."

"Thanks." Sally and Margaret moved to sit on a couple of the straight backed chairs and await Une's call. They didn't have to wait long.

Felicity informed the Commander of her visitors and was told she would be there immediately. The secretary offered the two women refreshments; both declined, opting to just sit and wait.

Une strode into the office a few minutes later. "Sally, Nurse Brown, glad you made it safely. Please, come through." Une marched into her office, Sally, Margaret and the baby stroller right behind.

Sitting down again, Sally didn't waste any time in getting to the point. "Have you heard from Heero? What is the status and ETA?"

"Trowa called in not long ago and gave me a brief outline of the agents and their injuries. Here..." Une passed over a clip board. "I wrote it all down on there so you could read it yourself. The shuttle should be getting in contact with us again soon, but I think it would be better if you were to come to communications and speak with Agent Air yourself, then he can answer any questions you may have and give you an updated status of all on board."

Sally took the clip board, her eyes scanning over the neat handwriting. The small frown between her brows deepened as she read the facts before her. Having finished, she looked to the nurse and back to Une. "This doesn't look good for Duo," she stated simply.

"I have to agree with you," Une replied, "Which is why time is of the utmost importance."

"Right. I need to speak with Trowa as soon as possible, once I have the information I need, I can leave Margaret here to get things set up in the medical wing for me. I'll need a couple of other doctors to take care of the agents with less urgent injuries and also the professor; I'll deal with Duo myself."

"And Heero," Nurse Brown said with a chuckle.

Sally snorted. "Yeah, I'll deal with him too as knowing Heero he won't leave Duo for anything."

"I'll leave all that side of things to you to organize, Sally. You have full, priority clearance to do what you need to." Une looked at the slumbering child in the stroller. "Errr, what about the baby? The creche isn't operating with all that's been going on."

"Shit, I'd forgotten about Keitaro," Sally said sheepishly.

"I'll find someone I trust to keep an eye on him," Margaret said firmly.

"May I suggest someone?" Une asked.

"You may, doesn't mean I'll leave him with them though," the nurse replied. She wasn't trying to be difficult, but with all they'd been through these past few weeks, Margaret didn't really want to let Keitaro out of her sight. Whomever was going to supervise the child needed to be someone the nurse knew and could trust.

Une gave an amused smile. "I was going to suggest Relena Peacecraft. She's here at headquarters for her own safety and has been helping out with many things whilst this crisis has been going on. I'm sure she would love to babysit Keitaro and I know she wouldn't let any harm come to the child."

Margaret thought about that. She knew the woman, having met her a few times and knew her to be a responsible young person. "Okay."

Sally smiled. She knew Relena would watch over Keitaro with her life.

"I'll have Felicity track her down and come here so you can brief her on what Keitaro's routine is." Une turned her attention back to Sally after receiving the nurse's nod of approval. "Whilst Margaret and Relena are organizing the child, we will go through to communications and contact the shuttle."

"Fine with me," Sally replied and stood up.

Une left the office to pass on her request to Felicity, the secretary promising to locate Relena immediately. Leaving Margaret and Keitaro with the secretary, Une took Sally to communications.

# # #

[Shuttle 221]

"H – Heero?" Duo's voice was soft and strained.

"I'm here, Duo." Heero stood up, his hand still holding Duo's

Slightly out of focus violet searched Heero's face. "Where are we? What's happening?" Duo's voice was barely a whisper and laced with pain.

Leaning close, Heero brushed a tender kiss across Duo's lips. "We're on the shuttle and bound for Earth. You were injured by Barton," he replied.

Duo's eyes clouded as he fought to remain conscious and bring the memories forth. Suddenly they flooded back and he grimaced. "The knife?"

Heero shook his head. "It's still in your abdomen. It's best to leave it there for now until we get you to expert, medical help. If we remove it, it could make things worse. You need to stay as still as possible, Duo. We don't know what internal damage has been done or exactly where the knife is sitting. If you move around, you could end up causing it to move too and hurt yourself even more."

Duo could see the logic in that, even if he wasn't happy with it. Fear flashed through his eyes and he gripped Heero's hand tightly. "What about...? Is the...?" Duo couldn't bring himself to say the words, dreading what the answer would be.

Soft lips brushed over Duo's ear as Heero whispered to him. "I don't know, Duo. Until we can get an ultra sound scan, we won't know for sure if you are expecting, or if the knife has connected with your special parts or any vital organs either."

"Barton?"

"Unfortunately, he's still alive," Heero growled.

"Good."

Heero raised an eyebrow at that. "Good? I don't see..."

Duo interrupted him. "If he's still alive then I can kill the bastard myself for what he's done."

A soft chuckle escaped Heero's mouth. "I think you'd better get in line, Duo."

Despite the pain a small smile graced Duo's lips. "Yeah, just make sure that Wuffers, Quat, Tro and yourself leave me a little of him to torture."

"I'll see what I can do," came the dry response.

"How long until we reach Earth?"

Heero glanced at his watch. "About another three hours."

Duo's hand tightened in Heero's again. "The medical help... Who-"

This time it was Heero that cut in. "Sally."

Duo gave a sigh of relief. "Thanks."

"Sally will take good care of you, Duo, just like she did before."

Blackness began to infiltrate the edges of Duo's vision. "Gonna pass out," he murmured as his eyes slid shut.

"Rest, Duo. I'll be here to watch your back." Heero's hand tightened a fraction around his lover's as he anxiously waited and willed the shuttle to move faster.

# # #

[Preventer Headquarters – Communications]

"Sky, get me shuttle 221, please and put it through to the other room," Une ordered as she entered the communications room with Sally right behind.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Sky, this call will be a medical one. I need a completely secure line and turn the recorder off for this frequency. I'm sure I don't have to remind you of patient / doctor confidentiality?"

"No, Commander." Sky began to fiddle with the dial, tuning in the frequency for the shuttle.

Une and Sally made their way into the small side room and placed the head sets on.

"Shuttle 221, this is Agent Sky of Preventer Communications. Do you copy?"

The usual static came down the line before it cleared.

"Preventer Communications, this is Shuttle 221, Agent Air here. Go ahead, Sky."

"Air, I have the Commander and Doctor Po wishing to speak with you. I'm transferring you through to the Commander and Doctor Po now."

"Thank you, Sky."

"Go ahead, Commander." There was a soft click as the call was put through and Sky shut down his end of the line.

"Agent Air?"

"Commander?"

"I have Sally with me. I need you to answer her questions as best you can so we know what medical set up we will need to treat the injured when you land."

"Roger that, Commander."

"Trowa? It's Sally. What is the current status of Duo? And the rest of the agents?"

Trowa proceeded to let Sally know what he'd found as far as injuries went on Duo, then what he'd treated on everyone else as well. He read off the latest vital statistics he'd taken from Duo, noting there was only a slight change in blood pressure and temperature. The vitals for the rest of the agents and the professor remained the same.

"Thanks Trowa, I'll organize to have the appropriate medical treatment waiting here at headquarters for when you all arrive. What is your ETA?"

Taking a quick look at the instrument panel before him, Trowa did some mental math. "We should be touching down at the shuttle port in two and a half hours," he informed.

"Roger that, Air." Sally fell silent for a moment as she searched though her mind for any treatment Trowa could give to Duo to help the braided man without harming either the agent or the possible baby. "Air, just how certain are you of Night's possible extra condition?"

Trowa frowned. "Given what we know from Duo, and what we have observed, I'd feel comfortable in saying it's a sixty percent chance of a positive," he swallowed before continuing, "Although that has changed since Barton's attack on him and where that knife is situated. If he is positive, that knife just may have turned it into a negative, if you get my meaning. There's only one sure fire way of knowing exactly what is going on and any and all damage, and that's with an ultra sound. I don't have that sort of equipment on board; actually, I think Preventer really needs to look at upgrading its medical supplies on these shuttles. They are well stocked for your average treatment, but when you have agents going into more serious situations, I think it would pay to have more stocked of what is normally contained and also upgrade to more specialized supplies."

"I'll make a note of that, Air and pass it onto the board here at Preventer," Une chipped in.

Recalling what was usually stocked in the medical kit, Sally decided a mild pain killer wouldn't hurt Duo or the child he was possibly carrying and relayed her information to Trowa.

"I'll give him the pain killer immediately," Trowa said.

"Thanks. Air, I want you to keep monitoring his vitals every fifteen minutes, if anything changes suddenly, contact me immediately. Once I've passed on what needs to be set up here at headquarters, I'll be on my way to the shuttle port and will meet you there when you land."

"Roger that, Sally."

"Good luck, Trowa; I'll see you all soon."

"Thanks, Sally. Shuttle 221, out."

"Preventer communications, out." Sally removed her head set and stared at Une. "We have a lot to organize."

It didn't take Sally long to track down Margaret and fill her in on what she needed prepping in the medical wing. With the nurse's promise to have it all set up and ready to go before Sally got back, the doctor grabbed her medical bag and stocked up on what she would need, adding supplies she didn't usually carry just in case. Going by experience, if she had them, she wouldn't need them; but if she didn't you could bet your life she'd need them for something urgent.

With everything packed, Nurse Brown handling the medical wing and Keitaro safely with Relena, Sally bid Une goodbye and set out for the shuttle port. She had incoming wounded to take care of.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 – Shuttle 121]

Zechs had disappeared aft to locate a bunk, leaving Quatre alone in the cockpit. With his head set on, Quatre fiddled with the dial of the radio, doing his best to tune into the frequency used by the Winner Corporation shuttles.

After a few attempts, the radio finally locked the frequency in and Quatre put out his call.

"Hailing any and all Winner Corporation shuttles in the following sector: XR 10 to XR 30. Any Winner shuttles in this range, please respond." Quatre sat back and waited.

Nothing but static came down the line.

"I repeat; hailing any and all Winner Corporation shuttles in the following sector: XR 10 to XR 30. Any Winner shuttles in this range, please respond. I repeat, please respond.

"Unknown hailer, please identify," came over the head set a minute later.

"This is an urgent call, repeat, urgent call. Shuttle that has responded, this is Winner related business, please identify yourself and I will reciprocate," Quatre stated. He wasn't about to inform the shuttle exactly who he was just in case it was an unfriendly ship. Despite knowing that the Winner CEO could take care of himself, there had been a few attempts to kidnap Quatre – none had succeeded. Quatre wasn't about to let his guard down though and needed to know if it was one of his own company's shuttles first.

"Unknown hailer, this is Winner Shuttle, Sandrock Construction 42. Captain Montgomery speaking. Please identify yourself."

"Monty? Is that you?" Quatre laughed as he recognized the voice. Montgomery had been with the company for years and Quatre knew the Captain quite well – he was one of their most experienced pilots.

"Mr Winner?"

"Yes, Monty, it's me, Quatre."

"What on Earth and in space are you doing out in this sector?"

"It's a long story, Monty, one I don't have the time to go into now. Look, I'm in a bit of a situation here and I need some help."

"Roger that, sir. What can we do to assist?"

"Monty, I'm on the satellite known as XRB 23 and I need to get back to Earth quickly. The shuttle I'm on is damaged and isn't safe to fly back. There is a repair crew on the way but it will take quite some time before the shuttle is space worthy again. I don't have that sort of time."

"I thought that satellite was abandoned?"

"It was. Monty, where are you headed and can you swing by and pick me up, please?"

Captain Montgomery punched some information into the on board computer and did some mental calculations. "We are about an hour away from the satellite and Earth bound. We've just delivered a load of construction materials to L2 X395. We were returning to Earth with scrap so if you can hold out for another hour, we can come in and pick you up, sir."

"Thank you, Montgomery."

"I'll need a little more information from you, sir in respects to landing area and such."

"No problem." Quatre passed over all the information the Captain needed and then cut the connection. Montgomery would make contact again when the shuttle was five minutes out to verify landing coordinates.

Just as Quatre was about to leave the cockpit to let Zechs know he'd managed to contact a shuttle, Mercury's voice came over the radio. Hastily shoving his head set back on, Quatre took the 'call'.

Mercury informed him the back up team were an hour and a half out and would require exact coordinates for their approach and landing.

Quatre duly gave Mercury all the information he would need and then informed him of the soon to arrive Winner shuttle that would take him back to Earth. Mercury accepted the information and stated he would contact again when they were about fifteen minutes out to verify if the Winner shuttle was still there and to double check on clearance for the shuttles to land.

Having noted all that down, Quatre cut the connection and closed his eyes for a second before a broad grin crossed his lips.

Knowing he would be off this floating rock within the hour and that the back up crew would be here in the next hour and a half cheered Quatre up immensely. He went in search of Zechs to let him know of the expected ETA for the back up and that his 'ride' would be arriving soon.

# # #

[Shuttle Port]

Sally glanced at her watch as she pulled into the parking area of the Preventer shuttle port. If the shuttle was running on time it should be arriving somewhere in the next hour. Locking the car, she hurried to the main building and located the officer in charge.

Storm had already informed the officer to expect the doctor and once Sally had shown her ID, the officer escorted her to where a small buggy was waiting.

"Pryor will take you directly to the main control room where Captain Storm is awaiting you, Doctor. I'll call him up and let him know you're on your way," the officer said as he assisted Sally into the buggy.

Pryor, the driver, gave Sally a grin. He was obviously one of the shuttle mechanics, his greasy coveralls and stained fingers a dead giveaway. "I'll have you out to Storm in a jiffy, ma'am," he said.

"Thank you, Pryor is it?"

"Yep, that's me. Hang on tight, ma'am." Pryor engaged the buggy's engine and the small vehicle surged forth, For such a tiny thing, it certainly had a turn of speed on it and Sally grabbed hold of the rail beside her arm to keep her in her seat.

The mechanic expertly guided the buggy through the large terminal and across the tarmac sections where some shuttles waited. Shooting down a small corridor, Pryor took a left, right and then another left. "Almost there," he said.

They crossed another section of tarmac, scooted around the edges and followed a yellow line that led them towards a series of buildings. Driving the buggy into another corridor, Pryor brought it to a halt alongside a series of doors and stairwells.

"Take the door marked Sector 2 and follow the corridor to level six. Storm will be waiting for you there," Pryor informed as he offered his hand to assist Sally in getting out of the buggy.

"Thanks, Pryor," Sally responded as she accepted his assistance and then took her medical bag from his outstretched hand.

"You're welcome, ma'am."

Sally passed through the door and walked briskly to level six. Up ahead, behind a wall of glass panels she could see the main control room of the shuttle port. Captain Storm was waiting for her by the door and let her in.

"Good to meet you, Doctor," Storm greeted and shook Sally's hand.

"Likewise, Storm," Sally replied. She liked this man, warming to him immediately.

"I was just about to contact the shuttle; if you'd care to wait whilst I do, you will be able to get the latest update from the agents on board. I'll have one of the officers take you out to the chopper pad afterwards so you can be ready to go once the shuttle has landed, Doctor."

"Thank you, Captain. That would be perfect," Sally replied and followed the Captain across the room to the control panel.

A young officer was just in the process of contacting the shuttle, Storm waiting behind him with his head set on.

"Shuttle 221, this is Preventer shuttle port, do you copy?"

"Preventer shuttle port, this is Shuttle PA 221, Agent Fire here. We read you loud and clear."

Sally drew in a sharp breath as Wufei's voice came over the airwaves. Her heart began to beat faster and she prayed he was all right.

"Agent Fire, this is Captain Storm. What is your ETA?"

"ETA is forty-five minutes, Captain. Approaching the atmosphere now and waiting for the coordinates to line up for the window of reentry."

"Roger that, Fire. We will remain in contact with you until point of reentry. Once you are through the atmosphere and communications are back on line we will assist you in bringing the bird home."

"Acknowledged, Storm."

"Chopper is on stand by and Doctor Po is ready to treat all injured. Shuttle bay 21 is ready to receive you."

"Thank you, Storm."

"Shuttle port will keep this frequency open from now until you are dirt side and parked. All other traffic has been either diverted or put on holding patterns. You have priority clearance 221."

"Roger that. Will keep frequency open and contact you once the window is a couple of minutes away. Shuttle 221 out for now."

"Copy that, Fire. Shuttle port on hold." Storm removed his head set and with strict instructions to his communications officer to keep him informed of the shuttle's progress, he turned back to Sally. "I'll take you down to the ground floor and have one of my officers escort you to the waiting chopper, Doctor."

"Thanks." Sally grabbed her medical bag and followed the Captain out of the control room.

# # #

[Shuttle 221]

Wufei put the communications on hold and turned to Trowa. "Could you go check on the others and let them know we will be coming up to the window for reentry in thirty minutes, please? Everyone is to strap themselves in and make sure that Agent Night is completely secure. I'll need you to come back though and assist me with bringing this shuttle in."

"No problem, Wufei, although I don't know how much use I will be to you."

"You will be able to function well enough to assist me," Wufei insisted. "I would have asked the professor, but he doesn't know anything about shuttles and enlisting his assistance with the take off was fine, but the landing is a completely different story."

Trowa nodded. He understood perfectly well what Wufei was saying. "I'll be right back."

#

Heero looked up as Trowa entered the medical bay. "How long?"

"We need to secure Duo as best we can. Reentry window is just under thirty minutes away," Trowa replied and shuffled towards the bed.

Heero stood up, moving a little awkwardly as his muscles had stiffened whilst he'd been sitting there and his wounds were also protesting the movement. Heero ignored the pain though, his lover was far more important. Heero knew, as did the rest of the pilots just how rough a reentry could be. Even if one did get the angle perfect, the craft would still buck and shudder as the atmospheric layers played havoc with its outer skin and navigational controls.

Between the two of them, they managed to tighten the straps across the bed and Duo's body, careful of the knife still protruding. There wasn't anything more they could do to keep the knife secure, they would simply have to pray that the padding and bandages Trowa had applied earlier would be enough to prevent it from moving.

With Duo now as secure as could be, Heero and Hawkins took up their own seats and strapped themselves down. Heero took up his hold on Duo's hand once more as Trowa left them to assist Wufei in bringing the shuttle in.

Duo's eyes flickered open. "Heero?"

"I'm here, Duo."

"What's happenin'?" Duo's words were a little slurred, possibly due to the painkiller Trowa had administered earlier on Sally's advice.

"We're about to come upon the window and break through the atmosphere. It won't be long now and Sally is waiting to look after you."

"Hate reentry, it's a fuckin' bitch."

"I know."

The sound of the shuttle's engines began to change a little, indicating they were coming up on that window.

Duo gripped Heero's hand tighter, fear an ever present emotion. God how he wished he could slip back into unconsciousness for the break through the atmosphere – but now that he wanted it, it wouldn't come. "Fuckin' Murphy and his law," Duo mumbled.

The craft began to whine, the fuselage shuddering and bucking as the layers of gasses were penetrated by the shuttle nose. All on board were jolted around a little as the shuttle forced its way through.

On the bed, Duo bit his tongue and did his best to stifle the cry of pain as his already injured body was jolted about.

tbc...


	110. Chapter 110

**Thank you to all for reading and warm hugs for your kind reviews!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 110

[Preventer Shuttle 221]

Wufei grit his teeth as he fought to hold onto the yoke and keep the shuttle steady. Entering the Earth's atmosphere was always tricky, the angle had to be right, if not, the shuttle could end up bouncing off the atmosphere and ricocheting off into the universe, or worse still, exploding into a fireball.

The computer had been programmed with all the details and had continuously fed the pilot the angle, trajectory, speed and such to bring the craft safely through the gaseous layers - now it was up to Wufei to follow that information.

The craft bucked again, its outer skin piercing the first layer and beginning to heat up. As they continued to pass through the various layers that made up the Earth's atmosphere so the heat shields took a battering. The craft began to glow red, orange and then yellow, fading out to white. The shields did their job though, protecting the hull and her cargo inside from the intense heat.

"Altitude sixty thousand feet and falling," Trowa stated, eyes watching and monitoring the many instruments situated in the panel before him.

"Roger," Wufei replied and grimaced as the craft jolted again. The movement didn't bother him so much as the thought of what it could possibly be doing to Maxwell's already unstable body. He breathed a sigh of relief as the shuttle broke through the last layer and the black void of space was exchanged for the black of the Earth night.

"Altitude fifty thousand feet and falling at five hundred feet per minute," Trowa reeled off. "Cut air speed by ten knots every thirty seconds."

"Do we have radio contact with the shuttle port yet?" Wufei asked, watching his air speed and altitude slowly lowering.

"We should be back in range in the next minute," Trowa replied.

"Good."

The pair were silent again for a short while, Wufei concentrating on flying, Trowa watching the instruments. Glancing at the radio, Trowa reached for the dial and tried to contact the port.

"Preventer Shuttle port, this is Preventer Shuttle PA 221, do you copy?"

The radio remained silent.

"I repeat, Preventer Shuttle port, this is Preventer Shuttle PA 221, do you copy?"

"Altitude, forty thousand feet," Wufei supplied.

"Preventer Shuttle PA 221, this is Captain Storm of the Preventer Shuttle port; we read you loud and clear. Good to have you back in contact again."

"Thank you, Storm, it's nice to hear your voice too," Trowa replied.

"Shuttle 221, what is your current altitude, airspeed and direction?"

Wufei passed the information on to the Captain.

"Roger, Agent Fire. Continue to decrease airspeed by ten knots every minute. Decrease altitude by five hundred feet per minute until you reach twenty thousand feet; then decrease by two hundred and fifty feet per minute. Adjust course heading by three degrees south."

"Copy that," Wufei stated and proceeded to do as requested. Once he'd made the adjustments, he watched the altimeter until he reached the required twenty thousand feet, then he slowed the descent to two hundred and fifty.

Trowa kept a careful eye on all the instruments, reading off the airspeed and altitude as they slowly but surely drew closer to the shuttle port and the Earth below.

Despite Wufei's determined efforts to keep the craft as steady as possible through the reentry, the shuttle did protest and bounce around a bit. Hawkins grimaced a couple of times when his shoulder was jarred by the harness, but he didn't utter a sound. Heero, who was used to the jostling around of a shuttle cutting through the atmosphere knew what to expect and had braced his body as best he could to minimize the jarring of his wounded body. His eyes never left his partner's prone form though.

Heero knew Wufei was doing his best and he was grateful to the Chinese man. Seemed he'd found himself in a similar situation not all that long ago, only that time it had been in a commandeered police car with a blonde who was as high as a kite on morphine.

The Chinese man had given his word then that Heero would be at the hospital to attend his child's birth - and he had. Chang had made a similar promise this time and Heero had no doubt that Wufei would be just as determined not to break that promise either.

He owed Chang a lot.

His mind was snapped back as Duo moaned, then gave a cry of pain as the shuttle bounced a touch. "Duo? You okay?" he asked as his hand grasped his lover's.

"Fuck! What's Wuffers doing up there, playing ping pong and using the shuttle as the ball?" Duo gritted out.

"It will smooth out in a minute, it's just the first stage of reentry. You know how bad that can be."

"Yeah, I know. Feels like I'm on a friggin' kangaroo." Duo gave another moan of pain as the shuttle jolted again. "One with spikes," he added.

Heero's lips quirked a touch, then he frowned in concern. "Where does it hurt?"

"All over," Duo groaned.

"I don't think the knife has moved," Heero said as he did his best to study the knife from where he was sitting.

"Feels like it's on fire."

The shuttle settled then and the ride smoothed out; Heero quickly undid his harness and moved closer to see what damage, if any, had been inflicted by the bucking of the shuttle.

"What are you doing?" the professor asked, a touch of panic in his voice. Even he knew that undoing your harness whilst the shuttle was still descending was pretty risky - if they hit a wind shear they could be tossed around like rag dolls.

"I'm checking my partner," Heero said, his tone flat a his eyes raked over Duo's injured form and settled on where the knife hilt protruded.

The professor could see there was no point in arguing, so he shut up.

Heero carefully checked around the padding Trowa had added to keep the knife still and gave a sigh of relief when he didn't see any fresh blood. "Won't be long now," he told his lover and moved to press a kiss to Duo's forehead before settling himself back in his chair and doing up the harness again.

Duo's eyes were closed, his face pale and drawn. Sweat was beading on his brow and he ached all over. What he wouldn't give for some strong painkillers right now, but there was no way he would take anything unless Sally said it was okay; and even then he would prefer not to.

All three detected the change in the thrum of the shuttle's engines as the power was decreased. Unfortunately there weren't any windows in the medical bay so they had no idea how close to landing they actually were.

"Shouldn't be long now, Duo," Heero reassured. "Sally will be with you in a few minutes and everything will be fine."

"Hope so," Duo muttered and closed his eyes, sliding into unconsciousness again.

'_So do I,' _Heero thought.

#

"Shuttle PA 221, you are clear to land on runway two, repeat, clear to land on runway two. Adjust course heading by ten degrees east, reduce airspeed by twenty knots. What is your altitude?"

"Altitude eight thousand feet, still dropping by two hundred and fifty per minute," Trowa replied.

"Increase drop rate to three hundred feet per minute."

"Copy that, Storm."

Wufei continued to fly the shuttle, making the adjustments. "I can see the port up ahead," he informed Trowa.

Trowa raised his eyes briefly from the instrument panel and glanced out the window. Up ahead lay the shimmering lights of the Preventer Shuttle Port. The runways were lit up, softly glowing in the night. Runway two was shining brighter than the rest, the orange lights signaling the way home.

"Shuttle PA 221, be advised there is a wind shear at three thousand feet. It's only a mild one but may cause a slight drop in altitude," Storm informed them.

"Copy that, Storm," Trowa said.

"Great, just what we fucking don't need," Wufei growled. His brow was beaded in sweat, the effort of bringing the shuttle in as smoothly as possible along with his head graze and the thought of his seriously injured comrade lying in the medical bay was beginning to take its toll on the young Preventer.

Trowa knew exactly how he felt. Hadn't fate toyed with them enough?

The shuttle lurched a touch, Wufei countering it as best he could.

'_Obviously not,' _Trowa thought.

The runway was much closer, Wufei cutting the airspeed further as the craft descended smoothly towards the tarmac.

"Shuttle PA 221, you are all clear to land. Good luck Fire, we will see you shortly. Storm on stand by."

"Roger that, Storm, and thank you." Wufei's concentration was fixed on the runway ahead, Trowa continuously feeding him the airspeed and altitude. "Lower landing gear and extend flaps twenty percent," Wufei requested.

Trowa pushed the button to the landing gear and noted the lights come on to confirm. "Gear down and locked." Another lever was pushed slightly forward, Trowa carefully sliding it and watching the gauge. "Flaps at twenty percent."

The runway was dead ahead and rising to meet them. Wufei tilted the yoke a touch and quickly spoke. "As soon as we touch down, extend the flaps to full capacity, release the parachute and assist with the braking."

"Roger, Fire."

The shuttle dropped steadily, the tarmac rising to greet them and then the back wheels made contact followed immediately by the nose wheel. Once the wheels were on the ground, Wufei's feet hit the brake pedals as his hands pushed the engines into reverse. Trowa had the flaps extending as he deployed the parachute, his foot operating one brake pedal to help Wufei in bringing the craft to a stop.

The shuttle vibrated, engines screaming in protest as the craft tried to continue its headlong rush. The parachute opened out behind them and added further drag. In the medical bay, Duo groaned as his body was jarred and jolted by the unforgiving shuttle.

Finally the shuttle gave up and slowed its speed, the parachute fell limp behind and Trowa released it from the craft's tail section. The flaps were once again drawn back up and Wufei taxied towards the main hangar area.

"Nice landing, Fire," Storm commented. "Welcome home."

"Thank you. Where would you like us to park?"

"Bay twenty-one, just to the left of the main hangar. I'll have transport come directly to you once the shuttle is stationary and engines powered down. Doctor Po will also be with the transport and you will all be taken directly to a helicopter for transport to Preventer Headquarters."

Much appreciated, Storm."

"It's my pleasure, gentlemen."

"Over there," Trowa said and pointed to the bay ahead. A large '21' was painted on the concrete, flanked by yellow and white lines which indicated the 'parking' area.

Wufei brought the shuttle in and gently rolled to a stop.

"I'll go tell the others what is happening and assist them to the exit ramp whilst you finish shutting this baby down," Trowa said, unbuckling his harness and getting to his feet. He winced as he forgot about his injured ankle and put unnecessary weight on it.

"I'll be with you in a moment," Wufei replied.

With a nod, Trowa moved as fast as he could to the medical section of the shuttle, the professor and the other agents.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 – Shuttle 121]

Quatre had fallen into a light doze in the pilot's seat of the transport shuttle when an incoming communication woke him up. Shaking his head to try and dispel the sleepiness that prevailed, Quatre reached for the radio dial and slipped his head set on.

"Mr Winner, this is Sandrock Construction 42, do you read?"

"Sandrock Construction 42, this is Quatre. I read you loud and clear Captain," Quatre replied.

"Mr Winner, we are fifteen minutes from destination. Could you please send through the exact coordinates to your position?"

"Roger that, Montgomery. Stand by for coordinates." Quatre reached for the computer key board and typed in the requested information. "Coordinates have been sent. If you come in on those exactly you won't have any problem with landing. Be aware there is a large debris field on the satellite surface."

"Debris field? May I ask what sort of debris?"

"Bits of mobile suits."

"I don't think I want to know any more," Montgomery stated.

"Trust me, you don't."

"Roger that. Coordinates have been programed into the computer, we will be landing in another ten minutes."

"Thank you. I'll get suited up and once you're down I will make my way over to you. Please have the decompression chamber ready. Once I'm on board you can take off again, I need to get back to Earth as quickly as possible. I'll explain more once I'm on board."

"Copy that. I will contact you again when we're five minutes out."

"Thank you, Monty."

"You're welcome, Mr Winner."

The call was cut, Quatre removing the head set and double checking the suit he still wore. Everything checked out okay so all he would need was his helmet before exiting the shuttle. Getting up, he went in search of Zechs to let the agent know he would be leaving shortly.

Five minutes later, Montgomery called in again, the shuttle on schedule and approaching the designated coordinates. Quatre watched from the cockpit as the large craft appeared and gracefully landed on the dusty surface. Zechs was also in the cockpit and monitoring the radio, the call from Mercury and the clean up team expected any minute.

"Mr Winner, Sandrock Construction 42 has landed safely," came Captain Montgomery's voice.

"Roger that, Captain. I will be leaving the shuttle ahead of you in a couple of minutes and make my way to you," Quatre replied.

"I'll have the ramp at the rear of the shuttle extended for you to enter through, Mr Winner."

"That would be most appreciated. I will keep in contact with you through the head set in my space helmet," Quatre informed.

"Everything is ready for you. Approach when ever you wish."

"Thank you, Monty. I'm heading for the decompression chamber now. I'll contact you again once I'm on the satellite surface and on my way to you. Winner out."

"Roger that. Montgomery out."

Quatre removed the head set and turned to Zechs. "You sure you will be okay by yourself?"

"I'll be fine. Mercury and the rest are due to call in any second and they should be landing not long after," Zechs replied. "Be careful out there though, we still don't know if any of those suit pilots still out there are alive."

"I highly doubt it. Most of them high tailed it back to the main Dome as soon as they could. The only ones still out there are either dead or injured." A flash of pain passed through Quatre's eyes. "The wounded will need to be recovered and treated as soon as possible," he said quietly. "Before they run out of air."

"I know," Zechs whispered. He didn't like the thought of injured pilots lying out there on the barren landscape any more than Quatre did. "It will be the first thing we do once Mercury gets here."

Both Zechs and Quatre had already considered braving the satellite surface to look for and recover the injured, but logic had told them it wasn't a good idea. With there only being the two of them it was far too risky to attempt. All it would take was one bullet or laser beam to penetrate their space suit and it would be all over for them. As cruel as it seemed, their only option was to wait for the back up crew to arrive.

"Preventer Shuttle 121, this is Preventer Shuttle 151, Agent Mercury here. Do you copy?"

"Speak of the devil," Zechs grinned and turned back to the radio. "This is Preventer Shuttle 121. I read you loud and clear, Mercury. I have some information for you. Please stand by."

"Roger that. Mercury on stand by."

Zechs turned back to Quatre. "You'd best get going, Mercury and the other shuttles will be coming in to land in the next fifteen minutes or so; it would be best if your shuttle was space borne to leave the field clear for them to land."

"I agree." Quatre stood and picked up his helmet. He extended his hand, Zechs giving it a surprised look before taking it and shaking firmly. "Thank you for all your help, Wind. If you and Heero had not come when you did, this entire mess would have had an entirely different outcome."

"It has been both a privilege and an honor to work beside you all. Thank you for trusting me to assist and for your trust that I will look after the Gundams for you. I promise you, they will be kept safe and sound, any and all repairs made so that should they ever be required again in the future, they will be ready."

Quatre gave a nod, no more words were necessary. "I will see you Earth side. Be careful."

"You too, Winner."

Quatre turned and putting his helmet on, jogged down the corridors to the decompression chamber. Stepping inside, it only took a couple of minutes for the pressure to equalize with that of the satellite and Quatre was heading out and across the litter strewn landscape towards the Winner shuttle.

Inside the Preventer shuttle, Zechs kept a careful eye on Winner and the debris. His finger was ready on the weapons trigger, having brought the weapons back on line as soon as Quatre had left. He wasn't about to take any chances and would cover the other man should anyone still alive out there decide to take a shot at him. Quatre reached the other shuttle safely and Zechs breathed a sigh of relief. With Quatre safely on board the Winner shuttle, Zechs turned his attention back to Mercury.

As Quatre stepped out of the compression chamber he was met by Captain Montgomery and a couple of security guards bearing guns. He removed his helmet and smiled, the guards withdrawing their guns the moment they recognized the Winner CEO.

"Sorry about that, sir," Montgomery apologized. "All precaution I can assure you."

"No problem. I'd have been more concerned if I hadn't been met with armed guards." Quatre knew just how much it paid to be careful and whilst he'd told them who he was, in reality, he could have been an impostor.

"Would you like to retire to a cabin to freshen up or come to the cockpit?" Montgomery asked.

"I"ll come up to the cockpit, I can freshen up later once we're on our way back to Earth," Quatre replied and started to walk, the Captain right beside him. "We need to get off the satellite as quickly as we can, there are several Preventer shuttles arriving in the next fifteen minutes to continue on with the assignment and they will need all the space they can get," he informed the Captain.

"No problem," replied Montgomery.

They arrived at the cockpit and Montgomery issued his orders for an immediate take off, the pilot nodding and setting to the task. Quatre quickly contacted Zechs. "Shuttle 121, this is Space. Have arrived safely aboard Sandrock Construction 42 and are preparing to leave."

"Roger that, Space. Mercury and back up crew are coming in from the west; I recommend you head east, north east on the following coordinates, that will insure complete avoidance of each other," Zechs replied as he sent through the coordinates.

"Copy that. Thank you, Wind. Will see you dirt side. Sandrock Construction 42, out."

"You can count on it, Space. Shuttle 121, out."

The Winner craft lifted gently into the void of space and once clear of the satellite surface, fired her engines fully and following the coordinates Zechs had sent through, rapidly left the satellite behind, bound for Earth.

"Preventer shuttle 151, this is Preventer shuttle 121. Other craft has departed and you are now all clear to land at your convenience. The coordinates are..."

# # #

[Preventer Shuttle Port]

As the shuttle came to a stop, Heero was again out of his harness and checking his partner. The professor also removed his harness, albeit a little slower as his shoulder had stiffened up considerably during the flight back. Duo remained strapped firmly on the bed, the padding secure around the knife hilt.

Gently brushing the sweaty bangs away from Duo's eyes, Heero leaned close and pressed a soft kiss to Duo's forehead. "We're back on Earth, Duo," Heero whispered softly.

Violet eyes fluttered open and searched for Heero's face. "Earth?" Duo said quietly.

"Hai. Wufei brought us down safely and Sally should be with us very soon and will take care of you. Just hold on a little longer my love."

Duo nodded. Despite the mild painkiller, the throbbing in his abdomen was getting worse. The fear clenching inside him was also escalating.

Trowa limped into the medical bay. "Wufei is shutting down the shuttle and preparing to open the hatch for Sally and the transport team. We need to move to the exit," he informed them all. Moving to where Duo lay, Trowa quickly checked the agent's vitals. He wasn't happy with the results either.

"What is it, Air?" Heero asked when he spotted the frown on Trowa's face.

"His blood pressure is becoming erratic and his temperature is rising. He needs Sally as soon as possible," Trowa replied, keeping his voice quiet so Duo wouldn't hear.

"Then I suggest we do not wast any more time." Heero began to undo the straps that kept Duo in place. "I'll need someone to help me carry him."

The bed in the medical bay, whilst bolted to the floor did come apart. Between the thin mattress and the bed base, there was a thin but strong 'board'. It was reminiscent of a spinal board, complete with hand holes at each end and along the sides so a patient could be moved from the bed to a gurney or just carried should the need arise.

With the space flight strapping now freed, Trowa grabbed the straps on the board and secured Duo again. "I'm afraid I can't lift him," Trowa told Heero. "We need to wait for Wufei."

Heero nodded. "How long?"

"Only a couple of minutes."

"Take the professor and go to the exit ramp, I'm sure Sally should be there by now and she can take a look at you both," Heero stated. "I'll wait for Wufei and then we will follow you with Duo."

"Okay." Trowa collected the professor, the pair of them moving slowly down the corridor to where the exit waited.

#

Once the shuttle had come to a stop and the engines had been cut, Sally was in the small transport vehicle and being driven to her patients. The small vehicle pulled up by the side rear of the shuttle where the exit ramp was still extending towards the ground. A second transport pulled up beside her.

Once the ramp was completely lowered, Sally grabbed her bag and headed for it, walking as quickly as she dared. She soon entered the shuttle and spotted Trowa and someone else coming towards her.

"Sally," Trowa acknowledged. "This is professor Hawkins. Hawkins, this is Doctor Sally Po."

"Trowa," Sally returned. "Professor, it's good to meet you, I just wish it was under better circumstances."

"Same here," Hawkins replied.

"Where is Duo?" Sally questioned as her eyes raked over the pair before her and noted their injuries, comparing them to what Trowa had already informed her. Both men appeared okay for the moment and would be fine to wait until they were on the chopper and bound for Headquarters when Sally would take a better look at both of them.

"Heero and Wufei will be bringing him out in just a moment," Trowa replied.

"I'll go meet them. You two continue outside, there's a couple of transports waiting there. Get yourselves into one of them and I'll be joining you shortly."

"Okay." Trowa grunted softly as his injured ankle reminded him that it was _not_ a good idea to put too much weight on it. With the professor assisting him and vice versa, the pair continued on to the exit ramp and waiting transport.

Sally made her way along the corridor and met Heero and Wufei coming out of the medical section.

"Sally," Heero breathed, the relief flooding his features.

"Heero, Wufei," Sally nodded. "How is he?" Sally went immediately to Duo, her eyes widening when she saw the protruding hilt of the knife.

"_He_ has been much better," Duo rasped out and then grimaced as a wave of pain passed over him.

"Trowa said his blood pressure was becoming erratic and his temperature is rising," Heero supplied, the worry evident in his tone.

Her expert eye having taken in what she could, Sally knew Duo was in deep trouble. They needed to get him to the Preventer hospital quickly. "Are you both okay to carry him?" she asked, noting the board stretcher.

"Hai."

"Then hurry up, we don't have time to waste."

Almost jogging, the pair followed Sally out of the shuttle and to the transport vehicles. Sally nodded to the driver of the vehicle Trowa and Hawkins were in, the driver shifting into gear and maneuvering the vehicle away from the shuttle and across the tarmac to where the chopper was waiting. Having settled Duo and his stretched across the transport, Heero and Wufei got in, each remaining on either side of the stretcher. Sally got in the front and the driver moved off. Wufei watched the shuttle receding into the distance, noting the Preventer shuttle crews moving in to take care of the craft.

Within a couple of minutes they had reached the chopper, Hawkins and Trowa were already making their way inside. The two drivers came to assist Heero and Wufei with Duo, the four of them carrying the injured man as gently as they could into the chopper and strapping the stretcher down. Once everyone was secured, the pilot engaged the rotors, the blades turning lazily at first then picking up speed.

Carefully the craft eased from the ground and into the air to begin its mercy dash to Preventer headquarters and the hospital Duo desperately needed.

Once they were airborne and leveled off, Sally was beside the long haired man, pulling things from her bag. "Right, Duo. Let's get you as comfortable as we can," she said.

tbc...


	111. Chapter 111

**Many thanks for the kind reviews!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 111

[Satellite XRB 23]

Zechs watched from inside the cockpit as the Preventer shuttles came in to land on the satellite surface. Like giant, silver birds they approached, hovered and then gently set themselves down between the transport shuttle and the Dome, careful of any debris scattered around.

"Agent Wind, this is Mercury. All shuttles are safely down."

"Copy that, Mercury. You and your teams will need a full brief on the situation. Would you care to come here to the transport shuttle or would you prefer it for me to come to you?" Zechs replied.

"We will come to you, Wind. I'll bring the team leaders with me and once we're all briefed we can plan out which is the best way to tackle this problem."

"Roger that, Mercury. I'll have the hatch open and decompression chamber on standby for you all."

"Thanks, Wind. I'll contact you again when we're about to head over."

"Be careful out there, Mercury. We are not completely certain if all non-friendlies are accounted for. There may be some suit pilots still on the surface and despite being injured, they may have enough strength or air left to try and get a shot in at you."

"Roger, thanks for the heads up. We will use caution during the transfer."

"I'll see you shortly, Mercury. Wind out."

"Mercury, out."

Zechs sat back in the pilot's chair and put his hands behind his head, closing his eyes for a moment. He'd love nothing more than to fall into a bunk and sleep for an hour or ten, but he wasn't going to get that luxury any time soon. With a yawn, he stretched and then reached for the computer console, lowering the hatch and getting the chamber on standby.

Mercury contacted the other shuttles and once the plan was relayed, all five team leaders put on their respective suits and met up at the ramp to Shuttle 151. With guns drawn and Mercury leading the way, the team traversed the satellite surface towards the damaged transport shuttle.

"Shit, it did take a beating," Agent Oil whistled as he looked over the scarred hull of the transport.

"You should be able to fix it though?" Mercury questioned.

"We have all the stuff on board that Wind requested, although we will need to make adjustments and such. I sincerely hope what he said about having facilities here is true, we're gonna need a shit load of welding done."

"I'm sure Wind will brief you on all of that once we get inside." They continued to walk carefully across the powdery landscape, moving around pieces of mobile suits as they came across them.

"Looks like they had a right old battle here," Agent Neptune stated.

"Any survivors?" asked Agent Jupiter.

"From what I know, all able bodied suit pilots high tailed it back inside the Dome. Wind did say there could still be some injured out here and possibly a fully functional pilot or two, but it would all depend on their air supply. We don't know what sort of tanks they were using and how many hours of air were in those tanks," replied Mercury

"Guess we will find out once we start a search of the area for survivors," Agent Europa muttered.

Conversation halted as the five reached the extended ramp of the transport shuttle. In single file they entered and stepped into the decompression chamber. The ramp withdrew and the hatch closed, the door to the chamber also closing. There was a soft hiss of air as the pressure equalized with that of the shuttle, then the inner door opened to admit them into the shuttle.

Removing their helmets, the agents left them on the racks just outside the chamber and stepped into the corridor where they were greeted by Agent Wind.

"Agents, it's good to see you all," Zechs greeted.

"Likewise, Wind. I'm Mercury." Mercury stepped forward and shook hands with Zechs. "This is Oil; he's in charge of mechanics and will be responsible for getting you back up and flying again. His team is one of Preventers best."

"Good to meet you, Oil." Zechs shook the offered hand.

"This is Agent Europa. His team will scour the satellite surface and bring in any survivors as well as the dead."

Pleasantries were again exchanged.

"This is Agent Neptune, and Agent Jupiter. They, along with myself, will take on the task of recording all the information on the prisoners and transporting the prisoners back to headquarters. Any injured prisoners will be passed over to Europa as he has the full medical team with him on their shuttle."

"That's what I like about Une, she's always prepared and has thought of everything," Zechs replied with a smirk.

"Agents, if you would care to follow me through to the galley I will bring you all up to speed on the current situation and answer any questions you may have."

The team followed Zechs, all eager to learn what had gone on.

#

An hour later, the agents knew more than they cared to and had their answers to their questions. With a plan now formulated, all that was left to do was put it into action. The five left Zechs to organize their teams, Zechs promising Mercury he would join him in the Dome hangar to assist the teams in the collection of the prisoners.

Oil had been briefed on the equipment currently available for him to use in the Dome and he'd returned to mobilize his team and start effecting the repairs to the transport shuttle. With Europa fully aware of the situation on the satellite surface, he'd gone to rally his team to comb the satellite surface and locate injured and dead pilots alike.

Donning his helmet, Zechs double checked he had the sectors written down where the prisoners were being held. Wufei's palm top rested in the pocket of his flight suit and his gun sat at his hip. The chamber beeped to let him know the pressure had been equalized and Zechs stepped out onto the satellite surface once more.

# # #

[Preventer Shuttle Port - Chopper]

As the chopper started to lift off, Duo's eyes became glassy. He turned his head to Heero and did his best to smile.

"You will be fine, Duo. Sally's going to start to treat you," Heero reassured.

"I don't feel too good, Heero," Duo said and shivered.

"Shock," Trowa muttered.

"Won't be long, Duo. Hold on for me, my love. You need to be strong, I need you, Keitaro needs you," Heero murmured, his voice full of worry.

"Keitaro," Duo mumbled as his eyes slipped shut and he passed out again.

Rummaging around in her bag, Sally produced several items. "Here, hold these," she barked to Heero who automatically held out his hand and took the offered items. A portable, vital signs monitor was produced, Sally connecting the electrodes to Duo's chest to keep track of his blood pressure, heart and breathing rates. A clip type thermometer was slipped onto a fingertip, the other end connected to the monitor and Sally turned it on. It hummed and beeped, the screen clearing. Sally typed in the necessary information on the small keypad, the computer chip inside the monitor logging in the details and then starting to function. Squiggly lines began to appear on the monitor and Sally watched them carefully.

"How is he doing?" Hawkins asked from the back of the chopper where he was strapped in.

"All things considered, he's doing bloody well," Sally replied absently. She wasn't about to give out too much in the way of details, especially not to someone she'd only just met and didn't know much about. She looked to Heero who returned her gaze, those blue eyes darkened with worry and fear.

"How is he really?" Heero whispered.

"I won't lie to you, Heero. His temperature, heart and breathing rates are higher than normal. The temperature is what concerns me more though as it's indicative of a possible infection starting up. His blood pressure is erratic, but staying on the low side, which is good in one way as it means no internal bleeding going on, but when that knife comes out, it could be an entirely different ball game. Until I have him back at headquarters where I can do a complete ultra sound, I'm pretty much working in the dark here. Then there's the possibility of his other 'problem'. It's a very serious situation, Heero."

Heero nodded. "I know you will do all you can for him," he choked out.

Sally rested a hand upon his arm. "I'll shift heaven and earth if I have to, Heero. He's important to a lot of us."

"Arigato."

"Right. Pass me that strap, please." Sally slipped the piece of rubber over Duo's biceps and brought up the vein. With Heero handing over the needle, cannula and surgical tape as she called for them, Sally managed to get a line into Duo's vein and hook up a saline drip. "That will help a little to keep him hydrated and assist with shock. I'm going to give him a shot of broad spectrum antibiotic, one that should help to take out any infection but won't harm any delicate organs." Sally chose her words well, knowing Heero would understand.

"Pain killer?" Heero asked.

"A mild one," Sally replied as she fished around in her bag again, located the drug and injected it into the line. "Now I'll check the injuries." Working her way gently over the unconscious man, Sally compared the injuries to those Trowa had told her about. The bullet crease to the hip and upper arm weren't too bad; they would need cleaning out properly and a couple of stitches. _'That was probably where the infection was starting,'_ Sally thought.

Duo's ribs held a lot of bruising and felt like there were a couple of cracks there too, but that would be confirmed with an ultra sound; no way was Sally going to use an x-ray on the agent. His ankle remained strapped, Sally again preferring to leave that until she could use the machine on it to confirm sprain or break. Carefully she peeled back the packing surrounding the knife, a grim look on her face. From the position of the hilt, she couldn't really tell what, if any, organs had been touched by it. It all came down to the force and angle of penetration.

Given all that, Sally was really worried about exactly where the blade was sitting.

With there not being anything else she could do for Duo until they had him safely back at headquarters, Sally turned her attention to the other four men.

Heero's bullet graze would need cleaning and stitching, Hawkins would require surgery to remove the bullet from his shoulder. Wufei's head graze wasn't very deep and could be cleaned easily enough. Trowa though...

The tall man winced as she poked and prodded him. "Take it easy, Sally," he growled. "I'm not a piece of meat."

"Suck it up, Barton," Sally snipped back.

"I'm fine, just a couple of days rest and some morphine and I'll be okay."

"Don't you _dare_ give him morphine," Wufei snarled.

Sally spun around. "And why not?" she snapped. "If he's in pain he has every right to pain medication."

"I'm not disputing that. Give him pain medication by all means, just _not_ morphine," Wufei replied tartly.

"What is it with you and morphine?"

"It's not me, it's him and that blonde of his," Wufei huffed.

"Oh." Sally recalled Quatre and the effects morphine had on the Arabian. "Does Trowa react the same way?"

"No," Trowa defended himself

"Not quite. He gets... Shall we say, amorous with his words." Wufei colored a touch.

"I do not."

"Yes you do. May I remind you of a few? Shnookums, huggle bunny, stud muffin?"

It was Trowa's turn to go red.

Sally snickered. She could well imagine. "Point taken. I'll give him something else."

"It would be appreciated," Wufei stated.

Luckily, Sally was able to find a pain killer in her bag that did not relate to morphine. "You will need to have that ankle and shoulder x-rayed," she informed Trowa. "I'm pretty certain the ankle is broken, the shoulder could be fractured or strained, but an x-ray will confirm that. I'll take a look at that head wound now."

Trowa flinched a little as Sally removed the temporary dressing and inspected the wound.

"It will need a few stitches," she informed the Latin.

Trowa sighed.

"Five minutes out," the chopper pilot said over the intercom.

Heero gave a sigh of relief. They were almost back at headquarters and Duo would get the treatment he so desperately needed. He squeezed Duo's hand and did his best to give a reassuring smile when he spotted violet eyes partially open. "We will be landing in a couple of minutes," he informed Duo.

"Good." Duo couldn't say any more, he was just too tired and exhausted. With Sally on his case, medical care and safety just a few minutes away, Duo finally let himself relax and give in to his body's demands. The pain killers were starting to kick in and eased a little of the throbbing ache from his abdomen. But nothing could ease the ache in his heart.

"Making final approach now," the chopper pilot told them. "Please make sure you are all secure."

Wufei did a quick check of Barton and Hawkins, making sure their harnesses were in place and tight. He left Yuy to attend to Maxwell and strapped himself in. Heero checked the straps securing Duo and the stretcher; they were still tight. He pulled his own harness back over his shoulders and clipped the buckle into place. Sally did the same on the opposite side of Duo. All safely belted in, Heero again took Duo's hand in his own as he tried to keep his gut from tying itself in knots.

The chopper pilots eased the machine towards the top of the Preventer building. The red ringed helipad was visible, looking for all the world like a target – which in one way it was. A couple of agents were on the top of the building with communicators and guns in hand, for precaution and assistance. To the side, the door to the concrete roof entrance remained closed.

The chopper slowed and descended, the pilots working the controls to bring the big bird to a steady hover and then drop gently to the ground. Once the chopper was safely settled on the concrete, the rotors were cut, the blades slowing gradually and then coming to a stop.

"All clear," the pilot informed the people in the back.

# # #

[Preventer Headquarters – Medical Section]

Just inside the door that would take them to the outside and top of the Preventer building, Nurse Brown waited anxiously. She watched the chopper coming in to land and prepared herself.

Once the blades began their shut down, the door to the building on the side was opened up. Nurse Brown appeared along with a couple of orderlies and nurses, a gurney and two wheelchairs. The group ducked their heads and jogged to the side door of the chopper that was beginning to slide open.

"Doctor Po?" Margaret called out over the noise of the slowing rotors.

The chopper door was pushed fully open and Sally appeared in the entrance. "Margaret," she barked. "Bring the gurney and wheelchairs over here."

Margaret and the orderlies were quick to obey. Sally disappeared back into the chopper and with Wufei's help they brought Hawkins out first, settling the professor into a wheelchair.

"He will require surgery to remove a bullet from the shoulder," Sally reeled off and handed a clip board with the professor's details and current medical condition on it to one of the nurses. The nurse took the clipboard, nodded and with the orderly, pushed the wheelchair and professor back towards the door that would permit them entry into the Preventer building.

With Hawkins taken care of, Sally turned to where Wufei was supporting Trowa. The tall Latin was eased into a wheelchair, Sally again handing over a clipboard, this time with Trowa's details on it. "Take him direct to x-ray and have Doctor Phillips treat him. All the information is on the clipboard," she told the nurse and orderly.

"Good luck, Heero," Trowa called out as he was wheeled away. "I'll be with you as soon as I'm done with the medics."

From his position in the doorway, Heero nodded.

Margaret, with Wufei's assistance, rolled the gurney to the hatchway and waited patiently. Wufei disappeared back inside the chopper to give Heero a hand with the stretcher and Maxwell, the pair appearing within seconds and maneuvering the injured agent to the gurney. Once Duo was on and safely secured, they began to move towards the entry door to the building. Wufei paused and thanked the chopper pilot and then jogged to catch up to his friends.

Margaret felt the tears welling in her eyes as she got her first look in weeks at Duo. The man was bruised and battered, hair unkempt and looked like he could do with a good, hot shower followed by some rich, wholesome food and lots of TLC. She made a vow to herself to see he got all that and more once he was finished with whatever was necessary on the medical side. "Operating room three is prepped and ready to go, the pre-op room is all set complete with ultra sound and any other equipment I thought you might need," she informed the doctor.

"Thanks, Margaret."

Nurse Brown took a look at Heero and felt her heart clench. He didn't look to good either. "Once we have taken care of Duo, I'll take care of your injuries," she informed Heero.

"I'm fine," Heero replied, "Duo is the one that needs help."

"No, you are not fine, but yes, Duo does need the help more at the moment. Once he's stable though, I expect you to be treated." The nurse's tone brooked no argument.

Heero sighed. "Okay."

The elevator soon had them on the medical floor and between the four of them; they maneuvered the gurney and patient to the operating theaters, pushing it through and into pre-op room three. Once they were inside, Duo was transferred to another bed and Sally began to bark her orders.

"Chang, thank you for your help but this is as far as you can go. Please go back to the nurses station and find where Phillips is. I want an update on Trowa. By the time you have all that we should be ready to go into theater. I'll need you to come back and take care of Heero for me."

"I'm staying with Duo," Heero stated stubbornly.

"You can stay whilst we prep him for surgery and run our tests, but once we're ready to go in and operate, you will remove yourself and wait with Wufei in the waiting room," Sally said, her tone short.

Knowing he was defeated, Heero nodded.

Wufei gave a light squeeze to Heero's shoulder. "He will be okay now, Yuy."

"Thank you, Chang. Again, I am in your debt."

"Just get him better and we will call it even."

Blue locked with black and the emotions flared to the surface. Heero pulled Chang towards him and enveloped the Chinese man in a grateful hug. "You truly are an honorable friend, Wufei."

Breaking from the embrace a few seconds later, Wufei looked at Heero and nodded, then he spun on his heel and went in search of Doctor Phillips and Trowa.

Heero turned back to his partner and grasped the pale hand, his heart beating wildly in his chest as he hoped and prayed his lover would pull through.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23 – Dome]

Mercury and the teams wasted no time in following Zechs' directions to locate and arrest the prisoners in the Dome. Once they had them all assembled, the medical team took over and assessed each prisoner individually. Those that were physically okay were taken back to shuttle 151 and locked inside the shuttle's cells for transportation back to Earth.

Those that were hurt were also assessed and tagged by level of injuries, the ones with the more life threatening at the top of the list and taken back to Shuttle 381 where medical facilities and treatment awaited them. Those that were slightly injured were imprisoned on shuttle 246 which had a lower level of medical staff and facilities. Any injured that Europa and his team brought back from their scouting of the satellite surface would also be assessed and distributed to the appropriate shuttle.

The dead would be placed in the makeshift morgue on board shuttle 381.

Oil and his team had set to work on the damaged transport shuttle, going over the craft and cross checking against the report they had from Quatre. Oil had also paid a visit to the Dome and checked the facilities, smiling when he saw what he had to work with. His estimated time for repairs shortened by several hours once he saw the machinery at his disposal.

It was decided that the transport shuttle would be moved to the hangar where it would be easier for the maintenance crew to work on her, Zechs giving the okay for that to happen. Oil and his crew checked the skin of the shuttle and determined it safe enough to move and the surface was cleared of any debris and human presence so the shuttle could be taxied across with minimal stress on the engines and outer structures.

It took some time for the prisoners to be assessed and escorted to the relevant shuttle and soon enough they got to Barton himself.

When Mercury got his first look at the man responsible for the chaos and carnage he took a double take. "What the fuck happened to him?" he asked, wide eyes turning to Zechs. "He looks like he's been put through the mincer."

"He suffered several injuries during the take down," Zechs replied, keeping his face neutral.

Mercury glanced back to Barton and then returned his gaze to Zechs. He raised an eyebrow. "Must have been some take down."

"Barton refused to come quietly and seriously injured Agent Night. Agent Day, Agent Night's partner in every sense of the word, wasn't happy."

"Well, fuck me. I'd heard that Agent Day could be quite protective, and after seeing the state of Barton, I don't think I'd ever like to cross him."

"Trust me; you don't ever want to tangle with him."

Mercury turned to his medic. "Take him back and do what you can for his injuries. The Commander will want him as healthy as possible for his trial."

The medic nodded and began his examination, Zechs and Mercury left him to it, making sure to leave a couple of guards there too; not that they thought Barton would be up to inflicting much in the way of damage given his current state of health, but it paid to be sure.

Returning to shuttle 151, Zechs assisted Mercury in logging all the names and details of the prisoners into the ship's data base to be sent back to Headquarters and enable the legal crew to start compiling their case against them.

Europa and his team finished their scouring of the satellite surface for any suit pilots, returning to their shuttle with just three survivors – and it would be touch and go if they made it. The morgue was starting to fill up and at last count, Europa tallied fifty-four bodies.

Fifty-four lives sacrificed for a lost cause.

Barton had a lot to answer for and Zechs doubted the man would ever see daylight that didn't have bars as a center piece for the rest of his natural life.

That's provided the man didn't meet his maker sooner than planned.

# # #

[Preventer Hospital]

Carefully, Sally removed the padding and bandages surrounding the knife hilt. Margaret and Heero assisted her in removing Duo's clothing, the flight suit clinging to his body and having to be cut off in several places. Leaving his boxers on, Sally quickly placed more padding and a bandage around the knife hilt, securing it whilst she did her necessary examinations.

Patterns of blue, black, yellow and green adorned Duo's upper torso, bruises in their various stages of healing. There were a few scattered lacerations, but nothing that would require stitching. The bullet creases to his hip and biceps would be cleaned out thoroughly once he was under a general anesthetic.

Nurse Brown brought the ultra sound machine across and turned it on. Whilst waiting for the machine to warm up, she applied a little gel to Duo's ribs and ankle, Sally having indicated she wished to check those first. Passing over the sound head, Margaret watched the screen intently.

Sally pressed the sound head to Duo's ribs, mindful of any pain she may cause. The head slid easily with the aid of the gel and revealed the secrets inside Duo's chest. "Just as I presumed," Sally said as her eyes translated the gray images.

"What?" Heero questioned. Despite having looked at countless ultra sound images when Duo had been carrying Keitaro, he still didn't have a clue to what they translated to.

"There's a couple of cracked ribs, nothing broken which is good," Sally explained. "They are knitting back quite nicely by themselves so I'll do nothing more than strap them for him. Now for the ankle."

The sound head was wiped along with Duo's chest and then moved to pass over Duo's ankle. Sally's brow furrowed as she studied the images appearing. A soft exhalation passed her lips. "That's good news too. No fractures. The ligaments and tendons are stretched, but it's nothing more than a bad strain. I'll strap it up properly and with a few weeks rest it will be as good as new."

Heero also breathed a sigh of relief.

Margaret took the sound head and wiped it clean whilst Sally made her notes on Duo's chart. Picking up the tube of gel, she very carefully spread it around the bandage on Duo's abdomen.

The coldness of the gel and slight pain brought Duo back to the land of the living again and he gave a soft moan of pain.

"I'm sorry, Duo," Nurse Brown apologized. "I'll try to be as gentle as I can."

"Where are we?" Duo rasped out through a dry mouth. Instantly, Heero's face flooded his vision.

"We're at the Preventer hospital, Duo. Sally is just about to check where the knife is sitting," he replied in a soft tone.

The full realization hit Duo then and the tears began to form in his eyes. "Hold me?" he begged.

Feeling his own heart tearing at the raw emotion and fear in his husband's tone, Heero came closer and gently put his arm around Duo's shoulders. His other hand continued to hold Duo's squeezing gently in reassurance.

Taking a deep breath, Sally poised the sound head above Duo's abdomen. "I'll be as careful as I can," she informed him. "Are you ready?"

Duo nodded, words were not an option right now.

Violet and blue eyes joined Sally's blue-gray ones in staring at the screen.

The sound head was lowered and Sally gently maneuvered it around. She found Duo's large intestine and pushed the sound head around the base of the knife hilt. So far the intestine looked intact. Moving it carefully to the front, she slowed down and studied the screen intently.

The blade of the knife showed up, somehow it had missed Duo's small intestine too and that gave Sally a huge sense of relief. "Now, let's see what we – Oh my." Sally's voice went soft and then quiet as she stared at the screen.

There, resting beside the blade of the knife lay Duo's malformed uterus.

"Am I...? Is the...?" Duo whispered, unable to finish what he wanted to say.

Moving the sound head a touch to the left, Duo's uterus became clearer. Sally's hand flew to her mouth; Nurse Brown gave a soft gasp as tears welled again in her eyes.

"What is it?" Heero demanded. He could make out the shape of the knife blade on the screen, but that was all.

Slowly, Sally turned her head in Duo's direction. "Congratulations, your assumption is true. Duo, you _are _pregnant again," she said softly.

"The knife?" Duo whispered.

"The blade is resting against the uterus but does not appear to have punctured it. The baby is okay as far as I can tell."

"Thank god." Duo's tears coursed down his cheeks in relief.

Heero collapsed into the chair beside his husband, strangled sobs coming from his throat.

tbc...


	112. Chapter 112

**Many thanks to everyone for reading and warm hugs for the kind reviews - your feedback is very much appreciated.**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 112

[Preventer Communications]

"Preventer Communications, this is Agent Wind; do you copy?"

Sky twiddled the dial and ran a hand over the stubble forming on his chin. "Agent Wind, this is Preventer Communications, Agent Sky here. I read you loud and clear. How is it going up there?"

"All things considered, it's going fairly well. Is it possible to speak with the Commander?"

"Commander is currently in the medical section. I can try a patch through if that's any help?"

"Thanks, Sky. That would be appreciated. I take it the other shuttle made it back okay?"

"Yes, it did, Wind. I don't have an update on the status of either the shuttle or the agents on board, but it landed safely at the shuttle port about a couple of hours ago."

"That's good news. Thanks, Sky. By the way, are you living permanently in the communications section?" Zechs questioned.

"No. Why would you ask that?"

"It's just that every time I call in or have been in contact with HQ you always appear to be there. I thought you may have gotten divorced and married the transmitter," Zechs teased.

Sky laughed. "I can see why you would think that, but no, I'm still happily married – or at least I think so, it's been a few days since I saw my wife. With all this shit hitting the fan we were pretty much unable to leave HQ and remain alive. I'm afraid we've been living here for the past few days, but now that it is all starting to settle down and things are getting back to normal, we're allowed to leave."

"Then why are you still there?"

"Sun and I offered to remain and continue with monitoring the communications. Forest and Oak have gone home to rest and will be back in another twelve hours to take over; then Sun and I can leave for a while. Besides, just think of the size of the pay check I'm gonna get."

Zechs snickered. "Knew there had to be an ulterior motive. I just hope Une remembers and pays the rest of us the overtime we've put in."

"If she doesn't you could always set up that Firecell thingy again."

"No thanks, I kinda like my head attached to my shoulders."

"Good point. Better see if I can raise the Commander for you. Won't be long."

"Thanks, Sky." Zechs sat back in the pilot's chair on shuttle 151 and waited, his mind running through the things he had to let the Commander know. A couple of minutes passed and Sky was back on the line.

"I'll patch you through now, Wind."

"Thanks, Sky." The line went quiet, then Une's voice could be heard.

"Agent Wind?"

"Commander, I thought I'd better call in and let you know what is happening up here."

"Thanks, Wind, I have been wondering what has transpired."

"All back up shuttles have arrived and landed safely..."

It took Zechs a good ten minutes to relay all the current information, Une listening and asking a question here and there.

"Space is on his way back now. One of the Winner shuttles detoured to pick him up, but I'm unsure of his ETA."

"I'll get you to pass on the information regarding the shuttle to Sky and have him relay it to Storm, the shuttle port can contact him and then let me know when to expect his presence. Do you have a final tally of able bodied prisoners, injured and the dead for me yet?"

"I have a running total, we still have a final sweep of surface and Dome to complete," Zechs replied. "At this point we have one-hundred and forty prisoners; one-hundred and eighty injured – including Barton and seventy-six deceased. I also have in custody two Senators from the ESUN; a Senator Wainright and Senator Richards."

The heavy sigh was audible down the line. "It could have been worse," Une muttered. "I'm glad you got the Senators and that they are alive; they both have a lot to answer for."

"I think they were quite happy to be found."

"Pardon?"

"Maxwell originally located them and arrested them. They were restrained in a, shall we say, inventive manner?"

"Really? Do tell."

"Cord from drapes and a couple of socks for gags."

"Oh, yuk. Please tell me they were clean socks?"

"I didn't bother to check." Zechs shuddered.

"Okay," Une said, returning to her brisk manner. "How are the repairs coming along?"

"Oil thinks he will have the repairs done ahead of the estimated schedule time as the facilities are excellent. Transport shuttle should be ready to leave somewhere in the next forty-eight to seventy-two hours. The second sweep of the satellite will be conducted in twelve hours and providing we find no other survivors, the shuttles will be able to leave whenever you give the order, Commander."

"Fine. Wind, inform Mercury that once the second sweep is done they are to wait a further eight hours before returning to Earth. That should be enough time for everything to be secured. Once Oil deems the repairs effective and is satisfied, the transport shuttle may also return. Wind, I want you to remain on the satellite and pilot the transport shuttle back. Return the sheep to the fold first, once they are safe the shuttle can be flown back to the main shuttle port."

"Roger that, Commander. I'll be in touch again when the shuttles are ready to leave with more up to date information."

"Copy that, Wind. Much appreciated. Thank you all for doing a good job. I'll let you give the information to Sky. Commander out."

"You're welcome, Commander. Wind, out." Zechs waited for a moment before Sky came back on the line and then he gave him all the details of the shuttle that Space would be returning on to pass on to Storm. With his commitments completed for the moment, he removed the head set, rubbed his hands over his face and turned to face Mercury. "You heard all that?"

"Yeah."

"Good. If anyone wants me, I'll be in a cabin on shuttle 121 – sleeping." Standing up, Zechs stretched his lean body, muscles loosening and spine popping. He clasped a hand to his mouth to cover the wide yawn and shuffled out of the cockpit to head for his own shuttle and that much needed rest.

Mercury gave a soft chuckle as he watched the agent leave.

# # #

[Preventer Hospital]

Seeing the state both men were in, Nurse Brown moved to Heero's side as Sally put down the sound head and went to Duo's. Margaret wrapped her arm around Heero's shoulders, turning the man towards her and allowing him to bury his head against her chest. Her other arm came forth and careful of the cast on her wrist, she drew him into a soft embrace, encouraging Heero to let it all go. She wasn't overly surprised when she felt his arms wind around her waist as he let the anger, pain and stress flow from his soul.

On the bed, Sally was offering what comfort she could to Duo, holding his hand and rubbing up and down his arm as the tears continued to flow. "It's going to be okay, Duo. I promise you I'll do everything I can to see that this baby is safe and that you carry the child to full term," she reassured gently.

"I know you will, Sally," Duo managed to hiccup out. "I know you will be with me all the way, just like you were with Keitaro; but..." Duo swallowed. "What about my body? The warnings you gave me about carrying another child so soon after Keitaro?"

"That I can't answer for you, Duo. But, when we take you through to theater in a few minutes and remove that knife, I will check out your physical state in relation to another pregnancy and give you my findings and professional opinion once you come around from the anesthetic."

Duo nodded, there wasn't anything else he could expect the doctor to do. Sally may have been able to produce the impossible at times, but miracles were still a bit out of her range.

Heero's sobs had settled, Margaret pulling back a little and handing the man some tissues. She discreetly moved to the side to allow him the time he needed to compose himself.

Having blown his nose and cleaned up what he could of the tear tracks, Heero looked to the nurse through red, cobalt eyes. "I'm sor-"

"Don't you _dare_ apologize," the nurse said, cutting him off. "You needed to let that go. With all the stress and strain you've been under for these past several weeks I'm surprised you haven't had a major, nervous breakdown. Letting all that out is the best thing for you; now don't you even think about apologizing for being human." The nurse fixed Heero with her eagle eye, daring him to argue with her.

Knowing he'd met his match and that the nurse was right, Heero lowered his head. "Thank you."

"That's better." Margaret ruffled his unkempt hair. "Now, son, your partner is about to be prepped for surgery, I suggest you spend what little time you have with him before I take him away."

"I will."

"Good." Nurse Brown moved to walk away. "I'll just go get myself ready and then I'll be back to prep Duo."

Heero nodded and shifted closer to Duo. Sally gave them both a warm smile, placed the sound head back on the side of the ultra sound machine and went to get herself ready for surgery.

# # #

[Winner Shuttle - Sandrock Construction 42]

Once the shuttle had lifted off from the satellite surface, Quatre retired to the Captain's quarters to explain a little. He wasn't at liberty to divulge a lot and Montgomery knew better than to ask. Quatre was able to supply enough though for the Captain to be satisfied.

The shuttle's course had been set for the Preventer port, Quatre not too sure of the frequency the port was using, but he knew Zechs would pass on the information of his returning to Earth in the Winner shuttle to Headquarters. That information would be relayed to the port and once they were closer to their destination he was sure that Storm would make contact.

Raising a hand to cover his mouth as he yawned, Quatre turned to the Captain once more. "Any idea on our ETA?" he asked.

"I'd say roughly another ten or twelve hours. I can have an exact time for you once I speak with the navigational officer," Montgomery replied.

"That's fine," Quatre replied. "If it's not too much trouble, would I be able to get something to eat, take a shower and possibly find a bunk somewhere that I could take a nap in?"

"Of course, Mr Winner. I should have offered you all that when you first came on board. My apologies." Montgomery looked aghast that he'd forgotten his basic manners, especially with the Winner CEO.

"That's quite alright, Monty. We had more pressing issues to deal with first, but I am a little hungry and very tired."

"You can use my quarters, sir..."

"No, that's not fair to you, Monty. The crew quarters will be fine."

"I'm afraid I beg to differ. You won't be putting me out in the least and I insist you use my quarters. I'll get the cook to make something and bring it to the cabin for you. You can take a shower whilst you're waiting for the food to arrive. The only problem will be clean clothes. All I have on board are flight suits or coveralls."

"Coveralls will do just fine," Quatre said with a smile. "Thank you."

"No problem. I'll have some brought up right away." Montgomery stood. "I'll go see to that now and then head to the mess to organize that food for you. The shower is through there."

"Thanks, Monty, I appreciate all you're doing."

With a smile of his own, the Captain left to see about the clothes and food, Quatre went through to the small bathroom and began to strip off his flight suit. The shower was turned on and he stepped into the small cubicle. There was barely enough room to turn around, but the hot water felt wonderful against his skin. Mindful of the water supply, Quatre quickly washed himself off and turned the tap off. The water was sucked down the small hole and would pass through a series of purifying systems before returning to the large storage tank to be used again for showering.

Toweling himself off and then wrapping the towel around his waist, Quatre stepped back into the cabin, noting the coveralls left on the bed for him and a tray with covered dishes sitting on the table. Pulling the coveralls on, he sat at the table, stomach rumbling and lifted the lids. The cook had sent along a hot dinner for him; lasagna with a side of vegetables. His mouth watered as the smells hit his nostrils. Picking up the utensils he began to dig in.

Twenty minutes later, the plate was clean and Quatre felt well and truly stuffed. His eyelids were drooping and with the immediate concerns taken care of, he shuffled to the bed and collapsed gratefully onto it. He was asleep before his head had time to make an impression in the pillow.

# # #

[Preventer Hospital]

"Promise me that whilst I'm in surgery, you will get your wounds looked at?" Duo said.

"I'd rather wait here for you," Heero replied. "My injuries aren't that bad."

"Yes, they are. I don't feel comfortable going in for surgery and you waiting out here when your own injuries need attending to. Sally will be a while operating so you have the time to get yourself fixed up," Duo tried again.

"I'll think about it," Heero compromised.

"Heero?" Duo's voice was almost a whisper.

"Hai?"

"Where is Keitaro? I... I want to see my son." Duo's voice began to crack. The ache in his heart was growing, he'd been too long without seeing his son and felt as if a part of him had been torn away.

"He was with Nurse Brown," Heero replied with a frown. "I'll ask her when she comes back."

"Thank you."

"Everything will be fine, Duo. Sally will do her best for you and remove the knife, the baby will be okay and you'll heal up well enough to carry to full term and have another, healthy child," Heero said, doing his best to cheer his husband up.

"Oh, Heero. You don't know that, any of it. But, I know she will do all she can for us."

A lump formed in Heero's throat.

Sally returned followed by Nurse Brown. The doctor slipping into the operating theater to check she had all the instruments, drugs and other items she would need. Margaret fetched the pre-med and a hospital gown; a paper hat already in her hand.

"It's time to get you ready, Duo," she told the young man. "Heero, can you assist me in getting this gown on him, please?"

"No problem." Heero rose and gently lifted Duo when the nurse indicated so the gown could be placed on him. The paper hat followed, Duo's braid being neatly coiled and tucked inside.

"I'll give you the pre-med through the drip, Duo. You should start to feel a little drowsy in a couple of minutes."

Duo nodded as the nurse began to inject the drug into the cannula.

"Nurse Brown?" Heero began. "Where is Keitaro?"

Finishing off with the drug, Margaret pulled the syringe free and dropped it into the trash. "Keitaro is well and is here at Headquarters," Margaret replied. "Miss Peacecraft is looking after him."

Both men gave sighs of relief.

"Feeling a little drowsy, Duo?"

"A little," Duo admitted as things began to slow down in his mind.

"Good." Margaret turned to Heero. "I'll take him through now."

Heero leaned over the edge of the bed and kissed his husband deeply. "I'll be right here waiting for you when you come out, Duo. You're in safe hands."

"Love you, Heero," came Duo's slightly slurred reply.

"And I love you too, Duo. With all my heart and soul."

Carefully, Margaret began to wheel the bed into the operating theater, Heero watching until the door closed. Once he couldn't see Duo anymore, he slumped back into his seat and cradled his head in his hands. A second later he jerked upright as Sally stepped out.

"When Chang gets back here I expect you to go with him and let Doctor Phillips take a look at you and treat those injuries." Seeing Heero about to protest, she raised her hand and continued speaking. "When you are cleaned up and fixed up, find Relena and get your son. That child needs to see you just as much as you need to see him and I'd like it if both you and Keitaro were beside Duo when he wakes up. He's going to need a lot of emotional support."

Realizing that the doctor had already contacted Chang and what she said made sense, Heero gave in. "Okay."

"Good. Now I'm going to go and do my damnedest to fix your husband up and insure he delivers a happy, healthy baby in a few months time." Sally gave him a smile and disappeared back into the operating room.

Five minutes later, Wufei returned.

#

Trowa was sitting on a gurney, head wound cleaned and stitched, shoulder wrapped and his arm in a sling. X-rays had shown no break in the shoulder, just several torn ligaments and a few strained muscles and tendons. His ankle had also been x-rayed and was, as Sally suspected, broken.

Doctor Phillips had informed him that the break was a clean one and wouldn't require surgery. As the bones had shifted slightly, a local anesthetic had been administered and Phillips had straightened the bones then strapped the ankle to hold them in place. The doctor had left the room to locate the plaster bandages and other bits and pieces he would need to secure Trowa's ankle.

Wufei sat in a chair and waited, his cell phone going off just as the doctor left. He took the call, a small smile on his face. With the call concluded, He turned to Trowa. "That was Sally. She's taking Duo into surgery now and expects to be at least three hours in theater with him. I am to go and collect Yuy, bring him here and have Phillips treat him."

Trowa raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"Sally did the ultra sound. Maxwell is..." Wufei paused and took a step to the door where he stuck his head out and looked up and down. Seeing they were quite alone for the immediate future, he closed the door again, approached the gurney and lowered his voice. "Our suspicions were correct. Maxwell is... expecting again."

Before he would allow the grin to form, Trowa asked the question. "What about the knife?"

"As far as Sally can tell, it missed _that_ vital organ."

"Thank god for that," Trowa sighed out, the tension he'd been carrying lifting from his shoulders. "Does she know what damage the knife has done?"

"She didn't say, but I'm guessing she won't really know herself until she operates to remove it."

Further conversation regarding Duo and his condition was cut then as Phillips returned with a nurse and the plaster bandages. Whilst the doctor and nurse began to task of wetting the plaster bandages in preparation for wrapping Trowa's ankle, Wufei let the doctor know of Sally's request and that he would go and fetch the other agent now.

Doctor Phillips acknowledged the request, informing Wufei that by the time he returned, Trowa's cast should be completed and he would look over the other agent and fix Wufei's head wound as well. Wufei scowled at that, but nodded anyway.

He quickly passed through the various corridors and located Yuy in the pre-op room; the other agent was looking completely lost and vulnerable and despite Wufei often being called cold and calloused, his compassion surged forth.

"He will be okay, Yuy. Sally is an excellent doctor and she will get Duo and your child through this," he said softly as he placed a hand on Heero's shoulder. "Sally told me he is expecting again," he added.

Bloodshot eyes looked up, Wufei clearly seeing the true fear and worry behind the mask. Heero's defenses had completely collapsed. "I can't help but worry, Chang. If I lose him... I... I don't know what I will do."

"You won't lose him," Wufei said firmly. "Maxwell is a fighter, he's survived worse than this, he has an incredible will to live and a courage second to none. Have faith in him, Yuy."

Despite the exhaustion in his mind and body, Heero drew himself up, firmed his resolve and nodded to Wufei. "You are right, Chang. He will pull through this, I have to be strong for him; for him, Keitaro and our unborn child."

"Good, now that's the Yuy I know, trust and admire," Wufei stated with a small smile. "Come on, I'll take you to Doctor Phillips and get you treated. Once that's done we will find Relena and your son; I'm sure you are anxious to see him again."

At the mention of Keitaro, Heero's eyes softened and a yearning passed over his face. "We should hurry, I want to be back here for when Sally's finished and Duo's out of surgery," he replied and stood up. Pushing the exhaustion to the side, he called on his inner strength and followed Wufei from the room.

# # #

[Operating Theater]

Nurse Brown rolled the gurney into the operating theater where Sally and two orderlies awaited. The orderlies gave the nurse a hand to move the patient onto the operating table and then took their leave. Checking the door was locked so only another doctor who had a pass key would be able to enter, Sally donned her mask and approached the patient. Margaret had fetched the bottle with the anesthetic in it and withdrawn the required amount.

"Feeling drowsy, Duo?" Sally asked.

Duo nodded. It was just like he was on the verge of falling asleep, that place where consciousness is slipping away and oblivion is hovering on the fringes.

"Margaret is going to give you the anesthetic now. When you wake up it will be all over with. I want you to start to counting from ten backwards for me." Sally gave Margaret a small nod and the nurse slipped the syringe into the cannula.

"Ten... nine... eig-"

Sally checked Duo's eyes. "He's out," she told the nurse.

Nodding, Margaret secured the syringe so she could top up the anesthetic periodically and reached for the betadine to prep the wound site.

Sally pulled the tray of instruments closer. Margaret had raised Duo's gown and lowered his boxers far enough that they could work on the area without any problem. Having removed the temporary gauze and packing Sally had placed around the knife, Margaret swabbed the site thoroughly.

"You're going to do the knife first?" she asked.

"Yes. This is going to be the hardest wound to treat so we may as well start with it whilst we're fresh," Sally replied.

"Fine with me." Margaret moved by the instrument tray.

"Then let's get started."

tbc...


	113. Chapter 113

**Thanks for reading and warm hugs for the kind reviews!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 113

[Preventer Headquarters – Medical Section]

Wufei walked slowly along the corridors, Heero beside him and back to where Trowa and Doctor Phillips would be waiting for them. Neither man spoke, each locked in his own thoughts. Entering the treatment room, Trowa gave them a small smile.

Noting the plaster cast on Trowa's leg, Wufei spoke first. "Has Doctor Phillips finished with you?"

"Yes. The cast, as you can see, is on and it's almost set hard enough. The doc has gone to clean up a little before treating Heero and yourself," Trowa replied.

Another scowl from Wufei and a resigned sigh from Heero were his answer. Heero took a seat, the exhaustion in his body beginning to get the better of his control. Wufei remained standing.

"How is Duo?" Trowa asked politely.

"Sally is operating on him now. We should know more in a few hours," Heero replied.

"I'm not quite sure if congratulations are apt at this point," Trowa said cautiously, unsure of Heero's reaction.

Heero couldn't help the small smile. Deep inside he was overjoyed he was going to be a father again, but the joy was overshadowed by Duo's current state of health and the unknown factor of his body being able to cope with the second pregnancy. This one would be harder as Duo was seriously injured and his body had enough to deal with in trying to repair itself; with the added baby to cope with too, well... That was something Heero dared not think about. He was sure Sally would be able to give them a much clearer prognosis once the surgery was complete.

"Congratulations are welcome," Heero said softly. "Although, it might be wise to hold onto them for the moment until Sally has finished in surgery and we get the full run down on Duo's condition and outlook."

Trowa could see the logic in that.

Doctor Philips returned, a nurse with him and introduced himself to Heero. Checking Trowa's cast and satisfied it had set hard, he allowed Trowa off the examination bed and into the chair Heero had been sitting in. The nurse changed the linen on the bed and Heero took up residence.

"Now, Agent Day, let me see to that wound for you." Phillips reached for the small trolley that contained a variety of instruments and pulled it closer. "Could you remove the top half of the flight suit, please?" Picking up the chart that the nurse had brought, Phillips read through the notes whilst Heero attempted to remove the top half of the flight suit.

Pulling the tight garment from his arms and torso wasn't as easy as it should be. The bullet graze had bled sluggishly for a while before clotting over. The blood had dried over the passage of time and now the tattered edges of the flight suit where the bullet had creased were stuck to the wound. The copious amounts of sweating Heero had done didn't help matters either.

Wufei stepped forward and gave the man a hand, pulling gently or holding onto the end of the sleeve as Heero did his best to extricate his arm. When the fabric pulled free from the wound, it started bleeding again, this time a little more strongly. At last the top half of the suit was free and bunched around Heero's abdomen.

Carefully, Phillips explored the wound, noting the depth and angle of the graze. He swabbed away as gently as he could, cleaning all the dried blood and removing a few bits of fabric that had decided to attach themselves permanently to Heero's skin.

"You are very lucky, agent. If this had gone a fraction deeper we would have major muscle damage. As it is, the muscle is torn, but it will repair itself. I think we will be able to get away with a few stitches and lots of rest for that muscle as it heals."

Heero grunted. He didn't really care what his arm went through, his concerns lay a few corridors over on an operating table. "Just do whatever it is you have to, Doc," Heero said, his voice a little gruff. "Just hurry it up."

Phillips looked a little startled by the rough tone but reached for the anesthetic anyway. "I'll just give you a shot of local anesthetic so there's no pain."

Heero shrugged; he was used to pain, but right now, nothing other than Duo was registering with him.

Picking up the needle and bottle of anesthetic, Phillips began to draw the plunger back, pulling the clear liquid into the syringe. With the required amount in the syringe, the doctor began to task of injecting the wound site. Once he was satisfied he set the needle aside. "Whilst we wait for that to take effect, I'll give you a quick check over," Doctor Phillips advised. He'd noted a few bruises on the agent and wanted to be sure he didn't miss anything.

Resigning himself to being poked and prodded, Heero grit his teeth and did his best not to react in an adverse way. He didn't think Une would be too pleased with him if he were to lay the doctor out cold.

Having taken a look at Heero's various bumps, bruises and minor scrapes, he was satisfied the bullet wound was the only one that needed treatment. The other injuries were really insignificant and once the agent had a shower and washed any grime from them they would heal up by themselves.

"Can you feel this?" Phillips asked as he gently pushed against the side of the bullet wound.

"No."

"I think we can start then. Nurse?"

The nurse appeared at the side and handed the doctor the swabs and antiseptic as he required them. The wound was completely cleaned and flushed out and only when the doctor was satisfied that any and all foreign matter was removed did he ask for the needle and suture thread.

Phillips worked in silence, it was obvious the agent didn't want to talk, his mind occupied with something else entirely, so Phillips stitched and snipped, wiping away the blood as it seeped out. A short while later the wound was closed, a neat row of stitches the only thing to show for where the bullet had dared to bite into Heero's biceps.

Antibiotic cream was applied followed by gauze and then a bandage wrapped firmly around the arm. "I'll just give you a shot of antibiotic to ward off any infection and you're all set to go," Phillips said.

Heero waited patiently for the doctor to finish, jumping off the bed once the injection of antibiotic had been given. "Thank you," he stated.

"You're welcome. Keep it dry for the next couple of days, then change the dressing each day for ten days. The stitches can come out after the ten days and it should be safe to leave it open to the air. You will need to rest the arm as much as possible to give those muscles a chance to heal properly. Have Doctor Po check the wound in two days time. I'll send her through a full report."

Nodding, Heero moved to stand by the door, leaving the bed free for Wufei.

"Next," Doctor Phillips said with a smile on his face.

Still with the scowl on his face, Wufei approached and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I'll need you to release the pony tail," Phillips said.

The scowl deepened, but Wufei did as requested, the black locks falling around his face.

Carefully the doctor sifted through the hair, Wufei wincing once when the doctor accidentally pulled on a few strands that were matted together with dried blood. The cut wasn't too deep, but it was long. Phillips studied it intently, working out if he would need to cut some of Wufei's hair to be able to stitch it. Given the increasing scowl, Phillips opted to try using butterfly clips instead; he didn't think the agent would react too kindly to having his hair shaved off in one strip.

"I'll flush this wound out and if I'm correct in my thinking, I should be able to close it up with a few butterfly clips and avoid cutting the hair," Phillips informed Wufei.

A relieved sigh escaped Wufei's lips. "Good." He hadn't liked the thought of possibly having to have his hair cut. Whilst he usually wore it in a pony tail for practicality, he had taken to wearing it loose when at home and he didn't mind the soft strands playing around his face. The fact that he'd been dating Sally for a short while and Sally loved his hair down had nothing to do with it at all.

The nurse draped a towel around Wufei's shoulders and handed over the necessary items as the doctor called for them. Again the wound was washed out, antiseptic swabs used to clean it thoroughly and then the butterfly clips put into place. A little antibiotic cream, injection of antibiotic and instructions to keep his hair dry for the next couple of days and Wufei was done.

"Thank you, Doctor," Wufei said as he climbed down from the bed. He could see Heero fidgeting from the corner of his eye and knew if he didn't get moving very soon, the Japanese man would be off without him.

"I'll just get see if I can find a wheelchair..."

"I'd prefer crutches," Trowa said, cutting the nurse off. He'd had more than enough experiences with wheelchairs to last him a lifetime. One glance at Wufei and the sentiment was mirrored.

"But, your shoulder-" the nurse began to protest.

"Crutches," Trowa said firmly. Despite the shoulder being strapped, Trowa was determined to put up with a little discomfort if necessary and avoid a wheelchair at all costs.

The nurse gave in and went to fetch a pair of the requested items. Moments later she returned with them and adjusted them for Trowa's height.

With all three agents now reasonably mobile, they thanked the doctor and left.

# # #

[Winner Shuttle – Sandrock Construction 42]

"Mr Winner... Mr Winner, time to wake up."

The soft calling of his name had Quatre rising slowly from the depths of sleep. His hand groped around for the non existent gun as he came fully awake and then relaxed when he recognized the voice. He was glad that the Captain hadn't tried to shake him awake, the reaction could have had quite serious repercussions for the man.

"Yes, Monty? I'm awake," Quatre replied as he mentally reminded himself this was a friend, not foe.

"We are approaching the Earth, sir. The Preventer shuttle port has been in contact and we have our flight plan for re-entry. The window will be coming up in an hour and we estimate an hour and a half to two hours before we are on the ground," Montgomery replied.

"Thanks, Monty." Quatre stretched and yawned. "I'll come up to the cockpit in a few minutes."

"Right you are, sir." Montgomery turned and left, closing the door quietly behind him.

Quatre rolled over and yawned again. He could have done with a few hours more sleep, but that wasn't an option, he would have to make do with what he'd managed to get. Slipping off the bed, he stood, scratched his belly and tugged the coveralls back down from where they had bunched up around his groin. Fingers ran through golden bangs, the hair remaining wild despite his attempts to finger comb it. A trip to the bathroom had him feeling better and the cold water splashed on his face completely woke him up.

Quatre's heart was lighter than it had been for days as he made his way to the cockpit. Not too much longer before he would be able to see his husband and friends again and get an update on what was going on with Duo.

Duo...

A frown marred Quatre's face as he tried to reach out with his empathy and feel his friend. He could only pick up on the very faintest traces of Duo's life force and that had him worried. He hoped the reason for that was because Duo was under anesthetic and in Sally's care. Until he was back at Preventer Headquarters, he wouldn't know for sure what was going on.

The door to the cockpit was open and Quatre stepped inside the area. Being a commercial shuttle and a large transporter at that, the shuttle's cockpit was quite large and four people could fit in quite easily. Quatre sat in the vacant chair behind the copilot's seat.

Montgomery and the copilot – Roberts – were currently engaged in conversation with Storm at the Preventer shuttle port, Roberts logging in the data to the on board computer that Storm was giving him for the computer to bring the shuttle in on the correct angle and trajectory.

Occupying the other seat in the cockpit was Kahmil, the shuttle's navigator. His attention was fixed on the shuttle's computer, checking the input of data against the manually compiled ones.

With everything logged in, the communication with Storm ceased for the moment. The shuttle would be entering the atmosphere very shortly and all radio signal would be lost for a short period of time. Roberts reached for the button to the shuttle's intercom system and advised all the crew to head for their designated seats and strap in for the re-entry.

Quatre did up the harness attached to the seat he was occupying and watched the men work. He was a little nervous, same as all the ex-pilots were when someone else was at the controls – it was a trait they would never lose, but he wasn't worried. Montgomery was one of the best pilots currently in the Winner Industries employ.

Doing his best to relax, Quatre sank into the seat and listened to the conversations passing between the three men. Altitude, airspeed, thrust, angle, trajectory; all these things and more were passed between the men as they followed the flight path given them by Storm.

"Here we go," Monty stated as the layers of gasses began to be breached by the craft.

The shuttle's nose broke through the first layers, cutting in cleanly. The heat shields on the outside of the shuttle began to glow as the temperature increased, the friction of the gasses against its skin heating the plates up rapidly. Yellow, orange and red, followed by a bluish white glow surrounded the craft as she pushed her way through. Aside from the heat friction, the shuttle bounced and vibrated, shaking heavily as the air around her parted but buffeted the craft as she made her way steadily towards the planet surface.

Quatre had been through worse, much worse during the war when entering the Earth atmosphere. Gundams were not the best craft to re-enter the atmosphere in. Despite being built for space and more than capable of handling the stresses of the gasses, they were a smaller machine and tended to be a lot less stable than a shuttle, consequently, the pilot usually got tossed around quite a bit in the cockpit.

The blackness began to give way, the resistance of the gasses eased and the craft broke through into the blue of the Earth skies. Slowly but steadily, the shuttle lost altitude, steadying her speed as she traveled above the planet. Clouds began to appear below, getting closer and closer, the sunlight that had greeted them began to fade a little as they continued in their flight around the globe.

It would be early morning at Preventer Headquarters when they finally touched down so Quatre wasn't surprised to see the sun retreating. They would meet up with it again very shortly as it broke across the horizon in the usual dawn fashion.

Radio contact was returned, Roberts conversing with Storm and making slight adjustments as they approached their goal. Within another half hour, the shuttle port was visible. Monty steadied the craft, Roberts deploying the landing gear as they lowered gracefully towards the runway. Immediately the wheels touched down, Roberts released the parachute, Montgomery easing the engines back and applying the braking system. The huge craft shuddered, roared and bucked, eventually giving in and slowing her forward momentum.

As the craft came to a sedate 'crawl', the parachute was dropped, a small utility vehicle shooting out to fetch it and have it repacked and put back on board for when the shuttle was ready to leave. They taxied off the runway, following the instructions and yellow lines on the tarmac to bay eight. Storm had agreed to allow the shuttle to use the Preventer service vehicles to refuel and check the craft over before they would leave and return to their original destination and continue with their work.

Rolling to a stop in their designated bay, Montgomery began to shut the craft down, Roberts assisting him whilst Kahmil checked off their flight plan and began to prepare the new one for their departure. Once the all clear was given, Quatre was undoing his harness and preparing to leave.

"Thank you, Monty for bringing me back," Quatre said as he shook the Captain's hand.

"It has been my pleasure, Mr Winner," returned Montgomery. "I hope that all is well and you have good news when you get to Preventer Headquarters."

"Thanks, Monty. I'm sorry I can't enlighten you any further."

Montgomery waved him off. "I quite understand. All the best, sir."

With a smile and wave, Quatre exited the shuttle and climbed into the waiting transport vehicle which took him directly to Captain Storm. After a short debrief with Storm, Quatre was whisked away to a waiting Preventer car and driven directly to Headquarters to be reunited with the rest of the ex-pilots.

# # #

[Preventer Headquarters]

Commander Une finished her conversation with Agent Wind and exited the small doctor's office she'd commandeered to take the call in. Walking quickly down the corridors of the medical section, she began to ask herself just where Sally would have ordered the injured agents be taken for treatment. She knew the woman would be looking after Agent Night herself, but the other agents were also hurt and would require medical assistance, plus she wanted to speak with Hawkins too.

'_Maybe asking at the nurse's station would be a good idea,' _she thought to herself.

The nurse looked up as a shadow fell across the desk she was working at. "Oh, Commander. What brings you here?"

"Several injured agents were brought in by helicopter along with Doctor Po. I need to know where they are being treated and by whom."

"One moment, Commander." The nurse turned to her left and began to look through a pile of clipboards. Not finding what she wanted, she got up and walked across the station to the other side where a large, white board sat temporarily leaning against the wall. Scanning down it, she turned to the Commander. "Do you know the agents' names, ma'am?"

"Agents, Night, Day, Fire and Air. There should also be a civilian by the name of Hawkins with them."

"Agent Night is with Doctor Po in sector three. The other three agents are being treated by Doctor Phillips in sector one. The man, Hawkins was being assessed by Doctor Lestine in sector five. I can page them if you wish?"

"No, that's fine. I'll go through myself and see if I can find them." Une looked briefly at the layout map of the medical wing and set off in the direction of sector three. She didn't expect to be able to speak with Sally, but if she knew Day, he would be waiting for his partner and possibly be able to let her know more on Night's condition.

She was quite surprised when she walked into the pre-op room and found it vacant. The red light was on above the operating theater door so she knew Sally was in there and she wasn't about to go anywhere near that door. Turning, she went out and towards sector one.

Rounding the corner, she could hear voices ahead and recognized Wufei's voice first, then Trowa's. Seemed the pair were arguing about something.

Entering the treatment room she gave an amused smile as she spotted Trowa doing his best to get a pair of crutches under his arms. "Gentlemen."

"Ah, Commander," Wufei replied. "We were just about to leave and go in search of Miss Peacecraft and Yuy's son."

"Before you do, I'd like an update." Seeing the scowl on Heero's face, she spoke again. "A brief one in relation to your injuries. Agent Day, you can brief me on your partner's injuries a little later when we return to wait for Sally to finish operating."

Heero gave a relieved nod. All he wanted to do was get his son and sit and wait for Duo to come out of theater – and the sooner he could do that, the better.

Doctor Phillips entered the room to check on Trowa and the crutches, greeting the Commander and giving her the run down on all three agents' current injuries and the treatment they had received, saving the agents from having to try and explain themselves.

Satisfied with that, Une asked for a full report to be written up and submitted to her at the doctor's earliest convenience. "All three are clear to leave?" she asked.

"Yes, they are. Although I would be a lot happier if Agent Air were to stay in overnight mainly for observation. That was a pretty nasty blow to the head, plus his ankle will be very sore once the anesthetic wears off."

One glance at the dark look on Trowa's face confirmed that the agent had no intention of staying in the hospital. "Point noted, doctor. Now, if they are clear to leave, I suggest we do so. There's a lot that needs to be discussed."

Moving slower than he would have liked due to Trowa and his crutches, Heero tried not to show his impatience as they moved through the medical wing.

"Agent Fire, take Air and go to the canteen and get something to eat and drink, pick up something for Day too, please. I'll go with Yuy to fetch his son and we will meet you back in the waiting room by pre-op room three," Une ordered.

Noting the glint in the Commander's eye and the tone she used, Wufei didn't bother to protest. "Yes, ma'am."

Une continued to walk with Heero into the main section of the Preventer building. "Relena is looking after Keitaro in the creche area."

"Thank you."

"Whilst we're on our way there, I want you to tell me exactly how badly injured Duo is."

Heero gave a soft sigh and began to speak.

# # #

[Operating Room]

Keeping her hand steady, Sally carefully incised the skin of Duo's abdomen close to where the knife was sitting. With slow precision she peeled back the skin and muscles of the abdominal wall, eyes constantly on the alert.

"How is it looking?" asked Margaret.

"It could have been a whole lot worse," Sally replied as she carefully moved Duo's intestines to check on his other organs. The malformed uterus came into sight, swollen with the child inside and the knife blade resting against it. "Shit, that was close," Sally muttered.

Margaret peered over Sally's shoulder. "Oh my goodness," she exclaimed.

"There's a little bit of internal bleeding, but I don't know where it is coming from," Sally said as she looked harder to try and find the source. Probing gently, she checked all around the knife, relieved to find it wasn't embedded in anything. "I think we can safely remove this now,' she told the nurse.

Nodding, Nurse Brown picked up a pile of swabs, dabbing a few at the wound and giving Sally a much clearer look at what she was doing.

Grasping the knife hilt, Sally began to withdraw the metal, pulling very gently. Here eyes were riveted to Duo's insides,holding her breath as the knife came slowly out and watching for any sign of sudden bleeding. The knife slipped out easily enough, Sally depositing it into the kidney dish Margaret had ready for her.

"He's beginning to bleed a lot," the nurse stated and began to swab.

"Shit! Where is it coming from?" Frantically Sally probed around, the nurse doing her best to flush the area with saline and swab up the blood so Sally could see more clearly.

"It's coming from down there," Margaret pointed out when she spotted a fresh stream after she'd swabbed.

Immediately Sally was investigating, forceps pushing in and fishing around. "Oh fuck," she muttered.

An eyebrow shot up on the nurse's forehead. "Doctor!"

"Sorry, but, well, this is not good."

"You found the bleed?"

"Yeah. That blade has sliced Duo's ovary."

"No," the nurse whispered.

"I'm afraid so, and I don't think I can fix it."

The nurse and the doctor looked at each other for a moment. Then Sally took another look at the injury, carefully examining the ovary and checking it from all angles. Her mind ran through many possibilities, each one being dismissed as she observed the amount of damage. Having run through every option she could think of, there was only one conclusion.

"I can't leave it, Duo will bleed to death. The cut is across three quarters of the ovary and half way through, there's just no way I can repair that sort of damage. Even if I stitch it up, chances are the ovary won't heal and it will die."

"That only leaves..."

Sally averted her eyes. "Yes, Margaret. I'll have to remove it," Sally whispered.

"You will need to speak with Heero, let him know and ask for his consent to remove it," Margaret said.

"I know." Sally's face was grim. "Why did this have to happen to Duo? Hasn't he been through enough?" she questioned to no one in particular. "This is so unfair."

"Life is never fair," Margaret said, her tone soft as she rested a reassuring hand on Sally's arm. "At least he still has this child to carry and look forward to."

Sally took a small amount of comfort from that. "And you can bet I'll do every damn thing I can to see that this child is born safe and healthy," she vowed.

tbc...


	114. Chapter 114

**Many thanks to everyone for reading and warm hugs for the kind reviews!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 114

By the time Une and Heero reached the officers' sitting room Relena had commandeered to look after Keitaro in, the Commander had a fairly good idea of the injuries that Duo had suffered. Her heart went out to the agent beside her, he was obviously worried sick about his partner, and rightly so.

Although there was still a tremendous amount of work to be done, Une decided it could wait for a short while. She would get her reports from her agents over the next few days, Day and Night's reports could wait until both were medically stable and well on the road to recovery.

Reaching the office door, Une knocked and then opened it, stepping inside and to one side to allow Heero to move inside. Across the room, sitting in a large armchair was Relena. Keitaro was sitting on a rug at her feet and the pair looked to be playing with something. At the sound of the door opening, both turned to see who was entering.

Relena's eyes widened when she saw Heero, a smile finding its way to her mouth. Keitaro stared at the two people, blinked and then his face lit up into a huge grin. He dropped the toy he'd been playing with and rolled to his fours. Moving at a rapid pace, Keitaro crawled across the room, his eyes fixed on Heero.

Heero's eyes went misty when he saw his son. Tears began to form as the child started to crawl towards him, a wide smile on his face. It was Duo's smile. Crouching, Heero opened his arms wide and scooped his son into them, pulling him close and feathering kisses all over the soft head of hair and chubby cheeks.

"Oh, Keitaro," Heero mumbled as the tears ran unchecked.

Keitaro grabbed onto his father as tightly as he could, soft gurgles of delight coming from his throat.

"Oh, god how I've missed you."

"Da... Da..."

Heero stiffened, than a smile started to form. "Did he just say-"

Une nodded along with Relena.

"It sounded like a Dada to me," the Commander said softly.

Holding the infant slightly away from him so he could see the child's face, Heero gazed in wonder at his son. "Daddy's home, Keitaro and so is your other Daddy."

"Da... Da..." Keitaro gave a squeal of delight and tried to grab Heero's bangs.

Managing to avoid having his hair pulled, Heero hugged his son close to his chest. "Your other dad is going to be so pleased and proud of you," he whispered.

"How is Duo?" Relena asked, getting up from her chair and walking towards the agent.

"He's in surgery. We won't know anything more until Sally's finished, but he's pretty badly hurt," Une replied on Heero's behalf.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but Sally is an excellent doctor and I know she will be able to help Duo. If there is anything I can do?" Relena directed her words at Heero.

"Thank you, Relena, I appreciate that. You've done a lot already, looking after Keitaro for us."

Relena waved her hand in the air. "It's been my pleasure to watch over him. He's a lovely child, Heero. Anytime you need someone to babysit, I'm more than happy to."

Heero gave the woman a soft smile. "Thank you, I'll remember that and I know Duo would also like me to thank you on his behalf."

"You tell Duo to worry about getting well, that's the best thanks anyone could ask for."

"Da.. Da.." Keitaro squealed.

"Yes, Keitaro, I'm going to take you to see your daddy," Heero replied, pressing a kiss to the child's head.

"I'll get his things ready for you," Relena said and moved back across the room to pack up Keitaro's toys and other bits and pieces into the bag Nurse Brown had given her earlier. "There's a couple of tins of baby food, a bottle of water and a bottle of formula in there too," Relena informed Heero as she handed over the bag.

"Thanks." Heero did his best to shuffle Keitaro around in his arms and grasp the bag, but Keitaro didn't want to move. He'd just gotten one of his fathers back and no way was he letting go! His chubby hands managed to latch onto the tank top Heero had put on after Doctor Phillips had finished treating him and no way was he about to let anyone or anything move him.

"I'll take the bag, Agent Day," Une offered, a smile playing on her lips as she watched the display.

"It's okay, I can manage," Heero began.

"Agent Day. Give me the bag and that's an order." There was no way Heero would possibly be able to manage both the child and the bag.

Reluctantly, Heero let the Commander take the bag.

"Good. Relena, if you aren't busy doing anything else, the Preventer legal team is starting to prepare its case against Barton and his followers. They will need a statement and information from you in regards to the senators Wainright and Richards."

"I'll go there now. Please let me know how Duo is and pass on my kind regards for a speedy recovery. I'll stop by and see him later when Sally allows him to have visitors. Take care, Heero." Relena pressed a kiss to Heero's cheek. "If you need anything, you know where to contact me."

"Thank you, Relena, for everything."

"My pleasure, Heero."

"Agent Day, I suggest we get moving back to the medical section and see if there is any news on Agent Night." Une picked up the bag from where she'd set it on the floor and moved to the door. "I'll talk to you later, Relena."

Relena nodded and watched the pair leave, then she set off for the legal section.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23]

When Zechs awoke he felt much better, it was amazing what a few hours of uninterrupted sleep could do for a person's general health and well being. A few more hours would have been perfect, but unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

Rolling over in the small bunk, he glanced at his watch and noted that he'd actually slept for six hours. Running a hand over his face, he winced at the stubble on his chin. The final sweep of the satellite would be in a couple of hours and depending on what Oil and his crew were doing by way of repairs to the shuttle right now, he just might get lucky and be able to take a shower.

With that thought foremost in his mind, Zechs got up, stretched and went in search of Agent Oil.

His luck was in, the Preventer crew were working on fitting the new heat shields to the shuttle's skin and wouldn't be anywhere near the water supply. Grabbing a fresh flight suit, Zechs allowed himself the luxury of a five minute shower. Once he was back home he would have a good, long soak in the hot tub and shampoo his hair.

With the shower taken care of, Zechs walked into the small galley and made himself a coffee. Fortunately the artificial gravity was still working otherwise he'd have to resort to using a tube to enjoy his coffee from - the satellite's gravitational field wasn't very strong at all and his coffee would be likely to want to float just above the cup rather than in it. A quick rummage through the supplies and several ration bars along with a couple of heat tab meal packs were located. Zechs opted for the ration bars, the meals still tasted like cardboard.

Chewing on the ration bar and coffee in hand, Zechs headed for the cockpit to contact Mercury and find out what had transpired during his slumber.

"Agent Wind, feeling better?" asked Mercury when the communication came through.

"Much, thank you. What's been happening whilst I was sleeping?"

"Not much. We're almost finished recording all the names and details of the prisoners. The medical crew is still working on the injured and about half of the dead have been identified."

"What about Barton?"

"He will need surgery and medical attention that we don't have the facilities to provide on the shuttle. The medics have patched him up as best they can for now but once he's back on Earth he will need that care."

"Just make sure he will live to stand trial."

"You can bet on that," Mercury replied with a growl.

"When are you going to do the final sweep?"

Mercury looked at his watch. "In half an hour. You going to join us again?"

"Might as well. I'll finish suiting up and come across to you."

"No problem. I'll see you soon then."

"Roger that, Mercury. Wind out."

"Mercury, out."

Zechs leaned back in the chair and took the last bite of the ration bar. Whilst he chewed it, he pondered the thought of there being anyone else left on the satellite. Tossing the wrapper into the trash, Zechs left the cockpit to finish suiting up and head over the the other shuttle.

# # #

[Preventer Headquarters - Operating Room]

Sally managed to put a small clamp on the main blood vessel feeding the ovary and stem the bleeding, for the moment. It was only a temporary measure, until she knew what Heero wished to do. It was clear that the ovary would need to be either removed or a repair attempted. A repair would involve a great deal of time suturing up all the bleeds and trying to put the organ back together; and then the chances of the ovary surviving were around ten percent.

Had this happened to a woman, Sally would have removed the ovary straight away as a woman had two and the remaining ovary would enough to provide eggs for pregnancy. But in Duo's case...

Aside from the fact he shouldn't have had any female parts to start with, what he did have was malformed and under the laws of nature, should be defunct. However, Duo had defied all the odds it seemed. Not only did he have those vital parts, but he was fertile, able to conceive and carry a child.

But he only had the one ovary.

To remove that would mean Duo could no longer have children.

Sally didn't want to be the one to shatter the young man's dreams, hopes and heart.

Unfortunately, it looked like she would have to.

"I'll stick my head out into the waiting room and see if Heero is back yet if you wish?"

Nurse Brown's words broke into Sally's mind. "Thank you."

Understanding that the doctor was quite upset over her patient and the life changing decision that needed to be made and made quickly, Margaret gave a nod and went to the door. She peered through the tiny glass window.

"They aren't back yet," Margaret informed Sally when she returned to the doctor's side. "I can page them if you wish?"

Sally gave a sigh. "We really do need a decision as quickly as possible, but I'm loathe to page Heero as he will undoubtedly panic thinking there's something seriously wrong with Duo."

"As if what injuries he has aren't already serious," Margaret snorted.

Sally glanced down her nose at the nurse.

"I agree with you about Heero panicking, I wasn't going to page him. I thought we could contact Doctor Phillips, see if they are still there and if so, how long they will be."

"Ah, good idea. Would you mind?"

"Not at all."

"Thank you. Whilst you do that and we're waiting, I'll start to treat these ribs, strap them properly. Once we know how long they are going to be, we can move onto the ankle if need be."

Nurse Brown nodded and went to the small phone on the wall of the theater. Pushing the button for the emergency room Phillips would be working in, she waited for the call to go through. After a couple of rings the phone was answered by a cheerful voice.

"Nurse Morris, how can I help you?"

Margaret asked her questions and received the appropriate replies, hanging up when she had her information.

"Well?" asked Sally, not looking up from where she was busy checking the alignment of Duo's cracked ribs.

"Doctor Phillips has finished treating all three agents and they have left with Commander Une. The nurse said she thought they were going to find Miss Peacecraft to collect Keitaro."

"Ah." Sally glanced at the clock on the wall. "How long ago?"

"About ten minutes."

"It might be wise to page Une then. We can let her know of the need for Heero to be here quickly without having the panic."

"I'll page her now then." Margaret went back to the phone and put in the requested page to the Commander. Hanging up, she waited by the phone for the Commander to call in. Knowing the Commander, it wouldn't be long.

#

Walking along the corridor towards the elevators, Heero couldn't help the feeling of helplessness lodged inside his gut. Fear was also present and he hoped with all his heart that Sally would be able to save both Duo and their unborn child. The earlier diagnosis had been promising and whilst Heero had every faith in Sally and her skills, he wasn't about to let his hopes get up too high.

Beside Heero, Une walked in silence. She knew the agent was lost in his thoughts and worried about his partner. She was also concerned; Agent Night was an excellent agent, one of the Preventers best. No one could touch him when it came to stealth and infiltration. He was also a crack shot and legendary with his use of explosives. He was also a cheeky young man.

But aside from all that - he was a very good friend.

As they walked, Une's pager went off and she reached for the unit. "Sorry, Day. I need to call in, I won't be a moment." Une looked around to locate where the nearest phone was and spotted one just ahead. She made a beeline for it, hoping Heero wouldn't follow and be close enough to listen in. The pager had said to call Operating room 3 – the room where Night was currently undergoing surgery.

Taking the opportunity, Heero sat down in the corridor and placed his son on his knee where he could interact with the child whilst Une made her call.

Relieved to see that Heero was occupied, Une called the operating theater. "Sally?" she said in a low tone when the call was answered.

"It's Nurse Brown. Is that you, Commander?"

"Yes, it is."

"I"ll just get Doctor Po for you." Margaret motioned for Sally to take the call. "It's the Commander," she told the doctor as Sally took the receiver from her.

"Thanks." Sally pressed the receiver to her ear. "Une?"

"You paged me, Sally? There's nothing wrong, is there?"

"Yes and no. How far away are you and Heero from getting to the waiting room?"

"We're almost there, about another couple of minutes. Why?"

"We have a complication with Agent Night's surgery and I need to speak with Heero in regards to the options we have available; I'll also need consent from Heero to go ahead with which option he selects."

"I see." Une's tone was etched with worry, but she knew better than to ask Sally what the complication was; there was a certain thing called patient/doctor confidentiality. "We will be there as soon as we can."

"Thanks, Une. I'll have Margaret keep an eye out for you."

"See you shortly." Une hung up and took a moment to collect her composure. Turning, she paused as her eyes watched the agent and his son before her. Completely oblivious to anyone around them, Heero was quietly murmuring to Keitaro, the child enraptured by his father's voice and watching that face intently. It was a sweet scene, peaceful and serene, reminding Une of why the Preventer group had been formed.

So that scenes like this could take place all over the Earth and Colonies.

Not wanting to interrupt the moment, but having to, Une walked back to Heero, hoping deep in her heart that whatever it was that Sally needed to discuss with Heero in regards to Duo's situation, it wouldn't be anything too bad.

Heero looked up as Une's shadow fell across him. "All done?"

"Yes." Picking up the bag, Une, with Heero and Keitaro beside her, were once more on their way to the operating room.

#

"They should be here in a couple of minutes," Sally told the nurse as she hung up the phone.

"I'll keep an eye out for them then and let you know when they arrive."

"Thanks. Sally returned to her wrapping of Duo's ribs whilst she waited. From time to time her eyes darted to Duo's abdomen, relieved when she couldn't see anything other than very slow bleeding.

"They're here," Nurse Brown informed her a few minutes later.

"Thanks. Would you continue to monitor him whilst I speak with Heero, please?"

"Of course." Nurse Brown checked all the machines that were currently connected to Duo, noting the blood pressure, heart rate, breathing and temperature. All except the blood pressure were normal. The blood pressure was slightly erratic, but that was to be expected considering the bleed.

Stepping out of the operating theater, Sally removed her surgical gloves and mask, tossing them into the trash can at the side and steeled herself for her necessary talk with Heero.

Noting movement in his peripheral vision, Heero turned to see Sally step out and head straight for him. Her face was neutral, giving nothing away and that made Heero wary.

"Heero, I need to speak with you for a moment."

"Is Duo..." Heero's face visibly paled as he struggled to form words. Sensing something was wrong, Keitaro began to fuss.

"Duo is okay, we're still operating on him, but there's something we've come across that I need to speak with you about, privately,"

"I'll take the child," Une offered. "We can go and visit the nurses at the station and see if we can get something warmed up for him to eat."

Wordlessly, Heero allowed his son to be taken from his lap.

Once Une had left, Sally sat down in the seat next to Heero. "Heero, we have discovered why Duo's blood pressure is so erratic. The knife, when it penetrated his abdomen cut into his ovary. The ovary is badly damaged, a couple of large cuts to it and if the knife had been removed earlier, he surely would have bled to death internally."

Heero nodded, skin paling further.

"The baby is fine, the uterus untouched, but the ovary..."

"What is it you're trying to tell me, Sally?"

Taking a deep breath, Sally took the plunge. "I wish this were easier to say, but it isn't. Heero, we have two choices here. The first; I can stitch up and repair the damage to the ovary as best I can and hope it heals itself. The second; I remove the ovary completely." Sally paused to let the information sink in.

Heero frowned. "If you repair the ovary, what are the chances of it healing and functioning normally again?"

"I would say about ten percent; that's _if _it heals. Given the amount of trauma to the ovary, I very much doubt it will heal, and if it did I highly suspect it wouldn't produce any further eggs. There is also the risk that the ovary could tear again due to the pressure on it as Duo's abdomen expands again to accommodate this new baby. If that happens, he will bleed internally and that is a very serious matter, especially with him being pregnant again."

"Removing it?"

"That will stop the internal bleeding, but it also means that Duo wouldn't be able to conceive a child again naturally."

'_No further children?' _Heero thought. He felt like someone had plunged him into icy water.

"Heero, I need you to make a decision on Duo's behalf. With him being unconscious I can't ask him. You are his next of kin and have the authority to make a decision for him."

'_What to do? Repair it and take the risk of possibly losing Duo and/or the baby further down the track with no guarantee the ovary would heal or be viable again; or remove the ovary completely and hope that Duo carried this new baby to full term as there wouldn't be any more children?' _Either way, the outcome would be traumatic for Duo.

"Would it be just the ovary?" Heero asked.

"Yes, Heero."

"And what of the baby Duo is currently carrying?"

"The child should be fine. I fully intend to monitor Duo's pregnancy for the full term and believe me when I say, I wouldn't be taking any risks at all with him. Given his injuries and the weakened state of the uterus from carrying Keitaro, I'd be inclined to have Duo on complete bed rest until this child is born," replied Sally.

"Sally?" Heero had a sudden thought and needed clarification.

"Yes, Heero?"

"If you remove the ovary and Duo does manage to carry this second child to full term, what condition do you think his uterus would be in afterwards?"

Sally frowned, obviously the question had foxed her. "I don't understand, Heero."

"This is just a thought. If Duo's uterus returns to its normal state after this baby is born, would it be able to carry a third child?"

"I, I don't know. But besides that, without an ovary, Duo wouldn't be able to conceive a third child. I'm not sure what you're driving at here, Heero."

"There have been large advances with IVF, have there not?"

The light bulb went off in Sally's head. "Heero, are you thinking what I think you're thinking?"

"Even without an ovary, if Duo's uterus is okay to carry a third child, there would be the option of IVF, would there not?"

"Well, yes. I couldn't see why not, although you would need to have a donor egg."

"Sally, remove the ovary, keep my husband and unborn child safe. I know Duo would want you to do this too. Later on, if all is well and Duo should want another child, he will still have that option."

Sally gave the young man a soft smile and placed her hand on his arm. "I'll do as you've requested, Heero, and know that I will keep him safe and make sure he delivers a happy, healthy baby, even if I have to tie him to the bed and sedate him for the rest of this pregnancy."

Heero nodded, words were not available to him right now. He just hoped he'd made the right decision and that Duo would forgive him for consenting to the removal of the ovary.

tbc...


	115. Chapter 115

"Family Ties"

January 2007 – ShenLong

Chapter 115

Having gotten Heero's consent for the ovary to be removed, Sally wasted no time in getting back to her patient. After reassuring Heero he'd made the right decision, she went back through to the operating room, pausing to re-scrub up and put on a fresh mask and gloves.

Closing his eyes, Heero rested his head back against the wall. His mind was running in circles. He could only hope and pray that Sally would be able to keep Duo and their unborn child safe, help him through this pregnancy and deliver a healthy child at the end of it.

When Une returned several minutes later, she found Heero slumped in his seat, a worried look on his face. She handed the child and the warmed baby food over without a word and sat down. If Heero wished to tell her what was going on, he would.

Taking Keitaro, Heero sat the child on his lap and reached for the bowl of food. Setting the bowl down on the small table in the room, he scraped some of the food onto the spoon and began to feed his son. As he worked so his mind became clearer. He was aware of Une sitting quietly beside him and decided he needed to share what Sally had discussed with someone, and neither Wufei or Trowa were back yet.

Clearing his throat, he turned to his Commander and began to speak.

Une sat and listened, her heart breaking even further for the agent and his partner. This was so unfair. When the young man had finished, she placed a hand on his arm. "Yuy, I am so very sorry all this has happened, if there was something I could say, something I could do to change it all, I would."

Heero turned his sad, blue eyes to the Commander. "I know, and thank you."

A soft noise alerted the pair to Trowa and Wufei's arrival, the two agents shuffling into the waiting room, several items in Wufei's arms. Feeling the sadness in the air, both men were on alert. Wufei dropped the food he was carrying to the table and pulled a couple of chairs closer to the Commander and Yuy. Trowa propped his crutches against the wall and hopped over to sit in one of the chairs. Once Wufei was seated, the pair turned their attention to Heero.

"What has happened?" Wufei asked going directly to the point.

Wiping the baby's mouth, Heero settled the spoon into the now empty bowl and tossed the wipes into the trash. He took a breath, steadied his frayed nerves and keeping his eyes on his son, informed Trowa and Wufei of the latest development in Duo's surgery.

Both men sat in stunned silence as Heero told them of Sally's findings and the result. Heero's voice hitched when he told them that Duo would no longer have his ovary and both Trowa and Wufei gave soft sighs of relief when they knew the current baby was okay so far.

Having heard all the details, both men offered their support and best wishes, knowing it was the least they could do.

With nothing more to be said and nothing to do other than wait, the three men and child settled themselves in for the long haul. Une excused herself, needing to get back to her office and check on the progress of Agent Wind and the shuttles, not to mention see how the legal team was coming along with their case against Barton.

# # #

[Satellite XRB 23]

"That's everywhere searched a second time, sir," the agent informed Mercury as the various teams met up again in the Dome hangar.

"Thank you." Mercury turned to Zechs. "If there was anyone hiding or been missed in the first sweep, we would have found them this time," he told the other agent.

Zechs nodded. "I agree. The teams have gone over this place with a fine tooth comb. What is the word form the surface teams?"

"One more body recovered, that's all," Mercury replied.

"I think it's a pretty safe bet to say we have accounted for everyone then."

"I would say so." Mercury gave his teams the go ahead to return to the shuttles. "Come on, we can check on Oil's progress and get an updated ETA on when that shuttle will be ready to leave. Once we have that we can call in to Headquarters, report in and check if there are any changes to our current orders."

"Sounds good to me," replied Zechs.

With the transport shuttle being inside the hangar, Mercury and Wind soon located Oil and received an update on the repair progress. Zechs was quite impressed with how much had already been done to the shuttle. Seemed the crew were working non stop to get the craft ready for space. If all continued according to plan, Oil expected the shuttle to be ready to depart in another eight hours.

With that information and the results of their final sweep, Mercury rounded up the last few stragglers and set out for his shuttle to call in to headquarters. Replacing his helmet, Zechs followed the teams out of the Dome and back onto the surface of the satellite.

# # #

[Preventer Headquarters – Communications]

"Agent Mercury, this is Agent Oak, we copy you loud and clear," Oak replied as the contact came through.

Informing Oak of their current status on the satellite, Oak paged the Commander who returned to the communications section within minutes. Mercury relayed all the information to the Commander, including the final tally of dead, injured and healthy prisoners. Une was quite impressed with the efficiency, but then again, this is why these agents were in the positions they held.

"Mercury, send through a copy of the data you have compiled so far on all the detainees, including the deceased. The legal team here can start to add them to the case we are compiling against Barton and this group of his. Once you have everything secure aboard your shuttles you are free to return to Earth. Advise both myself and Captain Storm of your ETA at Preventer Shuttle Port as soon as you are space-borne. I'll arrange for prison transport to meet you at the Port, along with medical staff and transport for the injured. I will have a special vehicle to accommodate Barton."

Mercury snorted. "Padded or unpadded?"

"Mercury..." Une growled as her lips twitched in the hint of a smile.

"My apologies, Commander."

There will be several 'cooler' transports arrive once the other vehicles have cleared the port and they will transfer the deceased to a morgue capable of handling that volume of bodies."

"Thank you, Commander."

"How long until Agent Wind's shuttle is repaired?"

"Oil estimates another eight hours and it will be ready to go."

"Good. Wind?"

"I'm here, Commander."

"Once the shuttle is cleared by Oil, you may leave the satellite at your own discretion. Report directly to me with an ETA once you are able to."

"Roger that, Commander."

"Anything else, Agents?"

"Commander? How is Agent Night?" Zechs had been concerned for the young man and not having heard anything his worry was growing.

"Agent Night is currently in surgery and is expected to make a full recovery from his injuries," Une replied, keeping things to the basic facts as she was well aware of Duo's unusual make up and she wasn't about to divulge anything at all along those lines to anyone.

Zechs gave a relieved sigh. "Thank you."

"If that is all, God speed and I will speak with you all a little later. Commander out."

"Shuttle 151, out."

# # #

Quatre gazed out the window of the vehicle as the agent drove quickly towards Preventer headquarters. Everywhere one looked there was evidence remaining of Barton's Firecell and the upheaval it had caused.

The majority of the population were returning to normal now that the Firecell had been reversed, but it would be sometime before all traces of its effects were completely gone. The rioting had caused damage to many structures, streets looked like war zones, but behind it all one could see the commencement of the clean up.

Yes, it would be sometime all right before everything was back to how it used to be.

"Do you know what the general status of the Earth and the citizens is?" Quatre asked the agent.

"I don't know much, sir," the agent replied. "I do know that the many government heads have been meeting and arranging to have their emergency plans put into place. I believe that the defense forces are also being called in to assist with the clean up and getting things back to normal."

"I see. It's going to take a while though."

"You can say that again," the agent snorted. "Funny how you never seem to think just how much we rely on technology until it all goes to hell on you."

"Maybe it's time the governments looked at putting into place a measure to prevent this sort of thing from happening again."

"I agree with you, but the hard part is convincing them all to work together for the good of the people," the agent replied.

Quatre didn't say anything more, his mind was focused on just what measures could be employed to insure that something like this could never happen again.

The drive continued in silence, Quatre lost in his thoughts, the agent doing his best to get them both safely to Headquarters.

A short while later and the landmarks became more familiar, Quatre perking up at the thought of seeing his lover and friends again.

"Almost there, sir."

The Preventer building appeared ahead, the agent driving them around the back and into the underground, secure parking area. The agents on the gate checked their ID before allowing them entry. Once the car was parked, Quatre got out and thanked the agent for his trouble. Walking briskly across the concrete, he located the elevator and waited for it to arrive.

Quatre figured he would head directly for the medical section, given the injuries to the others, that seemed the logical place to begin to look for them. The elevator chimed and the doors slid open, Quatre stepping out and into a small foyer type area. A glance at the wall where the floor directory was emblazoned and he turned left. The smell of antiseptic hit his nostrils as soon as he rounded the corner. The nurse's station lay dead ahead and Quatre aimed for it.

After charming a pretty nurse with his baby blue eyes and innocent expression, he was heading along another corridor in the direction of section three. His footsteps picked up their pace as he heard familiar voices ahead.

Reaching the door to the waiting room for section three, he opened it and stepped inside. The chatter immediately ceased, then...

"Quatre!"

With a beaming smile on his face, Quatre turned to the voice, locating his husband and making directly for him.

Seeing his husband enter the room, Trowa called out Quatre's name and did his best to stand. He was enveloped in warm arms a moment later.

Heero and Wufei watched the tender exchange, Heero holding his child closer to him as if to reassure himself that his own husband would soon be safely in his arms once more.

"You made it back okay?" Trowa asked when he'd finished kissing his lover senseless.

"I managed to catch a ride on one of the construction shuttles," Quatre replied. "How are you? Has the doctor treated you properly?"

"I'm fine," Trowa replied. "I'll be on crutches for a while though, damn ankle did get busted," he growled.

"I'll make sure you rest it then," Quatre stated, his mother hen instincts coming to the fore once again.

Trowa shuddered, but then decided he could do with a little pampering.

Once Trowa was seated and comfortable again, Quatre turned to the rest of the group. "How is Duo?"

"He is still in surgery," Heero replied. "There's been a minor complication." Seeing the blonde about to voice his concerns, Heero quickly continued and brought Quatre up to date with all that had transpired.

"Oh, Heero. Whilst it's good news that Duo will be okay and wonderful that the child is also unhurt, the rest of it is so unfair."

Heero shrugged. "There isn't a whole lot we can do about it," he said softly. "At least we have Keitaro and another on the way. Duo will come through this and spend his days enjoying his children. I'm thankful for that."

Quatre nodded and got up to place a hand on Heero's arm. "If there is anything, _anything _at all I can do to help you, just say and it's yours."

"Thank you, Quatre. I appreciate that."

"I'm going to get some more tea. Would anyone else like anything?" Wufei asked.

With orders for tea and coffee, Wufei left to hunt some down. The remaining three waited patiently for any news on Duo.

# # #

[Operating Room]

Margaret looked up from where she was checking Duo's vitals as Sally stepped back into the operating room. "What did Heero say?" she asked.

"He agreed and consented to the removal of the ovary," Sally said, her voice heavy.

"Then that's a good thing, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. Duo will stand a much better chance of recovery by removing the ovary. Heero also brought up a valid point."

"Oh? What was that?"

"He asked about IVF and if Duo's uterus is still okay after this child is born would he be able to carry another child should he want one using the IVF treatment to conceive."

"That's an excellent idea," Nurse Brown responded. "He will still have the choice then to have more children."

"Yes, I suppose." Sally's voice was still weary.

"Why the hesitation? Why the long face?"

"Duo will be able to conceive, I'm pretty certain of that, but..."

"But?"

"We would need to be very careful in selecting a donor egg."

"Why a donor egg?" asked Margaret, clearly confused.

"Margaret, in case it's slipped your mind, for conception to take place you need an egg and sperm. Heero can provide the sperm, but Duo is pretty much sterile in that department and will also be sterile in the female sense once I remove this ovary. I really hate to be the one to shatter all his hopes and dreams."

Margaret snorted. "I think you're the one with the case of amnesia, doctor."

"I beg your pardon?"

"What's wrong with using Duo's eggs?"

"Huh?"

"You're going to be removing his ovary, correct?"

Sally nodded.

"Then why can't you harvest some of his eggs when you remove it and put them into storage?"

Sally thought about that, a slow smile spreading across her face. "Margaret, you're a genius," she stated.

"I don't know about that, just plain common sense if you ask me."

"There's one problem though."

"Oh?"

"I can only harvest viable eggs, ones that are coming to maturity. With Duo being pregnant, his ovary will have ceased to produce mature eggs."

Not one to be deterred, Margaret thought for a moment, then offered her suggestion. "There have been major advances in the IVF scheme and processes. I'm pretty sure I remember reading somewhere that it is possible to harvest immature eggs and freeze them. Later on, when they are needed, technology has advanced enough that the eggs can be 'thawed' and once certain hormones are added, the eggs can be brought to maturity."

"You know, Margaret, that just might be an option here. How stable is he?"

"All vitals except the blood pressure are stable. The blood pressure is still a touch erratic, but not life threatening."

"Good. Keep an eye on him. I'm just going to step out for a moment and see if I can find out a little more about this procedure before I go ahead with the removal."

"Okay." Margaret returned to her monitoring of Duo.

Sally quickly left the operating theater and slipped into another room. Bringing the computer on line, she searched for the information she was after, fortunately, it came up pretty quickly. Silently thanking Heero and his computer skills, then thanking him again, along with the other agents for bringing Barton down and reversing the Firecell, she began to read through the latest information.

As she read, the smile on her face grew. Whilst she did try to keep up on all the latest advances in the medical sector, invariably something always slipped past. With conception and child birth not being one of the more required part of her skills in the Preventer medical section, she wasn't as up to date in that area.

Reaching the sections she was most interested in, Sally checked that the printer was turned on and quickly printed out what she needed. With papers in hand, she turned the computer off and quickly made her way back to the operating theater.

"Everything still okay?" Sally asked as she stepped back inside after putting on yet another fresh pair of gloves and mask.

"Still as stable as can be expected. Did you manage to find anything?"

"Oh, yes. Margaret, I need you to have some ice ready. I'll remove the ovary first and place it on ice. Once I have finished surgery on Duo, I'll take the ovary through to the lab and extract the eggs. Once that's done I'll freeze them."

Nurse Brown nodded. "How long do you think this will take?"

"The surgery should be through in a couple of hours. If the research is correct, the ovary and eggs will remain viable for anything up to twelve hours providing the ovary is kept on ice. It is preferable though to extract them within eight hours of removal."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

Smiling behind her mask, Sally reached for the tray of instruments and got to work.

Carefully, Sally probed around Duo's abdomen, being extra cautious around the uterus and developing child. The ovary was singled out and Sally began to slow task of separating it from Duo's body. Once the blood vessels were sealed off, she took a deep breath and sent a prayer to any god that would listen that Duo would forgive her for what she was about to do and that the research into the harvesting of immature eggs was true and correct.

The ovary was removed, Sally placing it carefully into the small dish filled with ice that Margaret had ready. The dish and ice went into an insulated cooler where more ice was waiting. Margaret carried the precious cooler to the side of the theater and placed it in the small 'fridge there that usually only contained drugs that were required for surgery and needed to be kept cold.

Once the ovary was out, Sally began to the task of stitching up the small fallopian tube and any other blood vessels she'd missed. A final check through Duo's innards showed nothing else damaged and so Sally began to close up. Gently, she made sure the uterus was back in its place along with the precious life it contained within, then muscles were carefully stitched back into place, followed by the skin. The scar wouldn't be too long, Sally having used the cut the knife had made as her entry point for the surgery.

Once Duo was completely stitched up, the wound was washed down and covered. Margaret assisting in applying a dressing and following it up with an antibiotic injection.

"Now for the ankle," Sally muttered and paused for a moment to wipe her brow.

Fortunately the ankle wasn't broken, but the ligaments and tendons had been severely damaged and for them to recover and repair themselves they would need to be immobilized and rested. Settling the ankle into a good position, Sally took the bandages offered to her by Margaret and began to wind them around. She strapped it tightly, making sure that Duo wouldn't be able to move it.

"How is his blood pressure?" Sally asked as she finished wrapping the ankle.

"It has stabilized. A little low, but that's to be expected. It should be back to normal within the next twelve hours," replied Nurse Brown.

"Good. Once I've done a final check over, we can move him into recovery and let Heero know how he is."

"Do you want me to let Heero in to sit with him whilst he comes out of the anesthetic?" asked Margaret.

"That would be a good idea. Duo doesn't usually react to coming out of an anesthetic very well. Oh, Heero has Keitaro with him and I don't think it's a good idea to have the child in the recovery room as well."

"I agree. I'll take care of Keitaro so Heero can sit with his partner," Nurse Brown stated.

"That's if you can pry Keitaro away from his daddy. That child isn't letting go any time soon," Sally chuckled.

"I don't blame him either," Margaret snorted. "He'll be fine though. Keitaro knows me and I'll have him in the room right next to the recovery room so if I'm needed I can be straight back in there."

"Okay then. Are you finished?"

"Yes."

"Good. Let's see if we can move him off the table and back onto his bed."

Margaret went to fetch the hospital bed from inside the recovery room, locating an orderly whilst she was gone to assist in the moving of the patient. With the orderly's help, they soon had Duo back into his hospital bed and as comfortable as they could make him. With the patient secure, the bed was wheeled out into the recovery room.

"I'll go let Heero know how it all went, once I've done that I'll come and get you so you can take care of Keitaro and I'll bring Heero in to sit with Duo. Whilst we wait for him to wake up properly I'm going to pop back into the other room and read up on the harvesting of those eggs."

"No problem." Margaret checked on the IV, adjusting the flow rate a little. Satisfied, she then checked Duo's temperature and other vitals, noting them down on the chart. Standing by Duo's head, she gazed down on the sleeping man. "You're one brave young man," she said softly. Gently she brushed Duo's bangs away from his face and let her fingers graze the skin of his cheek in an affectionate gesture. "You best do as Doctor Po tells you and rest up. This pregnancy isn't going to be easy on you or the child. You take care of yourself and that child." Margaret paused for a moment, her eyes softening and becoming a little moist. "I want another happy, healthy grandchild," she whispered and placed a kiss to Duo's forehead. "I'm proud to call you my son," she murmured, "even if you aren't blood related."

Sally stepped out and tossed the mask and gloves into the trash. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door to the waiting room and walked inside. Five expectant faces looked at her.

"The surgery went well, I expect Duo to make a full recovery."

"Thank, Allah," Quatre whispered.

"Thank, Nataku," Wufei murmured.

"Thank goodness," Trowa sighed.

"Thank you, Sally," Heero breathed.

"Da... Da..." gurgled Keitaro.

Sally smiled wearily at the group. "Duo is in recovery now with Nurse Brown watching him. Heero, would you like to come through and sit with him whilst he comes out of the anesthetic?"

Knowing how his husband reacted to anesthetics, Heero nodded. "I want to be with him," he stated and stood up.

"I'm afraid Keitaro can't go in the recovery room, it's too risky. The child can see his father once Duo is completely out of the anesthetic and we move him to a private room."

"I'll watch him for you, Heero," Quatre offered.

"Thank you." Heero moved over to Quatre who stood up and reached out with his arms to take the infant. But Keitaro wasn't having any of that!

Feeling his father trying to pass him over to another person, Keitaro grabbed hard at Heero's tank top and clung on for dear life. When Quatre tried to pull him away and Heero did his best to pries the child's hands from the fabric, Keitaro let fly with a howl.

Sally watched the scene unfolding, a smile on her face. The smile soon disappeared though when Keitaro started screaming.

"Shush, it's okay, Keitaro," Heero soothed. "Uncle Quatre just wants to look after you for a little bit whilst daddy goes to sit with your other daddy."

Keitaro didn't understand, but what he did know was that he wasn't letting go of his father anytime soon, not when he'd just gotten him back, and especially to someone he had only spent a little time with!

"It's okay, Heero. Margaret will watch him," said Sally as she placed a hand on Heero's shoulder.

Heero gave Quatre an apologetic look.

"Don't worry about it, Heero. I quite understand the child's insecurities and I'm not offended at all. He would be better with his nanny, he does know her a lot better than me," Quatre said with a smile.

Trowa breathed a soft sigh of relief. Not that he objected to children and certainly not Keitaro. The child was adorable and Trowa had a soft spot for the infant; but he knew his husband well and once Quatre spent time with Keitaro he became all clucky and drove Trowa almost nuts with his desire to have a child of his own.

Trowa wasn't quite ready to take that step into parenthood just yet.

"We will wait here until there is further news," Wufei stated. "Yuy, go to your husband and wish him well from all of us."

With a nod of appreciation, Heero, with Keitaro still in his arms, followed Sally out of the waiting room and through to the recovery room where his very reason for living lay sleeping.

tbc...


	116. Chapter 116

**Many thanks to all for reading and warm hugs for the very kind reviews!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 116

[Satellite XRB 23]

Zechs stood quietly in the cockpit as he watched the technician work. The majority of the repairs had been completed to the shuttle, only minor testing and checking remained to be done. There had been a few glitches, but nothing major and Oil was quite confident that the shuttle would hold together perfectly well during the flight back to Earth.

Zechs crossed his fingers.

Mercury appeared behind him and Zechs turned to greet the agent.

"How is it going?" Mercury asked politely.

"Almost done. The checks have shown a few glitches, but the team are working on ironing those out now," Zechs replied.

"How long before you can fly this baby back?"

"I'd say about another four or five hours. Are you all set to leave?"

"Yes. All the teams are back on board and the prisoners and injured settled and ready to transport. Agents Europa and Jupiter are sealing the holds where the bodies are and reducing the temperature in those holds for the trip back to Earth."

Zechs nodded. "Then I take it this is goodbye?"

"Not so much, goodbye, but more like a 'see you dirt side'," Mercury chuckled.

"I agree with that," Zechs laughed. "All being well, this bucket of bolts should last the distance."

"Oil and his team are very good and if they say she will make it back, then she will."

"She'd better. I've already told Oil that if she doesn't I will be back to haunt him for the rest of his days."

"And knowing you, that would be a definite promise," Mercury snickered. Sobering, he held out his hand. "It's been both a privilege and an honor to work with you, Agent Wind. I hope we can work together again sometime."

Zechs took the offered hand and shook it firmly. "Likewise and thank you, Mercury. It's been a pleasure for me too. You and your teams should be commended for your professionalism in carrying out your orders, I'll be sure to let the Commander know what a good team she has in you all."

Mercury could feel the blush creeping up his cheeks, but his chest swelled with pride. "I appreciate that, Wind. Stay safe and God speed."

"Same to you, Mercury."

With a nod of his head, Mercury departed.

Zechs turned back to the agent still working in the cockpit and closed his eyes as he listened to the muttering and cursing coming from the technician. It might be a little longer than four or five hours.

# # #

[Recovery Room]

Sally took Heero and Keitaro through to the small dispensary type room at the side of the recovery room where inside Duo lay covered by a blanket and still sleeping. Nurse Brown was waiting there for them and gave Heero a reassuring smile.

"Everything went very well," the nurse said, confirming Sally's words from earlier. "If you wish to sit with him, I'll need to keep Keitaro here with me," she added. "It's not that the child is any bother, but with him not having seen his father for so long he's bound to want to be with him and with Duo recovering from surgery, that isn't a very good idea."

"I understand completely," Heero replied.

"I think it would be best if you were with Duo when he starts to come out of the anesthetic, Heero. We know how he reacts and I don't want him putting any stress on his body at all, it's been through enough already," Sally stated.

Nodding, Heero continued to stare through the window to where his love lay.

"Come on, let Margaret have Keitaro and I'll take you through."

Keitaro wasn't as perturbed this time about leaving his father's embrace. He knew his nanny well and the woman had always looked after him with kindness and love. He gave a happy gurgle and allowed himself to be transferred to his nanny's arms.

Smoothing down the tank top, Heero went to follow Sally and pulled up short when he was handed a blue, hospital gown.

"Put that on," Sally commanded. "You haven't cleaned up properly yet and I don't want Duo getting any sort of contamination from your clothing."

It made perfect sense to Heero and he wasn't about to put his love at risk. Turning his back on the women, he pulled the tank top over his head and dropped it to the floor. The flight suit which remained bunched around his hips was tugged off. Standing in his boxers, Heero grabbed the gown and put it on.

"Here, I'll tie it for you," Sally said with a smile in her voice.

"Thank you."

With the gown now on and secure, Heero took a deep breath and followed the doctor into the recovery room. Once inside, Heero went directly to Duo's bedside, his eyes roaming over the sleeping form and checking all was okay. He'd have to trust that the rest of his lover was okay as the blankets hid Duo from the shoulders down. Satisfied with his visual perusal, Heero leaned over and gently brushed the bangs from Duo's face. A gentle kiss was bestowed to Duo's forehead, followed by one to his cheek. A soft kiss to Duo's lips followed that, the lips of his husband feeling cool and unresponsive. Heero's heart felt heavy in his chest, but he reminded himself that Duo was still under the effects of the anesthetic and wouldn't be able to respond to his kisses until he was awake.

"Sit here, Heero."

Turning, Heero saw that Sally had brought a chair in for him and placed it beside the bed. "Thank you."

Taking Duo's hand in his own, Heero sat. He held his partner's hand and gently stroked his thumb over the back of it.

"Nurse Brown is directly in the other room and will remain there. She can see in and should you need her, all you need to do is call." Sally placed a small, white object on the pillow beside Duo. "This is the call button. As soon as he starts to wake I want you to push it. It will alert me and I'll be straight back. We don't know how he is going to react as he comes out of the anesthetic which is why it's vitally important you push that button the moment he starts to show signs of coming around."

"Okay."

"Any questions?"

Heero shook his head.

"I'll only be a few rooms over in the lab." Sally declined to add anything more to that statement as she had yet to inform Heero of the probability of being able to harvest Duo's eggs from the ovary. She didn't want to get the young man's hopes up only to have them dashed if the procedure didn't work.

Leaving the agent with his partner, Sally stepped back out into the dispensary to let Nurse Brown know what was going on. With there being nothing more she could do until Duo woke up, Sally headed for the lab to see what she could do in relation to Duo's eggs.

Margaret watched through the glass, noting with a warm smile how her 'boys' reacted to the other. Even though one was unconscious, she could see the monitor well enough to note that Duo's vitals had steadied further once his partner had appeared. The bond between the two was strong and uncanny.

# # #

It was dark, blackness surrounding him in every direction and nothing, not even a pin prick of light to help him get his bearings. There were distant sounds, but even they were coming from all directions. Muffled, muted and completely unintelligible.

He looked around again, trying desperately to find a way out. He darted to the left to be swallowed up in more blackness. Spinning around, he headed forward only to be confronted by the same, black inkiness. Whirling, he ran again, not sure of the direction anymore, the panic starting to build. The voices surrounded him, tormenting and teasing, words completely meaningless and yet threatening in their silent way.

The darkness began to close in around him, surrounding and suffocating. The weight of it pushed against his fragile body and try as he might, he couldn't find a way out of it. His mouth opened in a scream, eyes wide with terror as the blackness pressed ever closer and the scream was muted.

The voices became louder, more insistent in their constant babble of nothing and fear struck to his very core. His arms began to strike out, aiming for opponents he couldn't see – didn't know if they even existed - and connected with nothing.

Cold, icy touches, fleeting and yet all over his body. He cringed, tried to withdraw away from them and the more he fought, the more persistent they became. The silent noise of the voices pounded in his ears, the cold, ghostly touches rained down on every inch of his body, coursing through his blood and reaching for his soul.

His mouth opened again, ready to scream once more and the blackness poured in, choking him and stealing his very essence. Violet eyes widened in horror as he realized there was nothing he could do.

Then, one voice broke through, became clear, soothing and calm. A sliver of light appeared in the darkness and calmed his raging terror. He locked onto it and fought with all he had to claw his way towards that glimmer of hope.

The darkness began to fade a touch, the voices clamored to be heard, but were overridden by the soft, soothing tone. Duo hung on, focused only on that tiny speck of light and the voice he knew instinctively would offer salvation.

Slowly but steadily, the light grew stronger, closer. The dark voices shrieked in protest, but he ignored them, remaining fixated only on the light and the soothing voice coming from it. Invisible hands clawed at his body, tore into his flesh as they tried to hold him. The pain went unnoticed as sheer will alone pushed him forth.

The closer he got to the light and that sweet voice, the more his tormentors protested; but they were rapidly losing their hold, until suddenly, with a howl of anguish, they released their grip and Duo tumbled headlong into the warmth and pureness of that glow.

The light flooded his body, searing his nerves and tearing an agonizing cry from his throat. Eyes blinked open, pupils rapidly expanding and contracting as the light blinded him momentarily with its intensity. A shadowy form began to appear and as his vision cleared, his body relaxed.

"Heero?"

# # #

Sitting beside his lover, Heero continued to hold Duo's hand and stroke his thumb across the back of it. His husband lay peacefully, the oxygen tube feeding the gasses into his weakened body whilst the cannula in his arm continued to supply a steady flow of saline, nutrients and a mild pain killer.

Watching the monitor, Heero noted the blood pressure, heart and breathing rates – all were steady.

Studying his partner's face, Heero noted the slight flutter beneath the eyelids, a sure sign that Duo was either dreaming or beginning to wake up. "That's it, my love. Time to wake up," Heero encouraged and got to his feet so he could observe his lover closely. Duo did not react to anesthetic at all well, none of the ex pilots did. Oh, they went under okay, but it was the waking up part that was particularly disturbing.

All too often they had woken up to a world of pain, torture and the enemy.

Understandably, each had developed their own defense mechanism when waking, a mechanism that usually involved a lot of violence. They had learnt over time that it paid to have another of the ex pilots there with them when they were coming out of an anesthetic and avoid further requirements for surgery – their own and those tending to them.

Duo began to shift a little, his eyes moved more rapidly beneath those lids. "It's okay, Duo. You can wake up now, I'm right here, I have your back," Heero soothed.

On the bed, Duo twitched, his legs moving slightly.

Glancing across at the monitor, Heero spotted the changing results. Duo's blood pressure was rising, his heart and breathing rates also beginning to pick up in speed. Heero frowned.

"Come on, Duo. Wake up for me. It's Heero," he murmured quietly and releasing his lover's hand, he moved to stroke across Duo's cheek. "I have your back, no one will hurt you."

Duo's mouth opened in a muted scream, one that startled his lover. Before Heero had a chance to react, Duo's arm shot out, hand curled into a fist and connected with Heero's jaw. Fortunately, Heero had reacted on instinct, ducking as soon as he saw the movement, but it was too late to avoid it completely. The fist caught him a glancing blow, Heero ignoring the pain as his head snapped around and his own hands shot out to grab at Duo. He'd seen the other arm about to swing in his direction, the cannula pulling against the skin and he wasn't about to let his lover hurt himself by tearing the drip out of the vein.

Duo's mouth opened again, another, silent scream trying to break free; only this time, a choking sound came forth. Arms continued to thrash against Heero, the other man barely able to hold onto his lover.

"Duo!" Heero cried out. "02, stand down, I have your back," he tried again.

This time, Duo began to relax a touch.

Watching through the window, Nurse Brown began to get a touch alarmed as she witnessed the scene unfolding before her. She didn't know whether to go in and interfere, call for Sally or just let Heero deal with it. Recalling the last time Duo had been in hospital and his reaction to the anesthetic, she decided to let Heero deal with it, after all, the last time Heero had been the only one Duo had responded to.

In the nurse's arms, Keitaro gurgled and turned slightly. He froze when he saw the window and the people on the other side. Instantly recognizing both his fathers, Keitaro let fly with a loud squeal, a grin wide on his face. "Da... Da..." he cried out, arms reaching towards the window.

"No, Keitaro," the nanny soothed. "We can't go to your daddies just yet. Soon, little man, soon," she cajoled.

Keitaro continued to stare at the window.

Inside the recovery room, Heero let his grip soften a touch. "Duo, Duo, it's me, Heero. You're safe, with friendlies," he crooned. "Come back to me, Duo. All is well," he continued to murmur.

Duo relaxed further, Heero pleased to see the monitor figures returning to a more normal level.

"That's it, Duo. You're safe with me, I won't let any harm come to you. Wake up for me, my love," he whispered. Releasing his grip completely, Heero reached for the buzzer and pressed it, alerting Sally that Duo was waking up. His eyes scanned Duo's form, noting the arms were now once more relaxed against Duo's sides, his legs had ceased their movement too. Blue eyes swept up and over the handsome face, Heero leaning close and pressing a kiss to those sweet lips. "I'm here, Duo," he whispered softly.

Violet eyes fluttered and blinked open, closing momentarily and then blinking open again. "Heero?" Duo croaked out.

"Hai. I'm here for you, Duo." Heero had a hard time keeping the tears from his eyes as he gazed adoringly at his reason for living.

"Heero?" Duo repeated, his voice raspy. He tried to lick his lips, his throat felt like sandpaper and his tongue not much better.

"Drink?" Heero asked.

Duo nodded.

Heero reached for the jug to the side of the bed and poured a small amount of water into a paper cup. Putting the jug down, he grabbed a straw and placed it into the cup before holding it by Duo's mouth. Guiding the straw between his lover's lips, he held the cup whilst Duo sipped at the cool liquid.

The water eased his parched throat, soothing away the soreness. Having drunk enough for the moment, Duo pushed the straw from his mouth and watched as Heero set the cup to the side. "Operation?" he asked as the events all started to flood back to him.

"The operation is over, Duo. Sally removed the knife and you will make a full recovery."

"The baby?"

"The baby is also well. There was no damage to the uterus or child at all and Sally expects you to go full term and deliver a healthy child," Heero informed. He averted his eyes for a moment on the pretense of checking the monitors. He'd given Duo the basic facts and wasn't about to divulge any further information until later, once Duo had completely recovered from the anesthetic.

"Keitaro?" Duo murmured.

"He's safe and with Nurse Brown at the moment," Heero informed.

"Tired."

"Rest, my love. Sally will be here in a moment to check you out and then I dare say she will have you moved to a private room to recover."

Duo nodded and let his eyes drift shut.

Heero turned to the window and gave Nurse Brown a tired smile. The nurse returned the smile and questioned if Heero wanted her to come in by using hand gestures. Heero shook his head, no, and motioned to the buzzer. Margaret nodded in reply.

Sally had been busy reading through the publications in relation to the harvesting and freezing of immature eggs. Some of the procedure she already knew, the basics having been covered during her studies, but there had been major advances in the science since then and she needed to read up on those if she were to be successful.

And she was determined that Duo would have some viable eggs for the future if he wished to use them. It was the least she could do after all the agent had suffered through. She was nearing the end of the information when the buzzer went off causing her to jump slightly. Grabbing her stethoscope and placing it around her neck, she shot from the lab and headed directly for the recovery room.

Within a couple of minutes she was there.

"He's awake?" she asked Heero as she entered.

"Hai. He's come around and spoken a few words, but he's tired and I think he's drifted back off to sleep again," Heero told her. "You might want to check the drip too, he was quite disorientated when he was coming around."

"What did he say?" asked Sally as she checked Duo's vitals and then took a look at the cannula. It had moved a little, but fortunately not much. Grabbing some more surgical tape, Sally secured it again.

"He asked a couple of questions, wanted to know how the operation went, how the baby is and where Keitaro was," Heero replied truthfully.

"What did you tell him?" Sally demanded.

Heero gave the doctor a glare. "I told him the operation was successful and he should make a full recovery. The baby is okay and you expect him to deliver a healthy child and that Keitaro is with Nurse Brown."

"You didn't mention..."

"No. I thought it best to wait until he's completely over the anesthetic and let you explain it all to him." Whilst Heero was no coward, he just couldn't face telling his partner the devastating news in regards to his ovary. Although Heero knew that IVF was an option for them should they want more children, he wasn't aware yet that Sally would be harvesting Duo's immature eggs.

All the time the conversation had been taking place, Duo had been semi conscious. He caught snatches of the words and instinctively knew there was something going on. He forced himself to full consciousness. He thought that maybe now would be a good time to find out just what the hell _was _going on.

"_He_ is awake and would prefer it if you didn't discuss _him_ as if _he _wasn't here," Duo croaked out.

"Duo, you're awake," Sally said, her voice neutral.

Heero gazed into violet eyes and had to turn away lest Duo see the truth hiding there on his face.

"No shit," Duo growled in reply to Sally. "What haven't you told me?" Duo demanded.

Sally looked at Heero who looked back and shrugged his shoulders. With a sigh, Sally faced her patient who looked at her expectantly.

"Duo, I was hoping to talk to you properly once the anesthetic is completely out of your system and I know you will understand what I have to say," she began.

"I'm awake and fully lucid," Duo stated, his tone low and with a warning edge to it. "What happened?" he knew instinctively that something was wrong and he was determined to find out what. "The baby...?"

"No, no, there's nothing wrong with the baby,' Sally hastily broke in. When I operated I checked your uterus and the fetus within and as we had seen on the ultra sound, the baby is doing just fine. The knife missed the uterus and the child is okay at this stage."

"What do you mean, at this stage?" Duo asked suspiciously.

"As far as I can tell, all is proceeding normally with this pregnancy. The child has suffered some stress with your low blood pressure and the strain and stress you have been under, not to mention your other injuries. Your body is going to be dealing with trying to heal itself and nurture a child too, so those stresses are going to become even greater."

Duo began to pale a little.

"Don't worry, I fully intend to see you through this pregnancy and insure you deliver a healthy, happy child, Duo; but that will only happen if you follow my strict instructions."

Raising an eyebrow, Duo gave the doctor a questioning look.

"You will need to be on complete bed rest for this pregnancy. Not only does your body require it to heal itself from your injuries, but the uterus is still very fragile from carrying Keitaro. The rest of your body is also still coming to terms with having carried a baby and now it's being hit with a second one much sooner than it is prepared for. If you do not rest totally, then there is every possibility of you having a miscarriage and losing this child." There, Sally had put it in as simple a term as she could, pulling no punches and laying it on the line for what it was.

"I see," replied Duo as he chewed over the information. "Am I going to be allowed to move around at all?"

"Minimal. You will be confined to total bed rest and only allowed to move around for things such as showering and toilet visits. Anything else is off limits."

Duo didn't look at all happy, but then he sighed. "Okay. If that is what it will take to make sure this child survives, then I will do it," he stated. Turning to look at Heero, his eyes narrowed a touch as he directed his next words to his husband and lover. "I'm letting you know now, Heero, that I won't like it, being still just isn't in my nature and I will become frustrated, angry, temperamental and will most probably take it out on you. I don't want any fussing, you hear me? Fussing over me will only earn you the wrath of Shinigami and I'm sure you don't want to see him."

Heero gave his lover a soft smile. "In other words, you will be just the same as when you were carrying Keitaro. I survived that, I think I'll survive this."

Duo couldn't help it, he laughed. "Ah, shit. Bad idea that," he groaned as his abdomen protested.

"Duo? Are you..." Heero began and then stopped when he saw the glare leveled at him.

"I'm fine and that's the sort of fussing I don't want or need." Turning back to Sally, Duo continued. "Now, what is it that you still haven't told me?"

Looking weary, Sally dry washed her face. "When I operated, the knife..."

"Yes?" Duo wasn't at all sure he was going to like what he was about to hear, but he needed to know.

"The knife, whilst missing your uterus, unfortunately did connect with your ovary. Your blood pressure was becoming erratic and I knew there was a bleed somewhere, I just couldn't find it. Once I probed deeper I found the knife blade had cut into your ovary and that's where the bleeding was coming from."

Once again, Duo visibly paled.

"The ovary was pretty badly damaged and I wasn't sure if I could repair it, and even if I did, the chances of it healing were pretty much zero. I asked Heero for consent to remove it. Duo, I'm so sorry but I had to remove it for the sake of your life and that of the child."

The silence in the room was deafening.

"I have no ovary?" Duo whispered.

"No. Not any more," Sally replied.

"That means I'm no longer..." Duo's voice hitched and then cracked.

"Duo, there's something you need to-" Sally began but was cut off before she could finish and explain to Duo about the IVF and harvesting of his eggs.

"Get out," Duo hissed.

"Duo?" Heero began, uncertain.

"Please, both of you just get out and leave me alone for a bit."

"But..."

"Heero, go away, leave me alone," Duo snapped and then turned away from the doctor and his lover.

Sally placed her hand on Heero's arm and pulled him towards the door. "Come on, Heero. Let him be for a bit. He needs time to come to terms with what I've just said..."

"But, what about the rest of it?" Heero growled as he was pulled towards the door.

"Leave him be for a while. Once he's calmed down I'll come back and explain the rest of it all to him and hopefully he will be ready to forgive us by then."

Sadly, Heero nodded and with one last glance back at his lover on the bed, Heero left, closing the door quietly behind him.

Once he heard the door snick shut and knew he was alone, Duo gave into the anguish he was feeling inside. The sobs burst forth as his mind continuously tormented him with the knowledge that he would never again be able to conceive his own child.

tbc...


	117. Chapter 117

**Many thanks to all for reading and warm hugs for the kind reviews.**

My apologies for the delay in getting this part out, we had a major bush fire where I live and I was on evacuation standby. Fortunately, I didn't have to evacuate as they stopped the fire 2kms away from my home - Unfortunately, 72 homes were completely destroyed and another 32 damaged. Luckily there was no loss of human life.

Muse is now working on the next part to Cowboy and with any luck, I'll have that finished and ready to post in the next couple of days. Meanwhile, enjoy...

* * *

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 117

Sally led Heero from the recovery room and into the small side room where Nurse Brown was waiting with Keitaro. Immediately the child saw his father he was fighting to get to him.

Seeing the squirming child and how difficult it was for Nurse Brown to try and hold onto him, Heero moved swiftly to take the child from her.

"Thank you, Heero," the nurse said. Turning to address both Heero and the doctor, Margaret spoke again. "What happened?" she asked. She knew something was up, she'd witnessed it from her place beside the window.

Sally gave a sigh. "I was informing Duo of what happened during his surgery. I was explaining about the bleed and where the knife had ended up in relation to the uterus and the ovary and that I had no choice other than to remove the ovary to save both his and the child's lives. He didn't take the news very well."

"You told him about the IVF and harvesting of his eggs?" Margaret asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I didn't get a chance to, he told us to get out and leave him alone for a bit, I did try to continue on, but he wouldn't have any of it."

Heero had turned back to face the window and watch his beloved on the bed. The form before him had his back to the window and Heero could see the shaking of the shoulders as Duo gave into his feelings of grief. Heero's heart broke for his lover, knowing that Duo's grief, whilst understandable and expected, didn't have to be as deep as it was if he'd only give them the chance to explain further. That's when his ears picked up on the last part of Nurse Brown's words._ Harvesting of his eggs?_

Turning, Heero interrupted the pair. "What do you mean, Harvesting of _his_ eggs?" Heero demanded.

Margaret spun around. "The harvesting of Duo's eggs. You haven't told Heero either?" the nurse questioned, spinning back to confront the doctor.

"I haven't had the chance yet."

"Tell me what?" Heero growled. "Sally, I suggest you start talking now, and fast." Heero's tone held a dangerous edge to it.

Sally slumped into a seat. "When I went back in to operate and remove the ovary I let Nurse Brown know about what you had said in relation to IVF later on should Duo decide he wanted more children, providing the uterus is okay to handle another pregnancy. I mentioned we would need to find a donor egg for the conception to be possible and Margaret asked me what was wrong with using Duo's eggs."

Heero's face, which had been dark before, began to look a little hopeful.

"As you can appreciate, Heero. Working in the Preventer medical section, pregnancy, IVF and the harvesting and freezing of eggs and such, rarely, if ever is a part of my work. I'm not completely up to date with it all and as far as I knew, to harvest eggs they needed to be mature eggs. With Duo being currently pregnant, his ovary wouldn't have any mature eggs, only immature ones. But Margaret insisted they had made medical advances in the field and it is now possible to harvest and freeze immature eggs; when they are needed they can be thawed out and placed in a special, hormonal solution that will bring them to maturity and thus be viable for use in IVF."

The hope began to shine in Heero's eyes.

"I had a quick look up in the latest medical journals and publications and what Margaret said is true. I still need to read up more on the procedure itself, but I have Duo's ovary on ice and I plan to harvest as many eggs as I can from it and freeze them. Should Duo then decide he wants more children, he can at least have his own biological ones."

It took a few moments for all this information to sink in, but when it did, Heero's face broke out into a huge grin. "Why didn't you say something?"

"As I said before, I haven't exactly had the time," Sally defended.

"But this is marvelous news, we have to tell Duo."

"I think we need to give him a few more minutes yet," Sally replied. "I really don't feel up to being chewed out. I'm tired from the surgery and I still need to finish reading up on this harvesting and then do the procedure. The ovary and eggs will only remain viable for twelve hours and it's been two since I removed it. I'd really like to get back to it as soon as possible."

"Then go, Sally."

Sally looked up sharply at Heero. "But what about Duo? I still need to check his vitals, explain about the IVF and the eggs, plus I need to see him moved to a private ward."

"Heero and I can take care of all that," Nurse Brown stated firmly. "You need to harvest those eggs as soon as possible. No point in explaining all of this to Duo only to find you've run out of time and the eggs are no longer able to be harvested and used."

"You do have a point."

"Of course I do, that's why I'm a nurse," Margaret said sarcastically. "If it weren't for us nurses, you doctors would be chasing your tails and end up in one heck of a mess."

Heero held the snicker... barely.

"Are you sure-"

"Doctor," Nurse Brown cut Sally off, her tone held a warning edge. "Leave now and do what you have to do. Heero and I will take good care of Duo. I will contact you once we have him settled and ready to move into a private ward."

Even Sally wasn't about to argue with the nurse when she took that tone. "Okay. I'll be back in the lab. Let me know once he's settled."

"I will."

Sally stood up and went to leave, stopping when she felt a hand on her arm. She turned to look into Heero's sincere, blue eyes. "Thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, not just for saving Duo and our unborn child, but for giving us the option to have more of our own children."

"Heero, you are both most welcome. It's the least I can do after all that you two have done for us and the human population." Sally's voice was barely a whisper.

Heero nodded and released the woman who continued on her way.

"Shall we go confront the raging beast?" Nurse Brown asked with a quirk in her lips and a tilt of her head.

"Why not," Heero replied, and with Keitaro on his hip, Heero took a deep breath and prepared himself.

Nurse Brown opened the door and the pair stepped into the recovery room.

#

Once the door had snicked shut, Duo's grief flooded forth. He turned as carefully as he could and put his back to the window. He had no doubt that Heero and Sally would be watching him from the other room. The sobs came forth, the total feeling of helplessness overwhelming him and there was nothing he could do to stop the rising tide of emotion.

Tears course down his cheeks as his arms wrapped themselves around his waist and torso in an attempt to ease the pain from the ribs and protect the wound site and child within.

He cried for the child he now carried – relieved all was well with the babe. He cried for the loss of a part of him, a part that made him the unique individual he was. He knew he'd groaned, whined and protested when he'd had to suffer through the joys of menstruation, but without his ovary, he wouldn't menstruate again.

Whilst Duo had complained in regards to his unusual make up, it was a part of who he was, something that made him, well, _him_! To have that taken away was a big shock. He didn't hold any grudges against Sally or Heero, he completely understood Sally's reasons for the removal, but it was still a lot for him to come to terms with and so he did what he'd always done when confronted with a situation he didn't know how to handle.

He ran and hid.

Gradually the tears began to slow and the sobs lessen. He did have a lot to be grateful for; he had Keitaro and now another baby on the way. No other gay couple were able to say they had their own biological child, one that came from both parents'. Many had adopted, or used the option of a surrogate mother, but again, they had been forced to use a woman's donated egg and have it fertilized by either of the males' sperm. Only he and Heero were able to use their own eggs and sperm.

But now, he didn't have that anymore.

_How much more was he expected to take? _He asked silently. All his life he'd given, freely and without question, only to have those near and dear to him taken away. He'd fought for the Colonies, for peace throughout the United Earth Sphere and now that they had that peace, he was once again called upon to defend it – and lose another part of himself in the process.

When would the giving end? When could he start to begin to take and enjoy this peace?

Wiping the tears away from his eyes, Duo took a deep breath. He had a lot to be thankful for and it was time to suck it up and accept what he couldn't change.

As long as there was peace, there would always be someone or something that wanted to take it away; it was a continuous cycle, an endless waltz.

And it was up to people such as himself, Heero, Quatre, Trowa, Wufei, the Preventer Organization and its agents to make sure the peace remained for everyone to enjoy.

It was time to stop feeling sorry for himself and get on with life and living. The peace was there once more thanks to his friends and himself, and hopefully, it would remain that way for many years to come. Now was his time to enjoy it, enjoy the peace with his husband, son and their unborn child; for without their sacrifices there wouldn't be a future.

Using the corner of the sheet, Duo managed to remove the remaining tear tracks and roll back to stare at the ceiling. The door opened and he turned his reddened eyes towards it. Nurse Brown followed by Heero with Keitaro in his arms came into the room. Duo's face lit up at the sight of his son.

"Gotten over your spate of feeling sorry for yourself?" Nurse Brown asked, her tone brisk. She walked directly to the bed side and stared down at her patient. "Are you now ready to listen to the rest of what Doctor Po was trying to tell you?"

Duo looked a little sheepish, but nodded. "I'm sorry, I just needed a little time to myself."

"I can quite understand that, it must have been quite the shock to you, however..." Margaret fixed Duo with her eagle eye. "You have not heard the full story."

"What more can there be?" Duo sighed. "I'm no longer fertile, I have no ovary and therefore I can't conceive or carry another child after this one is born."

"Now listen here, young man." Nurse Brown's tone was one that demanded instant respect and obedience, even Heero took a small step back and Keitaro, who was about to voice his own desires to be with his other father, blinked and went quiet.

Duo's eyes widened a touch. He'd never heard the nurse use that tone of voice before. He promptly shut up and watched her warily.

"I'm not denying you've been through a very traumatic experience these past few weeks and especially these last few hours. You haven't heard all the story yet though so give me the courtesy of being quiet and listening to what I have to say. Once I am finished, you may ask any questions you wish and I'll do my best to answer them. Okay?"

Duo nodded.

"Good. Yes, Doctor Po had no choice but to remove your ovary and she is very upset that she had no alternative. If she didn't remove it, there was every chance we could have lost you or the baby; even both. To have left it and repaired it didn't mean it would heal up, in fact, it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that it wouldn't heal at all and would end up having to be removed at a later date which would be even more risky. Had it, by some miracle, healed, then the chances of it producing further eggs and you being able to conceive again were just about zero. You with me so far?"

"Yes," Duo whispered and clutched the blanket tighter.

"Now, your husband asked about IVF. You are familiar with the term?"

"Yes," Duo replied. "I have heard a little about it over the years."

"As you will be aware then, it is possible to conceive a child through IVF using eggs and sperm. This is an option open to you should you decide you would like more children later on."

Duo's face began to change, understanding dawning on him.

"There's more. IVF is normally performed using the person's own eggs. These eggs are harvested from the ovary when they are matured and then frozen for use later on. Given how you are currently pregnant, no mature eggs will be there."

Duo looked shattered again and was about to open his mouth to speak when Nurse Brown stopped him.

"I haven't finished yet," she growled and added a glare to the words for better effect. Unfortunately, the glare didn't work as Duo was used to Heero's glares and they were by far, much more superior. The voice however was a completely different story.

Duo shut his mouth.

"The fields of medicine have advanced a lot since the early days of IVF, egg and sperm freezing. It is now possible to harvest immature eggs and freeze them, thawing them out and putting them in a special hormonal solution to bring them to maturity when they are needed." Margaret watched Duo's face carefully. "Whilst Doctor Po has removed your ovary, she is now in the lab doing her very best to harvest as many eggs as she possibly can from that ovary and freeze them. That way, later on, should you desire to have more children, you will be able to, using your own eggs, Heero's sperm and the IVF treatment." Nurse Brown folded her arms across her chest and stepped back, waiting for the full impact of her words to sink home.

It took a couple of moments for the words to hit home in Duo's brain, and when they did, he felt like a total heel. He turned his reddened eyes to the nurse. "I'm sorry I didn't give Sally the chance to explain everything before."

"You need to say that to Doctor Po, not me," Margaret said.

"And I will, once I see her again." Duo went quiet for a moment, thinking about what the nurse had said. "Sally thinks she can harvest some of my eggs from the ovary?"

"Yes, she does."

"I know science has come a long way, but has this been done before? What I mean is, has it been trialed and proven successful?" Duo wasn't trying to be difficult, but when new advances were made, under the laws they had to be trialed extensively before being made available to the general public.

"Yes it has. The trial lasted for roughly five years and during that time the success rate was in the eighty percent range," replied Nurse Brown.

"Sally would be willing to do this IVF thing for Heero and I should we want more children?"

"I believe that is why she's doing her best to get those eggs now," Nurse Brown said, amusement in her tone.

"I – I don't know what to say, how to thank both her and yourself," Duo whispered. He felt completely humbled that the nurse and Sally would go to such trouble and lengths for him, it was something he wasn't used to.

Knowing what she did in regards to her two 'sons', the lives they had led, been forced to lead and how they were coping now, Margaret understood what Duo was saying. The poor mite had pretty much brought himself up, learning to survive through sheer will and determination; no one had ever given a second thought to the street rats.

"Duo, you are a very special person, and no, not just because of your unique make up. You are one of the most kind hearted, gentle, generous people I know. You have a fierce loyalty inside you, a desire to protect and help those that cannot help themselves and these are qualities to be proud of. People love and respect you, Duo, but sometimes even the best of us need a little help and there is nothing wrong in accepting that help. It's hard to accept that someone would want to do something for you and not expect anything in return, but this is what friends do for each other - friends _and family_."

The nurse's words had Duo tearing up again. He never knew just how much she understood. Behind the nurse, Heero was also having a hard time controlling his emotions.

"Thank you," Duo whispered. "I guess I-"

Margaret patted his arm. "Now don't you go fretting. A mother can sense these things, know what's going on inside her childrens heads. Trust me, I meant what I said some time ago, you are both the sons to me that I never had and I'm proud to call you that. Duo, you will find the same emotions, feelings and senses in yourself when it comes to your own children. In fact, I know you already do, both of you."

"Huh?" Duo looked a little lost; Heero wasn't much better.

"When Keitaro here starts to cry or fuss, you know what it is he needs, that's all part of being a parent, being a family. You know what that other person needs and are willing to give it to them without expecting anything in return."

Lowering his eyes, Duo understood exactly what the nurse meant.

"Do you have any further questions?"

"No, not that I can think of right now," Duo replied.

"In that case then, I'll check your vitals again and then we will see about moving you into a private room. You, young man are on complete bed rest whilst you heal and then once you are discharged from hospital, you will be confined to bed rest back home."

Duo pouted. He hated being idle.

Heero took one look at his husband and knew that Duo would be trying to figure out some way he could get Sally and Nurse Brown to allow him to move around a little. Good luck to him, Heero didn't fancy his chances.

Nurse Brown picked up the chart from the end of Duo's bed and wrote down the information from the machine that was monitoring Duo's vitals. "All is looking just fine," she said, the satisfaction clear in her voice. "I'll see what I can do about moving you now. I'll be right back." Nurse Brown left the room to contact Sally and find out which room the doctor wanted Duo moved to.

Duo looked up from the bed at his husband and son. His eyes softened as he looked upon Keitaro, Heero holding onto the squirming youngster who wanted nothing more than to be in his other father's arms. "I'm sorry, Heero," Duo said softly.

"For what?" Heero asked as he moved to stand beside the bed. "No, Keitaro, you can't go to your daddy just yet," Heero soothed the child.

"For jumping to conclusions, for not letting you and Sally finish what you were trying to tell me, for being all hormonal again."

Heero snorted. "Duo, you're my soul mate, my life partner and I love you with everything I am. I think I know you pretty well enough by now to not be offended or upset over something like this. Consider it forgotten."

Duo smiled. "God I love you so much," he whispered. "I don't mean to put you through all of this, Heero. You went through enough when I was carrying Keitaro, now you've got to suffer through it all again with this one."

"I think I'll survive. After going through the last pregnancy with you, I have a pretty good idea what to expect. At least you haven't started the cravings yet, but when you do I already have a stock pile of Crunchie bars for you."

"Heero?"

"Yes, Duo?"

"I don't mean to be a pain, but the thought of Crunchie bars is making me feel sick."

"Oh."

"I wouldn't mind an orange or ten though..."

#

Sally had finished reading through all the paperwork she could find in relation to the harvesting procedure for Duo's eggs and now had a much clearer idea of what she was doing. In many ways it was similar to the harvesting of mature follicles, but in this case, she was looking for immature ones. [1]

Retrieving the ovary form the ice, Sally carefully placed it in another, cold kidney dish. Bringing the ultra sound machine over, she scanned the ovary, watching the images carefully for signs of where the immature eggs were. Once she'd located several, she paused to fetch a small needle. With the tiny needle in hand and the ultra sound guiding her, Sally began the tedious process of aspirating the miniscule eggs.

After a good twenty minutes, she scanned the ovary again, determining that she had all the eggs she was going to get. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she turned the machine off and carried the needle and its precious cargo through to the next lab. Setting the needle down on a tray, she moved through the lab to retrieve the 'straw' she'd put aside earlier. On it she'd recorded Duo's information, but in an encrypted manner so no one would accidentally be able to discover his secret.

With the straw in hand, she transferred the contents from the needle into the straw, sealed it and checked all was okay. From there she opened the small unit that housed the liquid nitrogen tank and inserted the straw into a holder for it to be cryogenically preserved. Closing the unit, she gave a sigh of relief. Her pager went off and Sally grabbed for it, noting who was paging her. Moving swiftly back into the other lab, she grabbed the phone on the wall and punched in the number she needed.

"Margaret? You paged me? Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine, Doctor Po. I just need to know which ward and room you want Duo moving to. His vitals are all stable, he's lucid and talking very well. It would be best to move him now I think."

"Right. Have him transferred to Ward 2, room 4. I'll be along shortly to check on him and bring him up to speed with everything."

"The harvesting?"

"All went well. I will explain it all when I get there to check on Duo. Has he calmed down yet?"

Nurse Brown chuckled. "Yes, he has and he wishes to apologize to you. He now has all the details."

"Ah, okay then. I'll just finish up here and I'll be right there."

"Can he have visitors? There are another three agents sitting in the waiting room and anxious to see him."

"Of course, just as long as they don't stay too long. Once you have Duo safely moved to his room, fetch the others in to see him, I won't be far behind them."

"Thank you. I'll see you shortly then, Doctor Po."

"Thank you, Margaret." Sally set the phone back in the cradle and sighed softly. At least she was forgiven.

Margaret managed to locate an orderly and took him back with her to the recovery room. Asking the orderly to wait outside for a moment, she stepped back inside to warn the pair of the immediate transfer. She paused at the doorway, unwilling to break into the scene that confronted her.

Heero was sitting on the side of the bed, Duo was propped up with his pillows and Keitaro was carefully seated between the pair. Duo had his arm around the child and was talking softly to him, Keitaro's little face was turned towards his father and his eyes were wide as he listened intently to what his daddy was telling him. Heero had his left arm draped around Duo's shoulders, his other resting to the side on his thigh and ready should he need to grab Keitaro.

"You're going to have a little brother or sister, Keitaro," Duo was explaining softly. "Someone you can play with and share things with."

"Da... Da..." Keitaro gurgled.

"Did he just say 'Dada'?" Duo asked, the shock showing on his face.

Heero nodded. "Hai, he did. He's said it a couple of times now." Heero's face was beaming with pride.

"What a clever boy you are, Keitaro," Duo praised and leaned over to press a kiss to Keitaro's head. His ribs and abdomen reminded him that wasn't such a good idea. "Ouch," Duo winced.

"Duo?"

"I'm okay, Heero," Duo sighed. "Damn this being injured, damn Barton to hell for what he's done. Have you any idea just how much I want to hold my son, kiss and cuddle him? This fucking sucks!"

"Yes, I do," Heero replied softly.

All the anger bled out of Duo as he heard the tone and saw the understanding in Heero's eyes. Heero knew, he'd been in a similar situation after all. "I'm sorry," he murmured, "Of course you know."

"You will be able to hold him, kiss and cuddle him all you want very soon, Duo. Just be patient and let yourself start to heal."

Duo spotted the nurse out the corner of his eye and turned his head. "Time to move?" he asked.

Margaret didn't want to let the pair know she'd been eavesdropping so she entered the room in her usual, brisk manner. "Yes, it is," she replied. "I have an orderly waiting outside to help to move you. Heero, could you take the child please?"

"Of course." Heero slid from the side of the bed and picked Keitaro up. The child protested at first, but soon calmed as his father spoke in a soothing tone to him. Once he realized his other father wasn't going anywhere without him, he relaxed further.

With the orderly's help, Duo was soon wheeled out of the recovery room, down several corridors and into the ward. They passed a couple of doors before the bed was turned and Duo was wheeled into a private room. The orderly left and Margaret set about making Duo as comfortable as possible. Once she was happy that her patient was hooked up properly to the machine that was monitoring his vitals, the drip held plenty of fluids and Duo had a full water jug on the table beside him, she relaxed.

Heero took up residence in a chair right next to the bed whilst the nurse organized everything to her satisfaction.

"Duo, Doctor Po will be along shortly to inform you of everything that's been going on, including the harvesting of your eggs. Now, there are another three agents still in the waiting room that are anxious to see for themselves that you are okay. Do you feel up to visitors at the moment?"

"The others are waiting to see _me_?" Duo asked. Clearly he was amazed his friends had waited around to see him, he thought they would have been too busy, what with their own injuries and all.

"Yes, Duo. They are your friends and they are concerned about you." Margaret replied in her 'patient' voice.

Duo couldn't help the smile. "Please, send them in."

"I'll go get them."

Margaret left a smiling Duo, shaking her head in amusement at the young man who found it difficult to comprehend his friends would still be there and waiting to see him.

tbc...

[1] All information on the harvesting and storing of eggs was taken from Wikkipedia and adapted slightly to fit in with the plot line of this fic.


	118. Chapter 118

**Many thanks to everyone for reading! Warm hugs for the kind feedback!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 118

"Commander Une, we have an incoming transmission from Agent Mercury in ten minutes," Oak informed the Commander.

"Thank you, Oak. I'll be right there." Une hung up her phone and pushed her seat back from the desk. Checking she had her pager on her, she stepped out of her office, informing the secretary of where she would be if needed.

Five minutes later she was stepping into the communications room. "This seems to be becoming a second home to me," she muttered as she walked to where Oak was sitting, transmitter in front of him.

"Ah, Commander. I expect Mercury to be back in contact with us in roughly-" he glanced at the clock, "four minutes."

Sitting down, Une took the offered headset and slipped it on, Oak continued to monitor the remaining airwaves. Soon enough, the awaited transmission came through.

"Preventer Headquarters, this is Agent Mercury. Do you copy?"

"Agent Mercury, this is Agent Oak of Preventer communications, I copy you loud and clear. I have the Commander with me and I'll switch over to her now." Oak nodded to the Commander.

"Mercury, this is Commander Une. What information do you have for me?"

"Commander. Shuttles 151, 381 and 246 are on their way back to the Preventer shuttle port. ETA in four hours. Agent Oil was finishing off the last of the diagnostic tests to shuttle 121 when we left and expects it to be operational. Oil will be leaving soon and also Agent Wind. The respective agents will contact you once they are space born with their ETAs."

"Thank you, Mercury. All three shuttles are to proceed directly to the shuttle port. I will call ahead and inform Captain Storm of your status and also the status of the cargo. The required transports will be waiting for all shuttles upon arrival. Once you have all landed safely, follow the instructions of Storm. No one, I repeat, no one is to disembark from the shuttles until cleared by either Storm or myself to do so. Is that understood?"

"Received loud and clear, Commander."

"Good. The medical shuttles carrying the injured will be cleared first. The prisoners will follow them and the morgue people will come in last to remove and take care of the deceased."

"Roger that."

"Is there anything else, Mercury?"

"No, Commander, I think that covers everything."

"Safe trip, Mercury and pass on my congratulations to the other members of all teams for a job well done. I will expect you in my office once all the formalities are taken care of at the shuttle port for a quick debrief."

"Of course, Commander. Mercury out."

"Commander Une, out."

Oak flipped a couple of switches and returned the frequency to stand-by. Une removed her headset and passed it back to the agent.

"Oak, I want you to try and raise Agents Oil and Wind. See how things are with both agents and the transport shuttle. Also try to get a departure and arrival time from them. I'm going to get a coffee and I'll be back shortly."

"Of course, Commander. I'll get right onto it."

"Thank you." Une left the communications room to hunt down a decent cup of coffee.

# # #

"The diagnostics test is all good, and all is running fine" Oil said as he unplugged the machine from the on board computer terminal.

"And that translates into what, exactly?" replied Zechs. "It's all well and good to tell me everything is fine, but there were an awful lot of figures and information scrolling down that screen."

Oil chuckled. "It means that all systems are go."

"Oil, this isn't a rerun of 'Thunderbirds' you know."

Still snickering to himself, Oil thought he'd better reply properly. "The damage to the heat shields has been repaired and the replacements should hold up to the rigors of reentry. The thrusters and boosters have been rewired, the damaged sections completely replaced. Plating has also been re-welded and sealed on the wing. The computer is functioning normally and showing that all vital systems are up and running properly. That all means this shuttle should not have any problem with the flight back to Earth."

"What about the reentry through the atmosphere?"

"Again, the computer scan shows all heat shields are in place and sealed. According to the data, there should not be a problem at all with the shields and their capacity to deflect the heat upon reentry."

"But you can't be completely sure."

"Well, no. But I'm very doubtful anything will break or disintegrate," replied Oil. "Wind, lighten up, this baby will get you back safely. I'll stake my career on it."

"She'd better, otherwise I will come back to haunt you. I'll stake my life on that," Zechs shot back.

"You worry too much," Oil laughed. "I've been in this job for a long time now, Wind, and I've not lost a shuttle through a faulty repair yet."

"Then you had better hope that I'm not the first," Zechs replied with a smirk.

Oil offered his hand which Zechs took and shook firmly. "I'll see you back dirt side then."

"I'm planning on it," Zechs replied wryly.

"Nice working with you, Wind. If you ever bang up a shuttle again, feel free to call me and I'll come and do the repairs for you," Oil said with a wide grin.

Zechs shook his head. "Take care and a safe flight. I'll start to get this baby fired up and ready to go."

"Roger that. We will wait until you are space borne before taking off."

"Thank you. We'd better contact Headquarters too and bring them up to speed with what is going on."

"I'll put in my call once I get back to my shuttle." Oil turned and headed for the belly of the shuttle and the decompression chamber.

Zechs checked his flight suit and fetched his helmet. Once he was back in the cockpit, he closed the shuttle's doors after Oil had departed and began to start up sequence for the shuttle. With the engines slowly coming on line and warming up, he checked the gauges for the pressure build up in the thrusters and noted all appeared to be working to schedule.

Reaching for the headset, he glanced out the cockpit window and watched the telltale heat trail from the other shuttle which indicated the engines beginning their fire up sequence.

"Preventer communications, this is Preventer Shuttle PA 121. Do you copy?" There was a burst of static down the line.

"Shuttle 121, this is Agent Oak of Preventer communications. I copy you loud and clear. I was about to try and contact you," replied Oak.

"Looks like I beat you to it then, Oak."

"That you did, Wind. Anyway, go ahead please."

"Repairs to shuttle 121 are complete and I'm initiating the engine fire up sequence. All clear so far. I expect to lift off from Satellite XRB 23 in approximately five minutes. Unless there are any new orders, I will proceed as per the last instructions given to me by the Commander."

"Roger that, Wind. Commander Une hasn't issued any new orders at this stage that I am aware of and right now she's not in the communications room. She will be returning shortly though and I expect she will be in touch with you then to update you if and where necessary."

"Copy that. I'll leave the communications channel open. Wind out."

"Oak, out." Oak fiddled with the dial of his transmitter and made contact with Oil in the other shuttle.

Zechs checked the engines and noted they were warmed up and ready to engage. The boosters and thrusters were also at capacity and the computer confirmed all on-board systems were functioning normally. Strapping the harness tightly around his form and slipping on his helmet as a safety precaution, Zechs grasped the joystick, placed his feet on the pedals and began to ease the stick backwards a touch. At the same time he turned a couple of dials and flipped a switch, noting the slight increase of power to the engines. The shuttle gave a low hum and began to rumble forward, inching her way to the open doors of the hangar. To the left, Zechs watched the other shuttle powering up before returning his concentration to the doors ahead and getting the shuttle out to the satellite surface.

Once he was clear of the hangar, Zechs gave the shuttle a little more throttle and taxied along the powdery surface until he was clear of the Dome and the wreckage from the battle between the Gundams and Barton's mobile suits. Once he determined he was at a safe enough distance, he brought the shuttle to a stop and began to power the engines further.

The engines began to pick up in volume, the vibration and hum shaking the craft slightly as the energy built. Once the engine revolutions were high enough, Zechs released the throttle and eased the joystick back. The craft began to move, picking up speed as it went and leaving a trail of dust in its wake. The speed built, the shuttle rattling along the surface and gaining momentum. Zechs hit the boosters and pulled the joystick fully back.

The nose of the craft began to rise, the rest of the body following and breaking away from the weak gravitational pull of the satellite. Blackness surrounded the craft as she sped into the void of space. Eyes watched the dials and gauges carefully, noting the airspeed, trajectory and climb of the shuttle. Once he was at the required distance from the satellite, Zechs eased off the joystick and let the craft level out. He cut the boosters and powered the engines down to a steady thrum, the propulsion from their take off would be enough to power the craft through the inky blackness; space had no resistance in the form of atmosphere.

With the shuttle cruising, Zechs switched his attention to the computer and checked the proposed flight plan. He keyed in further information, changing the flight plan slightly to suit as he would need to return his cargo to the fold before he could take the shuttle back to the Preventer port. With the information logged into the computer, Zechs did a final check and then set the auto pilot. With the auto pilot engaged, he removed his helmet and once more checked the flight plan and sighed in relief when he noted it was all as he'd programmed it.

Taking a moment to run his hands over his face, he stretched and then grabbed the head set once more. He needed to speak with Une.

#

Having found a decent cup of coffee, Une returned to the communications room to be brought up to speed by Oak on the current situation. Oak had been pleased to inform the Commander that both shuttles 121 and 134 were now safely on their way back from the satellite. Agent Oil would contact Preventer shuttle port with an ETA and Storm would be in touch with headquarters with an update on all shuttles' expected landing times. Agent Wind had called in and was awaiting the Commander's return contact at her earliest convenience.

"Thank you, Oak. I'll contact Agent Wind now. If you would kindly put in the call I will take it in private."

"Certainly, Commander. The room to the side that you used before is vacant."

"Pu the call in now, please." Une picked up her coffee and moved into the other room where she put the headset on and waited for Oak to patch her in. Taking a seat, she sipped at the coffee.

""Preventer Shuttle 121, this is Agent Oak of Preventer Headquarters. Acknowledge please."

"Hey, Oak. Wind here, I read you loud and clear."

"Wind, I have the Commander on a separate line. One moment whilst I patch you through."

"Thanks Oak."

"My pleasure. Commander?"

"Oak?"

"Communication is patched through. Proceed when ready."

"Thank you, Oak. Wind, do you read?"

"Commander, I am receiving you loud and clear."

"What is your status?"

Zechs gave Une the complete run down on the shuttle, the repairs and how the craft was handling things so far. "I am on course for the sheep shed and expect to land there in another six hours."

"Roger that, Wind. Proceed as previously ordered. Return the sheep to the flock and secure. Once completed, return the shuttle to the Preventer shuttle port. I will advise Storm of your expected return once you are on your way."

"Confirmed. Commander?"

"Yes?"

"How is Agent Night? Is he out of surgery yet? Will he be okay?"

"Wind, As you are aware, I cannot divulge any details of Night's medical situation, but I can tell you that Sally did operate successfully and the knife has been removed. He is expected to make a full recovery."

Zechs gave an audible sigh of relief. "Thank god for that."

"I think we all agree with you, Zechs," Une chuckled.

"Yeah, he is an exceptional young man and an excellent agent."

'_You have no idea just how exceptional he is', _Une thought. "Yes, he is, Zechs and I'm relieved that he will be okay after some much needed rest and recuperation."

"Commander, please pass on my best wishes to him and once I'm back and get the opportunity, I'd like to pay him a visit."

"I will pass that on, Zechs; but you will have to check with Doctor Po in regards to visiting him."

"Of course."

"Safe trip, Zechs and contact me again once you have landed safely with the flock."

"I will, Commander. If there is nothing else, Wind out."

"No, there isn't anything else at this point in time. Une, out." Removing the headset, Une smiled to herself. Finally everything was coming together and the light at the end of that tunnel was getting brighter by the hour.

# # #

Nurse Brown moved swiftly through the halls of the medical section and arrived at the waiting room within minutes of leaving Duo. She smiled as three anxious faces turned to greet her. "Duo is doing fine," she informed them all.

The relief spread over the three faces along with a couple of sighs.

Snickering to herself, Margaret thought how pleased Duo would be to know that his friends cared so much about him, the little scene before her told her just how deep the bonds between the ex-pilots ran. She sincerely hoped her little talk from earlier would have helped Duo a little.

"Can we see him?" Quatre asked politely.

"That's what I'm here for. Doctor Po said you may all come through and spend a few minutes with him, but please remember he does need to rest, so no exciting him in any way."

"Of course," Quatre replied with a beaming smile.

"Gentlemen, if you would follow me?" Margaret turned and exited the waiting room, moving slowly to accommodate Trowa who was finally mastering the crutches.

Wufei moved up to walk beside the nurse. "How is he really?" he asked.

Margaret gave him a smile. "Like I said, he's doing fine. I cannot divulge any other information to you at this point in time, medial ethics and all that."

Wufei nodded. He understood what the nurse was saying.

"Doctor Po will be in very shortly to check him over properly, then it will be up to Duo to tell you whatever he wishes you to know, or give his consent for the doctor to inform you and answer any questions."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." A sly smile found its way to Margaret's lips and she glanced out the corner of her eye to see where the other two were. Noting they were still following behind, but a short distance away, she lowered her voice. "Wufei? May I call you, Wufei?"

"Please do," Wufei returned, curious as to what the nurse wanted.

"You can call me an interfering old biddy if you like, but just when exactly are you planning on letting Doctor Po know that you are serious about her?"

It was all Wufei could do to keep walking when all he wanted to do was stop and stare at the nurse. "I beg your pardon?" he growled.

"You've been out on a few dates, I know, but don't you think it's high time you stopped stringing her along and let her know what your real intentions are?" Margaret wore an amused smile. She wasn't at all fazed by the look of thunder that appeared on the young man's face.

"I really don't think it's any of your business," Wufei stated stiffly.

"No, it probably isn't, but Doctor Po is a very dear friend of mine and I happen to know she does like you rather a lot. But she isn't going to wait around forever either whilst you make up your mind what you want. It would be a shame if she were to settle down with someone else, and believe me, there are quite a few others that wouldn't mind sweeping her off her feet."

Wufei paled a little at that thought. "There are?" he questioned.

Knowing she had the fish on the hook, all that was left to do was play him and then reel him in. "Oh, yes. There's that nice young Doctor who joined the team a few months back, a Doctor Crispin I think his name is, he seemed to be quite smitten by her if I remember correctly..."

Wufei scowled.

"There's also that lab technician, the young man in accounting, oh, and the agent in supplies..."

"Thank you, I think you have made your point."

Margaret smirked. "Good. Take a word of advice from an old lady, grasp what you want with both hands and don't let it go."

Wufei thought for a moment and then gave the nurse a rare smile. "You're not an old lady," he murmured, "Just a good and caring friend."

Margaret winked at him and then turning slightly, she called out over her shoulder to the other two, "Here we are." Knocking on the door, Margaret opened it slightly and stuck her head around the jamb. "You have visitors," she announced to the couple on the bed and then opened the door wider to allow the other three to enter the room.

Duo lay on the bed, his shoulders and torso propped up a bit with lots of pillows. He wasn't allowed to sit up fully due to his injuries. Heero was reclining slightly on the bed next to his husband, Keitaro sitting between them and amusing himself by trying his best to grab at the bandage on Heero's arm.

As the other three all filed into the room, Duo's face lit up into a grin. "Hey guys," he said softly.

"Duo, thank Allah you're okay," Quatre cried and moved swiftly to the side of the bed intending to give his long haired friend a hug. He changed tactics slightly when he remembered Duo's injuries and settled for a one armed embrace and a kiss to the cheek – much to Duo's embarrassment.

"Maxwell, I'm glad to see you are well and recovering," Wufei said as he approached and offered his hand.

"Thank you, Wufei," Duo replied, a little shocked but took the offered hand and shook it. A sly grin formed and he followed with the words, "And it's Maxwell-Yuy to you."

Wufei shook his head and rolled his eyes.

Trowa managed to work his way forward. "How are you doing, Duo?" he asked, unable to give his friend a hug of any sort as he needed both hands on his crutches.

"All things considered, I'm doing well. What about you, Tro? You look pretty banged up to me."

Trowa went to shrug his shoulders, then thought better of it. "I'll survive."

"He needs a lot of rest so I'm planning on taking him back to L 4 where I can look after him properly," Quatre piped up.

Duo translated that into, 'Mothering the life out of Trowa'. He couldn't help it, he snickered.

"What? I could do with a bit of pampering after all this crap we've been through," Trowa sniffed.

"And I'm sure you will get it too, Tro," Duo said with a grin.

"You better believe it, Duo," Quatre stated. "I fully intend to see that he rests and makes a full recovery from all his injuries."

Trowa resisted the urge to poke his tongue out at Duo in a 'so there' gesture, instead he opted for a smug smile.

"Now, Duo..." Quatre began as he settled Trowa into a chair and took the crutches from his lover.

'_Uh oh,'_ thought Duo.

"Just how bad are your injuries? What did Sally say, how did the operation go, and what about the – you know?" Quatre couldn't bring himself to say 'baby' out loud, just in case there was something wrong that he or the others didn't know about.

The barrage of questions hit Duo full on and it was all he could do not to cringe under the onslaught. Luckily for him, Heero intervened.

"Sally will be here in a few minutes, once she arrives I'm sure she will be able to explain everything, not just to you all, but Duo and myself as well. Although we are aware of most of it, there are some areas we still need clarification on."

No sooner had Heero finished speaking than Sally knocked on the door and entered the room.

Wufei's eyes immediately went to the woman, noting the soft smile, the way her eyes crinkled at the corners with that smile. He also saw the underlying exhaustion, the tiredness etched into those features and his heart did a funny twist in his chest. Nurse Brown's words came back to him and he vowed to make his intentions clear to the woman as soon as he could.

The doctor's eyes swept over all present in the room, taking in their various conditions by the different items of medical supplies they wore. "I see that everyone has been treated for their respective injuries," she said as she walked to her patient currently propped up in the bed.

Several affirmatives came back to her.

"If you will all excuse me for just a moment, I wish to check Duo," she informed them and pulled the curtain around the bed to give the man a little privacy, leaving the other three sitting on the other side. Margaret handed her the chart with Duo's latest vitals on it and Sally quickly checked it over. Then she turned her attention to the patient himself. "How are you feeling now, Duo?"

"Not too bad," Duo replied honestly. "The pain meds must still be working as there's only a dull ache in my abdomen and ribs, and my ankle doesn't hurt at all."

"That's good," Sally replied. "I'll just check the dressing and make sure there's no bleeding." Duo dutifully lifted his gown for Sally to check his abdomen, Heero having moved off the bed and holding Keitaro in his arms so the doctor could work freely. "All is looking just fine," she told him as she pulled the gown back down and assisted Duo to pull the sheet and blanket back over his body to keep him warm. "Duo? The other guys, just how much do you want them to know about your condition?"

Duo thought for a moment and then raised his eyes to meet with Sally's. "You can tell them everything, Sally. I don't mind them knowing what has happened, they are a part of my family too," he said softly.

Sally patted his arm, Heero gave his partner a loving look. "Would you like to tell them, or would you prefer it if I were to do so?"

"I think it would be better if you did, you can explain it better, but please, explain it in simple terms," Duo chuckled.

"No problem."

Lowering his voice to a whisper and motioning for Heero to come closer so he could hear too, Duo asked the question he'd been wanting to ask since Sally came into the room. "Sally, did you manage to harvest any of my eggs?"

Sally gave him a beaming smile. "Yes, Duo, I did."

A soft sigh of relief left Duo's lips, a similar one coming from Heero a second later. With tears in his eyes, Duo managed to grasp the doctor's hand in his own and squeezed it gently. "Thank you, Sally."

"You are most welcome, Duo."

tbc...


	119. Chapter 119

**Many thanks to everyone for reading and warm hugs for the kind reviews! You guys are the best!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 119

"Captain Storm, what can I do for you?" asked Forest when the call came through.

"Can you inform Commander Une that shuttles 151, 381 and 246 are thirty minutes from landing. She expressed her wishes to be present when the shuttles returned."

"No problem, Storm. I'll pass that on directly to her and notify you with an ETA for the Commander."

"Roger that, Forest. Storm out."

"Forest out." Forest turned in his seat. "You any idea where the Commander is hiding?" he asked Oak.

"Probably in her office," replied Oak.

"Thanks." Forest removed his head set and walked across to the phone. Dialing the extension for the Commander's office, he waited for the call to connect. When it did, Forest spoke briefly with the Commander's secretary, passing on the information from Storm.

"I'll let the Commander know right away," Fiona said.

"Thanks. If she needs any further information, have her call me or Captain Storm."

"I'll do that, Forest."

With the information passed on, Forest resumed his seat and monitoring of the airwaves.

# # #

Once Une knew the shuttles were due to arrive, she wasted no time in scrambling the teams she had on stand-by. With the teams mobilized, Une headed for the car park and her own vehicle to take her to the Shuttle Port.

When she arrived, she was taken directly to Storm's office in the control tower section of the port. "The shuttles have just landed," Storm informed the Commander. "They have taxied in and are currently being powered down."

"Good. I have teams waiting to move the injured and prisoners out first. Storm, I want a complete lock down of the port whilst this operation is in progress and an exclusion zone set up around those shuttles. Only those with the appropriate clearance are to be permitted within that zone."

"No problem, Commander."

"I'll leave you to arrange that. I'll head down to the shuttles now to organize the removal of the injured first."

"Okay. I'll join you once all the arrangements are in place."

"Thank you, Storm."

"My pleasure, Commander."

Leaving Storm to complete the arrangements, Une, accompanied by a junior agent made their way out to the port and the waiting shuttles. Using her comm unit, she contacted the fleet of vehicles that were waiting on the outside of the port to transport the injured to the various medical facilities and had them come onto the tarmac in readiness for their patients.

Shuttle 381 had its doors open and the injured all ready and waiting to be transferred to the medical staff and vehicles as soon as Une gave the word. Storm arrived having locked down the port and put the exclusion zone into place.

"Agents Europa and Jupiter, you may start to disembark the injured," Une informed them. "However, leave Barton until last. I have a special transport awaiting him."

"Agent Jupiter here, Commander. Roger that. Will start to remove the injured now. Will keep Barton on board until last and notify you of that."

"Thank you." Une turned around to see the medical vehicles opening their doors and the staff climbing out. The injured were soon brought out from the shuttle and allocated to the many waiting teams. Gradually the number of vehicles diminished, as each took its quota of injured away to the two Military hospitals that had been commandeered for the purpose.

Finally, all the injured had been removed, all except for Barton. Giving the order for Barton to be brought out, Une made a quick call on her cell and then moved closer to the base of the shuttle ramp where she could see and speak with the man that had caused so much trouble.

The gurney was brought down and wheeled to the base of the ramp, Une getting a good look at the man that lay upon it. He looked small, weak and nothing at all like a man who had attempted to take over the Earth and the Colonies.

"Mr Barton. We meet face to face," Une stated.

Barton cracked open an eye, which in itself was a feat considering the amount of swelling there was to his face from the broken cheek bone. "Lady Une," he sneered.

"That's Commander Une to you, asshole," Une growled.

Storm blinked.

"Come to gloat?" Barton smirked. "Take a good look, Commander, remember me, for I swear I will return and I will make you and those sniveling agents pay for this."

"Idle threats from an old man that can't control his own temper, let alone an army of men," Une replied in a cold tone. "Where you're going the only thing you will be capable of making when you get out will be trips to the bathroom."

Barton growled and tried to lunge for the Commander, but his broken and battered body wouldn't allow it. He gave a howl of pain and sank back onto the gurney, the medics and agents surrounding him all leaping forward to subdue the man if necessary.

"Take him away to the hospital so he can be treated, made well enough to stand trial for his crimes and rot in jail," Une snapped.

Barton glared, but it didn't affect Une in the slightest; she'd experienced Heero Yuy's glares – and he was the absolute master when it came to glares.

The medical team, along with several agents soon had Barton loaded into the ambulance and were on their way, complete with a Preventer escort. Once they were gone, Une let out a sigh of relief. Turning to Storm, she issued her next orders. "Time to bring out the prisoners." Reaching for her comm unit she called the transport vans in to start to ferry the prisoners to the Military jails where they would be questioned and charged.

# # #

With her examination of the patient over for the moment, Sally pulled the curtain back from around the bed, the other three agents had been talking quietly amongst themselves whilst she'd been busy. Now, they all looked up with expectant faces.

"Duo has given me his consent to inform you all of his condition. I'll keep it as simple as possible for you."

The three agents all nodded, that was something they would appreciate.

"The knife has been successfully removed and I expect Duo to make a full recovery form that injury and also the other injuries he has sustained. The knife wound was by far the most dangerous, it was lucky it didn't connect with Duo's womb. Fortunately, the womb and the child within are both safe and at this point in time, Duo's pregnancy appears to be progressing normally."

'_As normal as it can considering it's a guy who's pregnant,'_ thought Duo.

"Unfortunately, the knife did connect with Duo's ovary and caused some internal bleeding. The ovary, I'm sorry to say, was damaged beyond repair."

Quatre paled, his teal eyes darting from Sally to Duo, to Heero and back to Duo. "That means you won't be able to have any more children," he whispered as the tears began to pool in his eyes. "Oh, Duo, I'm so sorry." The blonde looked like he was about to burst into floods of tears.

Wufei and Trowa opted to remain silent, the news still sinking in.

"Quatre, before you go turning on the water works completely, let Sally finish," Duo said gently. "It does get a bit better."

Quatre nodded, his eyes still leaking at a fast rate. Trowa passed him a box of tissues from Duo's bedside cabinet, the blonde taking them and mopping at his eyes.

Giving the blonde a sympathetic smile, Sally continued. "I had to remove the ovary for the sake of both Duo and the child, however," she darted a look at everyone to see if they were still with her.

They were.

"However, as Nurse Brown reminded me, there have been major advances with the techniques of harvesting, freezing and using eggs for IVF treatment. Not so long ago all we could harvest were mature eggs and given Duo's pregnant state, there wouldn't be any mature eggs. Now we can harvest both mature and immature eggs, preserve them for future use and when that time arrives, those immature eggs can be matured in the laboratory using a specialized, hormonal treatment."

"That means..." Quatre whispered as the light of understanding began to dawn on him.

"Yes, Quatre, if I do want more children later on in life, I can use the IVF treatment to fall pregnant," Duo said softly.

Turning to face the doctor, Quatre's tears continued to flow, only now they were tears of happiness. "You managed to harvest Duo's eggs?"

"Yes, Quatre, I did. I have harvested quite a few and they are currently cryogenically frozen and will remain that way until Duo decides what he wants to do about them."

"And what about the pregnancy?" Trowa asked. "Is he going to be the same as he was when he was carrying Keitaro?" Trowa's eyes narrowed a touch and there was a momentary flash of fear in his emerald eyes.

Sally couldn't help it, she laughed.

Trowa huffed. "You weren't the one that had to suffer through the cravings, near death experiences with a certain baby seat and not to mention the threat to one's personal property should one _dare _to touch the sacred ice cream."

Each man fell silent as his own personal 'battles' during Duo's last pregnancy invaded their respective minds.

"It wasn't that bad; was it?" a small voice piped up from the bed.

Six pairs of eyes rounded on the one in the bed.

"Okay, I'll concede the baby seat was a bit of a nightmare..."

"That's putting it mildly," Heero muttered.

"I wouldn't have really swiped your hair gel either."

"Could have fooled me," Trowa grumbled.

"It stopped you from pinching any more of my Crunchie ice cream though," Duo snickered.

"You were the one that started it by swiping my Flake ice cream," Trowa retorted.

"I wouldn't have had to if you'd let me have my own."

"I was under orders not to let you gorge yourself."

Emerald and violet eyes turned to pin a certain blue eyed man with their stares.

"What? I wasn't even there!" Heero defended himself.

"Maybe not in the physical sense, but you made sure to have someone keeping an eye on me," Duo growled.

"Yeah, Heero. This is all your fault," Trowa stated.

Wufei snickered causing all in the room to stare at him in curiosity. With the smirk still on his lips, Wufei gazed at the group. "I would have to agree," he stated quietly. "This _is_ all Yuy's fault. If he could have kept his libido under control, or used a condom as Sally suggested, Maxwell wouldn't be in this predicament."

It took a moment, but Wufei's words did sink in and one by one, the group started to snicker along with him.

Having gotten over his mirth and shock at Wufei actually having a sense of humor and cracking a joke too, Duo's brow furrowed. "But we did follow Sally's advice. We took it in turns to top and when Heero was topping, we always used a condom."

"I think I'll go get a cup of tea," said Nurse Brown. "There's a little too much information going on here for me."

Duo promptly went red and shut up. Heero did his best to apologize to the nurse through his own embarrassment, the apologies being waved off as the nurse left the room.

"If you were using condoms, then this should never have happened," Quatre mused.

"I agree with you, Quatre, but I'm afraid the evidence that they didn't work is kinda right here," Duo replied and pointed to his abdomen.

"Duo? What condoms were you using?" Sally asked.

"Uh." Duo was feeling even more embarrassed.

"We usually use a brand called 'Duo'," Heero replied, feeling like he was about to self combust at any second.

"That figures," Wufei snickered.

Duo heard the low comment. "Hey, I'll have you know they're really good. Strong, durable and they have this extra..." he swallowed. "I think it's time for me to rest now."

"You said 'usually', Heero," Sally said, completely ignoring the rest of the conversation.

"Yes, I did. We had run out and our usual drug store was closed so I grabbed a pack of everyday ones off the shelf in the supermarket," Heero replied as he looked at the floor.

"Can you remember the brand?" Sally questioned. There was a bell ringing in the back of her mind.

Heero thought hard. "No, I couldn't tell you right now, but I'm sure we still have a couple in the packet back home. I can check and let you know?"

"Thank you, that would be appreciated."

"Why?" Duo asked the question on everyone's mind.

"If I remember correctly, there was a recall on a brand of condoms not too long ago. They were faulty."

"Faulty?" Duo whispered.

"Yes, Barney."

"Hey! I'm not Barney."

"You sound just like that parrot, repeating everything I say," Sally grinned.

"Barney is not a parrot, he's a Weiro, and that has nothing to do with faulty condoms. How can a condom be faulty anyway?" Duo asked, his tone clearly confused.

"They were not, shall we say, water tight."

Seeing Duo's raised eyebrow and mouth about to open again, Trowa stepped in and laid it down in black and white for the braided man. "They had holes in them, Duo. The semen would still get through."

"Ah."

"Can you imagine the number of pregnancies this could have caused? I hope the company has a good legal team, they're going to find themselves sued to the hilt for this," Quatre mused. "Ohh, Duo. You could sue them too if it's proven you fell pregnant whilst using one of their faulty condoms."

There was a pregnant pause in the air.

"I don't think so, Quat," Duo said in a slightly strangled tone.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, I forgot about you being a man and men don't fall pregnant."

"No shit."

Sally's cell went off and she grabbed for the small unit. "Doctor Po," she answered as she turned and moved away from the group.

"Sally, it's Une."

"What can I do for you, Commander?"

As Une explained about the arrival of the shuttles from the satellite and the injured being transported to the various Military hospitals, she slipped in the bit about Barton. Sally paled a little and then her eyes hardened, her mouth set into a grim line.

"Let me get this straight, Une. You're sending Barton _here_ to the Preventer hospital and you want _me_ to treat him?"

"I believe that is what I said."

"Why here? Why me? There's many other facilities and doctors that are more than capable of treating him."

"I know that, but Barton is dangerous. I want him under restraint and kept at Preventer headquarters. We have the ability and facilities to imprison him and I don't want anyone getting to him before he stands trial."

Sally could understand that. "Okay, I'll give you that much, but why me?"

"Sally, you're an excellent doctor and I want to know he will survive to stand trial. There are too many people out there that bear a grudge against Barton, too many opportunities to bump him off."

"And what makes you think I won't? Especially after what he's done, not just to the people, but to Duo as well," Sally growled.

"Because you're a professional, Sally."

With a sigh, Sally knew she was beaten.

"I know I can trust you to do your best and put him back together so he can be sent to jail to rot for his crimes."

"Talk about irony," Sally muttered. "Okay, I'll treat him, but for the record, I'm not happy about it."

"I'll make a note of that. Thank you."

"When will he be arriving?"

"He'll be on his way in a moment. I'd estimate about twenty minutes."

"I'd best get moving then."

"I'll be back at headquarters once I've overseen the removal of the bodies. Currently the prisoners are all being off loaded and transported through to the various jails."

"Okay. I'll speak with you when I'm done in theater."

"Page me when you're finished. Oh, are the agents still there?"

Sally knew exactly who Une was referring to. "Yes, they are."

"Please tell them to remain at headquarters, once I return I will need to speak with each of them and go through a short debriefing."

"I'll pass that on. Is there anything else?"

"No. I'll see you when I get back."

"Bye, Commander."

"Une out."

Sally couldn't help the chuckle at the Commander's words. Une was still such a military type. Replacing the cell in her pocket, she turned and went back to the agents, noting the curious stares. "That was Commander Une..."

Sally gave the agents a brief run down on her conversation with the Commander, informing them all that they were to remain where they were as they would need to be debriefed before they would be allowed to leave headquarters. The news of Barton's impending arrival and Sally's involvement in being the surgeon to treat him, went down as she expected it would.

The words sank like a lead balloon.

"I know how you are all feeling and believe me when I say I really don't want to be a part of this either," Sally stated. "Unfortunately, someone has to do it and Une, in her wisdom, has decreed it should be me."

"Shame you can't do us all a favor and put him out of our misery," Heero mumbled.

Duo had a thoughtful look on his face, and then gave voice to those thoughts. "You know, Une's right in one way."

"I don't know how you can say that, Duo," Heero began. "That bastard deserves to die for all he's done, the innocent people he's killed along the way."

"As much as I agree with you, Heero, I can see the logic in Une's wanting him to stand trial. Once all the evidence is put forward, there's no way he will get off. He'll be looking at a long jail term. Just think, Heero. He'll be in jail, along with a lot of other prisoners, some of which will no doubt be former followers of his. What better way for justice to be served?" There was an unholy twinkle in Duo's eyes as he spoke.

The others quickly cottoned on.

"He won't have anywhere to hide, those other prisoners will make him pay each and every day for what he's done," Duo said with an evil grin.

"I hope the bastard gets put into a cell with a giant of a cell mate that likes smaller men," Heero growled.

"Heero!" Quatre looked quite affronted.

"It would serve him right," Heero snapped, not in the least repentant for his thoughts.

"Both Heero and Duo are right, as much as I don't like the thought either, it is one way that justice will be served and served to the maximum," Wufei said.

"For once, Wuffers agrees with me on something," Duo snickered.

Wufei just huffed.

Sally glanced at her watch. I have to be going and prep for the surgery. Duo, I'll be back to check on you a little later. I'll send Nurse Brown back in shortly to take your vitals again. The rest of you may remain with Duo for another half hour, then you are all to leave as he will need some rest. I will see you all later." With a nod of her head, Sally turned and went to leave.

Wufei stood up and followed the woman out of the room.

"Is there something you wanted, Wufei?" Sally asked when she noticed the Asian man following her.

Wufei took a deep breath and swallowed past the lump in his throat. "Sally, I wonder if... That is... Damn, I'm not good with words."

"Wufei, whatever it is you want to say I suggest you spit it out. I have to get to surgery," Sally said.

"Sally, I know we have been out together a few times and I really enjoy your company."

"I've enjoyed those times too, Wufei," Sally replied, her tone soft as she suddenly had an idea where this was going.

"I'm hoping that maybe you would consider going out on more dates with me; exclusively."

Taking a moment to absorb the words, Sally finally spoke when she saw how nervous the agent appeared to be. "Let me see if I have this right. You want to know if I will date you? You and only you?"

"Yes." The word was whispered.

Sally gave a soft smile and reached forward to caress the man's cheek. "Wufei, I would like that, very much."

Heaving a sigh of relief, Wufei leaned into the caress for a moment, then he wrapped his arms around the doctor and pulled her close, pressing his lips to hers in a kiss that both stunned and shocked the doctor. It only took a second though for Sally to respond to the kiss.

"Thank you," Wufei whispered as he released the woman.

"Wufei, I really have to go and get ready for this surgery, but I think you should remain here at Headquarters. Aside from Une wanting her debrief, I think we have a lot to talk about."

Wufei nodded. "I'll be here."

With a soft smile on her lips and a giddy feeling in her heart, Sally walked off down the corridor to prepare for the surgery. Wufei watched her go and then returned to his friends in Duo's hospital room.

Stepping out of the staff room, Nurse Brown cradled her mug of tea in her hand. "About time," she muttered to herself.

tbc...


	120. Chapter 120

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 120

Zechs double checked the readings and flight path yet again, the computer showing him that everything was still on track and the shuttle responding perfectly. He gave a soft sigh and hoped that all would continue to work as it should. The reentry into Earth's atmosphere was coming up, the window would appear in the next hour and once he was committed to the trajectory there was nothing he could do to change it.

If the shuttle's repaired heat shields decided to give up, he would be toast within seconds. If he tried to pull out of the flight plan, he would simply bounce off the atmospheric layers and go spinning off into space – if he didn't disintegrate first. Either way, the outcome of a failed entry was not pretty.

He picked up the headset and twisted the dial on the radio, tuning into an obscure but safe frequency.

"Little Boy Blue, this is Bo Peep. I am returning to the fold with the sheep," he said softly.

The static crackled for a moment and then an older, slightly wheezy voice returned his transmission.

"Little Bo Peep, this is Little Boy Blue, I copy you loud and clear. The sheep shed is ready and the sheep dog is awaiting commands."

"Thank you. Tell the sheep dog to contact me in ten minutes and I will update him on the state of the flock."

"Roger that."

"Bo Peep, out."

"Little Boy Blue, out."

Leaving the head set on, Zechs turned slightly in his seat and accessed the computer. He typed in various commands, the computer logging them in and causing the shuttle to respond. A couple of soft jets of air were released, turning the shuttle slightly before resuming course. By the time the ten minutes were up, Zechs had the shuttle completely on line for the reentry and his current flight plan ready to send through.

"Bo Peep, this is the sheep dog. Do you copy?"

"Sheep dog, this is Bo Peep. I read you loud and clear."

"I understand you are bringing the flock back to the sheep shed."

"Correct."

"What is the status of the sheep?"

"One will require major treatment, the remaining have managed to escape with minor injuries."

"Roger that. Sheep dog will have all necessary equipment on stand-by. What is your ETA and your flight plan?"

Zechs took a moment to send the flight plan through, silently thanking Heero for his expertise with computers. "I should have my window in another twenty minutes."

"Current position?"

Zechs dispatched the required coordinates of where he was.

"Sheep dog now has you on radar. Continue on current trajectory. Communication blackout should occur in another twenty-five minutes and last for approximately five minutes. Keep this frequency open during reentry."

"Roger that."

"Sheep dog will contact again in fifteen minutes. Sheep dog, out."

"Bo Peep, out."

Zechs removed the headset and placed it on the console of the shuttle. Reaching for his helmet, he pulled it over his head, tucked his long hair up into it and secured it to the suit. A quick check of the oxygen tank showed he had thirty minutes worth of air left. It would have to be enough should circumstance decide he needed to use it.

The harness was pulled back over broad shoulders and locked into place. The flip of a couple of switches transferred the communications from the headset directly into the helmet. With all secure, Zechs checked the flight plan again and waited for his contact.

"Bo Peep, you will be entering the window in five minutes. Disengage the auto pilot and leave it on back up status."

"Roger that, Sheep dog." Zechs took a deep breath and flipped the auto pilot to back up status. Grasping the yoke firmly in his hands, he took control of the shuttle, eyes watching the many dials and instruments on the console that fed him constant information in relation to the shuttle's every move.

"You should be on the fringe now."

A check of the gauges and readout from the computer confirmed that. "Commencing reentry now."

"Good luck, we will monitor and speak with you once radio blackout has passed."

"Thank you. See you on the other side."

"Not literally I hope," came the dry reply.

"Pagan, you're no fun."

"Sir, with all due respect, just fly the damn shuttle and land it safely."

"Roger that, Pagan."

The nose of the shuttle dipped very slightly as the window greeted it. Layers of gasses began to sear across and over the nose, they hit the wings and caused the craft to buck slightly and shudder. The heat shields began to glow, orange at first, then a yellow, red and finally silver blue as they were tested to their limits.

Zechs took his eyes off the instrument panel for a brief moment and glanced at what parts of the shuttle he could see from inside the cockpit window. Sweat began to form on his brow and trickle down his spine inside the flight suit. The shields were holding so far, but despite knowing the colors they would pass through as the temperature rose on the surface of the shuttle, he still couldn't help the small knot of fear from forming in his gut.

He'd made countless reentries, in shuttles and Gundam alike, but the sharp and sudden fear of this maybe being the one time it didn't go to plan was always with him.

Forcing his eyes back to the instrument panel, he checked he was still on course and slowly turned the yoke a touch in his hands. The altitude and air speed were reading just fine, the large craft holding steady in his hands and on course.

The gaseous layers began to thin, the shuttle forcing its way through them and remaining responsive to the pilot. As the layers thinned so the pressure on the shuttle skin eased a little and the heat shields cooled a fraction.

Then the blackness of space began to merge with the blue of the Earth sky and the shuttle broke through the last barrier and completely into the Earth atmosphere.

Zechs breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the shuttle's skin slowly turn red, yellow, orange and then back to the usual white.

The worst was behind him and the shuttle was still in one piece.

He would have to remember to buy Oil a beer when he next saw him.

"Bo Peep. Bo Peep, this is Sheep dog. Do you copy?"

"Sheep dog, this is Bo Peep. I copy you."

An audible sigh of relief came down the line. "What is the status of the transport?"

Zechs typed in a few commands to the computer, checked the instrument panel and relayed the information.

"Bo Peep, continue on current course. Once you are within fifty kilometers of the sheep shed I will activate the scramblers."

"Roger that." The scramblers were a series of pulses sent through the air waves that worked something akin to Deathscythe's cloaking device. The shuttle and Zechs would simply drop off any radar or other instrument that was trying to track him.

The landscape slowly came closer, the shuttle descending steadily through the clouds and dropping at a sedate pace. Zechs kept his eyes on the instruments, noting his airspeed and rate of descent.

"Scramblers activated."

"Thank you."

"Continue on current heading and increase rate of decent to one hundred meters per thirty seconds."

Zechs did as instructed, his eyes flicking from the controls to the window. He could see the airstrip coming up and slowed the shuttle's speed.

"All clear for landing."

"Roger that."

"Good luck."

Eyes focused completely on the craft and bringing it in safely to land, Zechs continued to watch the gauges, easing back on the yoke as the ground drew ever closer. The flaps were engaged, the landing gear deployed and the parachute hatch ready to open.

Gently the shuttle lowered in the sky, the tarmac rushing to meet the wheels as the craft jolted a touch when the rubber of the tires met with the solid surface. Immediately Zechs began to apply the brakes, feet working furiously at the pedals. The flaps were fully engaged and the parachute released. The shuttle fought the restrictions for a few moments and then reluctantly gave in and began to slow.

Flipping a switch, the parachute was dropped, Zechs bringing the flaps back to normal position and turning the shuttle to taxi in towards the hangar. With guidance from Pagan, the shuttle was brought inside and to a stop.

Powering down, Zechs removed the harness and then the helmet, shaking his blonde locks free. He opened the outer hatch and left the cockpit to meet Pagan.

# # #

Sally walked swiftly along the corridor, pausing at the staff room door where Margaret had disappeared back into after overhearing Wufei's proposal to the doctor, not that Sally was aware of that fact. She intended to bring Margaret up to speed with the current events. As predicted, Margaret wasn't too happy about having the man that was the root of all their problems coming to the Preventer hospital for treatment, and even more annoyed that Sally was the one who would have to treat him.

"Shame you can't give him the green dream," she muttered.

"Margaret!" Sally scolded. "You're a medical professional, the same as I am. It's up to us to save lives, not end them!"

Margaret shrugged. "It's my professional opinion then that people such as him shouldn't be allowed in society."

"As much as I agree with you there, Une does have her mind intact when she said she wants him fixed up so he can spend the rest of his days rotting in jail. Although I won't repeat what the guys said." The twinkle in her eye was enough to give Margaret a good idea though.

"I can just imagine," Nurse Brown replied dryly. "I'll go back and check on Duo. You said the Commander requires all the men to remain here until she returns?"

"That's correct."

"Fine. Once they have been debriefed, I'll take Keitaro back home. I doubt if Heero will want to leave the hospital and his partner just yet and that child needs his rest and routine getting back as soon as possible."

"I'll leave that one up to you," Sally laughed. "I'd best get moving, the patient is due in the next ten minutes."

"Are you coming back to the mansion after you've finished here?"

"Probably not. I'll stay here for a while."

"Okay. I'll see you later at some stage then."

"Thanks, Margaret." Sally exited the room and continued on her way to the theater and organizing the staff she would need to assist her.

#

The ambulance pulled up, the Preventer agents in the escort car having radioed ahead and notified the hospital of their impending arrival. More Preventer agents stood ready as the vehicle pulled in and the doors opened. The medics, assisted by two Preventer agents brought the gurney and patient from inside the ambulance, Barton having been sedated for the trip to the Preventer hospital. He was still awake though and despite the sedative in his system, able to voice his displeasure.

Sally waited just inside the pre-op room, the staff she would need still busy inside the theater, setting out the instruments and getting the drugs they would need all ready. She knew Barton was coming before he even entered the room, she could hear his insults and complaints quite clearly.

"I demand to be taken to a proper hospital, not some half assed place like this," he snarled. "Who knows what they will do to me in here. I'll probably wake up with my legs missing."

"If you don't shut the hell up, you'll find yourself with a haircut; from the neck up," one of the agents snapped back. He was seriously getting fed up with Barton's constant complaining.

"How dare you threaten me! I'll have your badge for that. Under the Geneva convention you have to treat me with respect!" Barton roared.

"I have news for you, the Geneva convention doesn't exist any longer. Actually, if I recall correctly, it was abolished a few years ago after the war and replaced with something else," the agent mused.

Barton turned a few deeper shades of purple as his anger continued to flare.

The gurney was pushed through the doors and into the pre-op room where Sally waited with a loaded syringe.

"Sally Po," Barton spat when he saw the doctor. "Now I really know I'm going to wake up with parts missing. Tell me, is your degree in medical science or veterinary?"

"Medical, they couldn't find a vet that would be willing to treat an animal like you. They'd rather put you out of your misery."

"Har, har, very funny," Barton snarled. "I suppose you majored in midwifery, sniveling brats is about your limit."

"Actually, I majored in gastrointestinal; specifically the large bowel so I could treat assholes and shit sprouters like you," Sally shot back, not in the least ruffled by the man's words.

"Well, well, aren't we just the epitome of professionalism. I'd better still have all my vital parts when I wake up."

Ignoring the jibe, Sally moved forward and before Barton could protest any further, she slipped the end of the syringe into the small bolus attached to the intravenous drip and began to inject the anesthetic.

Barton went out like a light.

"Silence is golden," Sally muttered and then blushed as the agents and medics that had brought Barton in began to applaud.

"Thank you, Doctor Po," said one of the agents. "I was beginning to fear for both my sanity and my hearing after having to endure his continuous rants and insults."

"Glad to be of service," Sally smiled. "Thanks for bringing him in and without further injury – to himself and you guys too," she added.

"Yeah, well, it's lucky we took the Preventer oath to uphold the peace and avoid killing where possible. Although in his case I think we would have been doing the world a favor in silencing him." The agent's eyes suddenly lit up. " Any chance you could amputate his tongue whilst operating?" he asked in a hopeful voice.

Sally laughed. "As much as I would like to, I don't think Une would be too pleased to find her prisoner missing a vital part."

"You could always say it was damaged during the skirmish he was involved in."

"Sorry, no can do."

"Oh well, it was worth a try. Good luck, doc. Hopefully he won't wake up – ever."

Shaking her head in amusement, Sally nodded to the medics to transfer the patient over to the bed she had waiting in the pre-op room. Once Barton had been moved, the medics and agents left, the other three agents that had been present to assist when Barton had arrived, remained waiting just outside the room in case they should be needed.

With her patient now out cold, Sally called for the nurses to assist her in getting the man prepped for surgery.

# # #

Heaving a sigh of relief, Une watched the last of the 'cold storage' vehicles drive off. With all the injured, prisoners and deceased now removed from the shuttles, she could relax a little.

"Commander?"

Une turned to find Storm standing beside her holding out a cup of coffee. Her eyes lit up and she took the offered beverage, sipping at it greedily.

"I thought that after all that you could probably do with a cup," Storm said and sipped at his own coffee.

"Thank you, it's most appreciated, Storm."

Cradling the cup, Une spoke again. "Now that the shuttles have been emptied of their cargo they can be fully serviced and return to their hangars for whenever they are next required."

"I'll get onto that right away," Storm replied.

"Once the teams have all finished here have them report to headquarters for a debriefing. The legal team will also wish to speak with them and have any and all statements and information the crew have taken from the prisoners whilst on their way here. No doubt they will also want to take statements from the crews. I'll have my secretary contact you with the information for the teams."

"No problem. Is there anything else, Commander?"

"Not right now, Storm. Oh, I expect Oil to be in touch soon. Once he's landed and the shuttle taken care of, have Oil and his team also present to headquarters for a debriefing. Agent Wind will be returning soon too with the damaged shuttle. I have already briefed Wind and he has his orders."

"Roger that. I'll have your car brought around for you, Commander."

"Thank you, Storm." Une handed back the now empty coffee cup and followed the captain back to the control room to await her car. Once the car was ready, Une bid the shuttle port personnel good bye and stepped out to get in her car and return to the many tasks still awaiting her at Headquarters.

# # #

With Sally having departed for surgery and Nurse Brown yet to return, the guys continued to chat amongst themselves. Each had their own story to tell and despite having exchanged brief accounts of what had happened to each of them, now was the perfect opportunity to discuss their respective encounters in more detail.

All the agents knew they would have to report to the Commander shortly for a debriefing so it seemed like the ideal opportunity to refresh their minds. Not that any of them really wanted to be reminded of the horrors that had passed, especially Duo.

Whilst the statements and debriefing of the other agents wouldn't take too long, Duo's would be an entirely different story. Not only would he have to recount all that had occurred whilst he was a prisoner on the Satellite with Barton, but there still was the matter of his being held by Nolen, Duric and the others, plus his part in the assassination of the L 1 and L 3 ambassadors and a Senator Jefferies.

Duo was not looking forward to that.

Before they could get too involved in their recounting, Nurse Brown returned. She busied herself with checking Duo's vitals again and was satisfied with how they were currently reading. All had stabilized and he wasn't in any pain. Noting the child was still cradled between his fathers and had drifted off to sleep, she thought now was probably as good a time as any to broach the subject of taking Keitaro home and to see how many of the other agents would be coming back to the mansion that evening.

"Gentlemen?" she began.

All eyes turned to the nurse.

"The Commander will be back very shortly and you have your orders for the debriefing. Once those debriefings are over with I suggest you all get some much needed rest. Whilst I may not know a great deal about debriefings, legal systems and all this talk about trials and such, I would think it's a good idea for you all to remain together." She turned to Heero. "I assume it is okay with you if the other three continue to stay at the mansion until all this is sorted out?"

"Of course," Heero replied. "Aside from the fact that it is Quatre's place anyway, they are always welcome."

"Thank you," came three replies.

"Good, I'm glad that's settled then." Margaret gave them all a warm smile before turning to face Heero. "Heero, I think I am correct in saying that you intend to remain here in the hospital with Duo for a while yet?"

"Hai, I do," Heero replied. "I'll be here with him for as long as I'm allowed to remain."

"Then may I suggest that you let me take Keitaro back home to the mansion with me. The little tyke is worn out and he really does need to get back into his routine as quickly as possible. Besides, the hospital isn't an ideal place for him to be. He can come back with you each day to visit and I don't think it will be too long before Duo is released to continue his recovery at home."

As much as both Heero and Duo didn't want to be parted from their son, they could both see the common sense in the nurse's words. Reluctantly, they agreed.

"I'll be heading back out to the mansion once the Commander calls you all in for your debriefing, I'll take Keitaro with me and get him bathed, fed and settled. I'll start a hot meal for you all too, you must all be hungry."

As if to confirm the nurse's words, Duo's stomach gave a loud rumble.

"Oops. Any chance of my getting any of that hot food?" he asked in a hopeful voice.

Margaret smiled and patted his shoulder. "Once Sally has checked you over again I'm sure she will see about getting you something to eat."

"I'd rather have your cooking. Hospital food sucks," Duo grumbled.

"You shouldn't be cooking for us," Quatre stated. "That's not fair to you. You've been here working and with a broken wrist too, one of us can cook."

"I'm quite happy to let her cook," Trowa mumbled.

"And just who do suggest does the cooking, Winner?" asked Wufei with a raise of his eyebrow.

"Ummm..."

"It's a well known fact that you can only burn water," Wufei said.

"Well, you can only cook up that Chinese stuff with rice that tastes like cardboard," Quatre shot back.

"At least it's healthy."

"Trowa cooks delicious meals, and they're healthy," returned Quatre.

"I hate to remind you of this, Winner, but Barton is slightly indisposed and won't be cooking for a while I'd say."

"Uh?" Quatre took a moment. "Oh, yeah." He gave his lover and husband an apologetic look.

Trowa gave him the puppy eyes in return and mouthed; 'Let the nurse cook.'

"Maybe it would be better if Nurse Brown cooked," Quatre sighed. "That is, if you're sure you don't mind?"

Margaret snorted. "Of course I don't mind. I'll have something hot waiting for you all when you get back. Oh, and it will be healthy too," she added with a wink in Wufei's direction.

"Thank you for your kindness," Quatre said.

A soft knock on the door brought the current conversation to a halt and everyone turned to see who was knocking. A young agent stood in the doorway.

"Yes?" Wufei barked.

"Sorry to interrupt you all, but the Commander asked me to let you know she is back and wishes to see you all in conference room two in fifteen minutes."

"Thank you. We will be there." Wufei stood up and with a nod to the agent, dismissed him. Turning back to his fellow agents, he said quietly. "The Commander is waiting for us, I suggest we don't keep her waiting too long."

Quatre stood and assisted Trowa with his crutches, the pair wishing Duo all the best and promising to return the following day to visit. Stepping outside the room, they waited in the corridor for Wufei and Heero to join them.

Wufei also passed on his best wishes and promised to return to visit. He gave Heero a nod. "I'll wait for you outside."

"I'll be there in a minute," Heero replied.

Nurse Brown took Keitaro from Heero and left to change the child and gather up the rest of his things in preparation for their homeward journey, leaving Heero and Duo alone for a moment.

"You'd best be going, Une won't like it if you're late," Duo whispered.

"I really don't care," Heero replied and leaned in close to seize Duo's lips in a tender kiss. "I'll be as quick as I can," he said when they broke for air.

"I suppose Une will be coming in here for my debriefing, I can't exactly go to her in this condition."

"You don't know how lucky you are," Heero replied in an amused tone.

"How do you figure that?"

"If she gets too pushy and you start to feel uncomfortable, you can at least push the call button and claim your injuries are playing up. Then she would have no choice but to leave you alone."

"Ah, Heero! Don't make me laugh, it hurts," Duo snickered and held onto his stomach as the brief pain passed away.

"I won't be long," Heero said again as he climbed from the bed and bending over the edge of that bed, he gave Duo one last, lingering kiss.

"I'll be waiting," Duo replied.

With a smile, Heero turned and left. Duo snuggled down into the sheets and pillows, his eyes drooping. For the first time in a long time he felt safe enough to sleep.

tbc...


	121. Chapter 121

"Family Ties"

January 2007 – ShenLong

Chapter 121

The debriefing took a little longer than Heero had first thought it would. He was used to giving a report that was clear, concise and to the point. That was all well and good for the Preventer side of things and kept Une happy, but the legal team?

They were a completely new kettle of fish.

Heero hadn't dealt with the legal team before, usually his reports from his missions were enough and the legal team dealt with the prosecution from there. He'd been aware that he may be required to attend court should the occasion arise, but so far it never had.

The lawyers were a tough bunch, taking his debriefing report and wanting to expand on it from there. He answered their questions as honestly as he could and did his best not to glare at them. Three hours of constant questioning was starting to play havoc with his nerves. He was tired, stressed, ached from head to toe and wanted nothing more than to curl up with his husband and sleep for a week.

"I think that's enough for now, gentlemen," Une stated in a crisp tone. She could see the agent fast approaching the end of his tether and the last thing she wanted was for Yuy to lose his temper on the legal team.

"But," the senior lawyer began to protest.

"I said, enough," Une growled. "This agent needs rest, not interrogating. You can speak with him again in a day or two when he's recovered. In the meantime you have enough facts and evidence to continue compiling the case."

Heero gave Une a grateful look.

"Agent Day, you are free to go. I expect you to report back to headquarters for further orders in two days time," Une told him.

"Thank you." Heero gave the lawyers a curt nod and left the conference room, intent on going back to check on Duo.

Wufei, Quatre and Trowa had already left, their briefing and stint with the lawyers not having taken as long.

Within minutes Heero had reached the hospital section and Duo's room. He walked quietly inside a soft smile on his lips as he noted his love fast asleep. Knowing just how tired he was, he could imagine how exhausted Duo must be and decided to leave his lover to sleep and recover. Pressing a kiss to the crown of Duo's head, Heero whispered softly, "Sleep well my love, I'll be back soon."

Duo grunted softly and snuggled deeper into the pillow.

With one last kiss to the sleeping form, Heero left to return to the mansion check his son and get a little sleep himself. Whilst he would have much preferred to stay with Duo, he knew his husband would sleep for some time and let logic dictate that he would be of far more use if he was rested himself. Besides, he also wanted to be near his son.

Feeling much lighter in his heart and soul than he had for days, Heero left headquarters to return to the mansion.

# # #

Pagan was as efficient as ever, the cargo hold of the shuttle being opened and the five Gundams off loaded and placed back in the hangar they had shared since the end of the war. A team of technicians went straight to work, the majority of them tackling Heavyarms as it was the most damaged of the five.

Once he was certain all was well with the team and the Gundams, Zechs returned to the shuttle. "I'll be in contact again once I've returned this shuttle to Preventer. The Commander will want a debrief and then there's the lawyers who will require their statements for Barton's trial. I have no idea how long this will all take but once I'm through I'll be back," Zechs informed Pagan.

"I completely understand, sir."

"Thank you, Pagan. I know I can trust you to see that the Gundams are repaired and placed into storage again so that should the need arise for them to be used in the future, they will be ready."

"It's my pleasure, sir."

"Pagan, now that the pilots know their Gundams still exist I have promised to let them know where they will be stored. I do not anticipate that any of them will wish to reclaim them as such, but I do expect they will want to see for themselves the facilities where they are being kept and assure themselves that all measures are in place to keep them safe and secret."

"I would expect nothing less," Pagan replied. "They can rest assured that all care and protection will be made to keep them safe."

"Thanks, Pagan. I'll be in touch."

"Fly safely, sir."

Picking up his helmet, Zechs made his way back to the shuttle and settled once more into the cockpit. The engines were engaged, flight plan checked and all systems double checked. Everything was in order and clear for take off. Zechs buckled himself into his harness and prepared for launch.

"Bo Peep, this is sheep dog. You are all clear for launch."

"Thank you, sheep dog. Initiating launch sequence now." Zechs pushed a couple of buttons and flipped a switch. The engine revs built, the craft beginning to shudder a little as the power was held in check. Once the engines were at the desired level, Zechs began to ease the joystick and allow the craft to move.

As they were not launching into space, they didn't require the use of a catapult ramp, the normal runway would suffice. The large craft began to rumble along, the speed picking up as Zechs gave the shuttle more throttle. With the increase in speed, Zechs watched the distance points posted at various points along the runway. When his speed reached the take off level, he noted he still had another eight hundred meters of runway to go – _'more than enough to lift this baby into the air,'_ he thought to himself.

The yoke was pulled back steadily and the nose of the shuttle complied, lifting from the tarmac as the huge engines pushed the craft into the air. The remaining wheels also left the tarmac and the shuttle began to climb.

"Contact Preventer Shuttle Port on frequency 693 in another fifteen minutes and they will monitor your incoming flight. Scramblers will be deactivated in fifteen minutes."

"Thanks, Pagan."

"Safe journey, sir"

"I'll be in contact again once I'm leaving Preventer to return home, Pagan."

"I'll continue to monitor, sir."

"Shuttle 121 out."

"Sheep dog, out."

Zechs gave a soft chuckle as he turned the radio off and concentrated on flying the shuttle.

#

"Preventer Shuttle Port, this is Preventer Transport Shuttle 134, Agent Oil here. We are approaching our reentry window."

"Agent Oil, this is Preventer Shuttle Port, continue on current trajectory at current speed. As you break atmosphere, there will be a five minute radio silence. Once you are through, please contact again for updated flight plan."

"Roger that, shuttle port."

"Good luck, Oil, see you soon."

"Shuttle 134 out."

Oil continued to fly the shuttle, bringing it through the atmospheric layers with minimal resistance. As the atmosphere changed from the black void of space to the evening sky of Earth, Oil let out a relieved sigh. With radio communication again restored, he was advised of his flight plan and updated on the local weather patterns.

Zechs was also en-route to the shuttle port and looking forward to putting the craft down and relaxing a touch. Flying was quite exhausting on the mind and he'd been doing it for a while with only the short break when he'd dropped the Gundams off.

"Preventer Shuttle Port, this is Shuttle 121, Agent Wind here. I need an updated flight plan and guidance for landing."

"Agent Wind, this is Shuttle Port, will send through the updated flight plan now. Continue on current heading for the moment. I will possibly need you to circle for a short while as we have another shuttle just ahead of you."

"Received and confirmed, Port. I request that I not be kept waiting too long though as this shuttle has undergone repairs and I'm not completely sure of the status of the entire ship."

"Noted, Wind. We will bring you down as quickly as possible."

"Thank you."

Within the half hour, Oil had landed his shuttle and Zechs was on the approach. Having parked the shuttle in the designated area, Oil opened the hatch and stepped out to the tarmac to watch the other shuttle come in to land. He was both relieved and pleased to see that the craft had held up to the rigors of reentry – not that he'd doubted his or his crew's skills in the least, but it was nice to see the craft home and safe.

Once both shuttles were safely on the ground and 'parked', Captain Storm arrived to brief the agents on Une's orders. The agents nodded in response, Storm having organized transport for them and once the rest of the mechanical crew had exited the shuttle, the group set off fro Headquarters, leaving the shuttles to Storm and his crew to take care of.

# # #

With a soft sigh, Sally set the scissors and needle down in the kidney dish. "Thank god that's finished," she said wearily.

"Good job, doctor," the nurse beside her praised as she took in the neat row of stitches. "I'll finish off dressing the wound."

"Thank you." With the nurse applying the dressing, Sally stepped back and took in the still form of Barton on the operating table. The broken arm had been realigned and a plaster cast applied, similarly the broken cheek had also had the bones put back into place and held by wires and tiny pates and screws; although no plaster there for obvious reasons. An x-ray of Barton's ribs had shown them to be cracked rather than broken and they had also been strapped. There wasn't much Sally could do in regards to the bruised kidney other than prescribe pain killers and antibiotics, those antibiotics a measure against infection for the numerous other contusions Barton had suffered as well. With the major injuries taken care of, it had become a simple task then of cleaning out and stitching the many open wounds that required it.

Sally had been operating for the past three hours on Barton alone and combined with the hours she'd spent on Duo in theater and in the lab extracting the eggs from Duo's ovary, it was starting to catch up on her. She managed to hide the yawn behind her mask as she watched the nurse wrap the last bandage in place.

"All done," the nurse replied and then check Barton's vitals. "Everything is reading normally," she advised.

"Good. He can be moved now to recovery and then placed into a room in the holding section."

"Right you are, Doctor Po."

Leaving the nurse to organize the assistance to move Barton out and into recovery, Sally stepped out of the operating theater and let the agents waiting outside know that all had gone well and that Barton would be removed to the post operative room until he came around and she was satisfied all was well with her patient.

The agents followed Sally through to the recovery room and sat on either side of the patient's bed.

Slowly, Barton began to return to consciousness. His mind was blank at first, then things began to come back to him. "Where...?" He winced as the pain in his cheek flared a touch with the movement of the muscles.

"Ah, you're awake," the nurse said. "You're in the recovery room, Doctor Po has finished surgery on you and everything went well."

Barton frowned and then ran a mental and physical check over himself. He could still feel his legs which meant they were still attached to him. The pain in his arm told him that movement wasn't such a good idea, especially when you had a cast on and strapping around your ribs. After a minute or two, he deduced that he still had everything intact, which was just as well.

If he'd been missing anything, anything at all he vowed he would take his revenge on that doctor.

"His vitals are all still stable," the nurse told Sally as she stepped back in the room having gone to remove the scrubs.

"Thanks. How is his pain level?"

"On the scale of one to ten, he says it rates a four."

"Top up the morphine, I'd rather have him doped to the eyeballs than put up with any of his loud mouthed protests. I'm sure the agents would appreciate that too."

The agents grinned. "Thanks, doc. I did come prepared though," said the one agent and pulled a pair of ear plugs from his pocket.

Sally couldn't help but laugh.

With Barton now barely conscious, the agents and nurse, along with the orderly, pushed the bed from the recovery room and along the corridors that would take them to the section of the hospital reserved for prisoners that required medical help.

Barton was placed in a room that was exactly the same as all the other hospital rooms in its layout and furnishings; the only difference was that this room had bars on the window and a steel door that could be locked.

Settling the bed against the wall and checking the flow rate of the drip and the man's vitals one last time, the nurse and orderly left. One agent remained stationed outside the locked door; the other two agents stayed inside the room to keep watch over Barton.

Knowing her patient was taken care of, Sally stretched her weary body and went to check on Duo.

The young man was sound asleep.

Sally smiled to herself and took a quick look at Duo's chart. All was well with the notations she found there. Having taken care of her medical duties, Sally left instructions with the sister to let her know immediately if there were any changes in either of her patients. There wasn't anything further for her to do in the hospital so Sally went to locate Une and bring her up to speed on the condition of her patients; then she would see about getting some much needed sleep.

# # #

Duo's eyes flickered open, his ears alert and listening. Everything started to come back to him in a rush. He was safe, he was home on Earth and in the Preventers hospital. A lot of the conversation that had taken place after he'd come out of surgery was a bit of a blur to him, some of it he could remember clear enough, other parts were just big holes. He guessed he would have those holes filled in when either Sally or Heero came to check on him.

He yawned and started to stretch, pulling up short when his body informed him that was not a good thing to do. He settled for a small stretch instead. He wondered what time it was, his wrist watch had long ago disappeared and there was no clock in the room. The curtains were drawn against the window keeping the room dark, but if he stared at them long enough he could make out light behind them.

He debated pushing the call button that lay on the pillow beside him when his stomach gave a soft growl. He was hungry. Vaguely he remembered something about all the other guys going back to the mansion and Nurse Brown cooking, he also remembered someone telling him he would be able to have some food too once Sally had checked him and cleared him.

He didn't remember Sally coming in to see him at all so he must have dozed off. Before he could contemplate his dilemma any further, there was a soft knock on the door to his room, the door opening and a head peering around the frame.

"Morning, Duo," came Sally's voice. "How are you feeling?" she asked as she stepped into the room completely.

"Sore, hungry, confused," Duo replied honestly.

Sally chuckled. "Let me just check on your vitals and wound sites, then I'll organize some breakfast for you and fill you in on whatever you want to know."

"Thanks."

Sally was quick in her examination, pleased that the wound to Duo's belly was looking healthy and clean. The bullet creases were also looking a nice pink color and appeared to be healing fine. A re-wrap of Duo's ribs and sprained ankle saw the man a little more comfortable.

"What's the verdict?" Duo asked as he got himself comfortable again.

"I'm pleased to say that all is looking just fine. Wounds are clean and healing, your blood pressure, heart and breathing rates normal, and your temperature is down. Now, I'll see what I can do about food for you."

"Thanks, Sally."

True to her word, Sally went in search of breakfast and returned within half an hour bearing a tray that had delicious smells coming from it.

"Here you go," she said as she set the tray down on the small 'table' and brought it across the bed for Duo to reach. Propping the man up by raising the upper half of the bed a bit and stuffing several pillows behind him, Sally took a seat and let the man dig in.

It was just a simple breakfast of orange juice - which Duo drank down with rapture on his face – a small tub of yoghurt and a plate of scrambled eggs on toast. Duo was pleased to note he was no longer suffering from nausea and made a note to ask Sally just how far along in his pregnancy he was.

With all the excitement going on, the discovery of the closeness in which Barton's knife had come to ending both his own and his child's life, the removal of his ovary and information on the possible harvesting of his eggs, Duo had completely forgotten to ask how far along he was.

Whilst he ate, Sally refreshed his memory in relation to his injuries, the removal of his ovary and successful result in the egg harvesting. She also gave him a brief look into what was involved with the IVF procedure should he decide he wanted to pursue that later on.

By the time Sally had finished bringing him back up to speed, Duo had finished his breakfast and gave a soft burp.

"Ah, pardon me?" he said sheepishly.

"I'd say you enjoyed that," Sally laughed as she took in the clean dishes.

"Yeah, the orange juice was wonderful."

"Duo, are you experiencing any cravings like you did in your last pregnancy?" asked Sally as she removed the used dishes.

"Sort of... I think," replied Duo. He frowned. "I don't want the Crunchie bars again, actually, the thought of eating one makes me feel nauseous; but I do have a hankering for oranges."

"I'd say that qualifies for a craving, at least it's a healthy one this time. Oranges are good for you and won't do either you or the baby any harm,' Sally confirmed.

"Sal?"

"Yes, Duo?"

"When you did the ultra sound to check on the baby, you said it was developing normally."

"That's correct. I'll do another ultra sound today and this time you will be able to see the child properly for yourself," Sally replied.

"You didn't say how far along I am. Sally? Just how many months am I? When would this baby be due?"

"That's a good question, Duo. I'm not completely sure as I didn't take a really good look at the stage of development the baby is at. I will be able to tell you to within a couple of weeks later on when I do another ultra sound though."

"Estimate?"

"My best guess at this stage would be between three and five months."

"Ah."

"I suppose this is a dumb question, but you don't happen to remember when you last bled, do you? If you can that will help a lot towards pin pointing a date."

"I was keeping a record in my diary."

"That's great. If you have no objections I can contact Heero and get him to take a look and let me know the date?"

"That's okay with me, Sally."

"I'll get right on it. Now, if you've completely finished, I'll have a nurse come in and give you a wash down.."

"No, thanks."

"Duo? You can't possibly take a shower with your wounds the ay they are at this point."

"Sally, if you don't mind, I'd rather wait until Heero gets here and let him give me a bed bath," Duo stated with a red tinge to his cheeks.

Sally smiled. "Okay, it can wait until Heero gets here. Une will be in this morning to see you along with the legal team. They will need to debrief you and the legal guys will require statements too."

Duo nodded. "I understand."

"I"ll leave you to rest then, I have other patients I need to check on. I'll be back later with Une to make sure you don't get stressed out during the 'interrogation', once that's done we will do the ultra sound again."

"Thanks, Sally."

# # #

Zechs stepped out of the conference room and gave a wide yawn. He was really tired and felt like he could sleep for a week. He'd managed to snatch a couple of hours whilst waiting for his turn to be debriefed but what little rest and recuperation he'd managed to get had soon been chewed up again during the debriefing.

Now he was free to leave and intended to head back home and fall into bed.

The elevator 'pinged' to let him know he'd reached the ground floor and the doors swooshed open. Stepping out, Zechs almost collided with a person who seemed to be in just as much haste to step in.

"Sorry," Zechs began to apologize and then realized who he'd almost collided with. "Yuy?"

Heero looked up, his focus having been entirely on getting to see Duo as quickly as possible and blinked as Zechs' face came into focus. "Zechs," he returned.

"It was clear to Zechs that Heero wasn't in the mood to slow down or stop, so he stepped back into the elevator with the other agent. "How is Duo? And the rest of the agents?"

"Duo is doing fine, he's in the hospital and recovering well. The others are all okay, Trowa was the worst of us four as far as injury went and will possibly be out of action for a few weeks," Heero replied. "I see you made it back okay."

"Obviously," Zechs said. "I'm glad to hear the others and Duo will all be okay. Would you have any objection if I were to pay Maxwell a visit?"

"It's not up to me," Heero replied in his usual monotone, "It's up to Duo's doctors. I'm not sure if he's allowed to have visitors other than immediate family at the moment, but I have no objection."

"I see. I'll wait then."

Heero fixed the other agent with his blue eyes. "I take it you got the suits back okay?"

"Yes, they are safe and being taken care of."

"Good." Heero shifted. "You will honor your word and inform us of the coordinates where they are being held?"

"Of course."

"Thank you."

Heero left the elevator once it reached the Hospital floor, Zechs remained inside and once again headed for the ground floor.

# # #

Duo felt completely wrung out, his mind was exhausted, his body about ready to collapse and his throat as dry as Quatre's desert. He'd given Une and the legal team everything he could possibly remember, from his meeting with Duric in the diner and subsequent 'kidnapping' to the final battle with Barton.

He'd been forced to go back over and relive the assassinations of the ambassadors and Jefferies several times, the legal team wanting every minute detail. Duo knew he was facing charges of murder for those three, even if he'd committed the crimes under protest and force. Une assured him she and the lawyers would be doing everything in their power to make sure the charges didn't stick, but it was vitally important he remember everything he could.

Wufei had informed both Une and the legals of Farrow's confession on the satellite that Duo had been forced to commit the crimes and the former computer tech had been interviewed at great length. His statement backed Duo's story and the lawyers were quietly confident they would have a strong defense.

"Is that all, gentlemen?" Une asked as the lawyers discussed a couple of points between themselves.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Thank you, you may leave and prepare your defense. This case is scheduled to be heard in the next twenty-four hours."

The legal team departed, leaving Une, Sally, Heero and a very tired Duo alone. Sally immediately checked Duo over, relieved to note his vitals were all stable. Heero had remained sitting on the side of the bed throughout the entire ordeal, unwilling to leave his partner alone to suffer. It had been bad enough that Duo had been forced to commit the crimes in the first place, but having to relive every small detail again was just plain cruel – necessary, but still cruel.

"I have to go, there's still quite a bit of paperwork I need to finish," Une said as she aimed for the doorway. "I will let you know shortly exactly when the case will be heard. I'll have it set up via video link to your room."

"Thanks," Duo whispered, grateful that at least he didn't have to front the court in person.

"Rest, you've been through a harrowing few weeks, Agent Night." Une even allowed a small smile to grace her lips.

Duo nodded, too tired to respond properly.

Une left and Sally moved in.

"I want you to try and get a nap in, Duo. I'm going to go find an ultra sound machine and I'll come back in a couple of hours to do that ultra sound check."

At those words, Duo perked up a bit. "Okay."

As Sally left, Heero turned his questioning eyes to his husband and climbed on the bed to stretch out beside his lover. "Ultra sound?" he questioned as he wrapped his arms around Duo and got them both comfortable.

"Yeah. Sally's going to do an ultra sound on the baby in my abdomen and compare the results of the pictures to the dates from my diary that you gave her. That way we should have a good idea of exactly how far along I am and when I should be due."

"Ah." The thought of seeing their unborn child properly warmed both men to no end and they easily drifted off into a happy snooze.

tbc...


	122. Chapter 122

**Many thanks to all for reading and a big thank you for the kind reviews! **

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 122

Heero's eyes blinked open a few seconds before Duo's did. Both men took a moment to orientate themselves and quickly calmed as they realized where they were and both of them were safe. A moment later there was a quiet knock on the door.

"Yeah, who is it?" Duo called out, voice a little rusty from sleep.

"It's Sally. I have the ultra sound machine with me," came the reply.

"Come in, Sally," Duo called as he straightened himself a little in the bed.

Heero, meanwhile, had scooted from lying on the bed and was now sitting beside his lover, smoothing the wrinkles from his clothes.

The door opened and Sally came in, pushing a machine they were more than familiar with after having carried Keitaro for nine months. Behind the doctor came Nurse Brown and Keitaro, the child squealing happily when he spotted his fathers.

Duo's face lit up into a wide smile when he saw his son and his arms went out instinctively to cradle the child. Nurse Brown handed the youngster over, warning Duo to be careful with his injuries.

Having smothered the child's face in kisses, Duo passed the child over to Heero's waiting arms where once again the child was covered in kisses. Moving off the bed and settling Keitaro on his hip, Heero eyed the machine.

Sally was busy plugging the unit in, Nurse Brown fetching a familiar tube of gel and approaching Duo with it.

"I'm sure you remember the routine," Margaret said as she waved the gel at Duo.

"How could I forget?" Duo muttered and wriggled himself around in the bed to get comfortable before moving the covers back and raising his hospital gown to expose the dressing and remainder of his abdomen.

"I'll just spread a little of this around the outside of the dressing," Nurse Brown informed him.

"Just how do you plan on getting pictures, Sally? The wound site is pretty much where you need to have the sound head, isn't it?" asked Heero as he watched the goings on.

"That's true to a point," Sally replied. "But I'm sure I will be able to get some clear pictures by scanning around the wound itself." Picking up the sound head, she typed the required information into the machine and waited for it to give her the all clear. "All set, Duo?" she asked as the machine beeped to let the doctor know it was ready.

"Yeah," Duo said, his eyes bright with anticipation.

Heero scooted a little closer, careful to keep Keitaro's curious hands out of reach of anything vital.

"Pass him to me, Heero," Nurse Brown requested. "I'll hold him so the pair of you can watch better."

"Thank you." Heero handed his son over to the nanny, the child protesting a little at first, but when he realized he wasn't going anywhere and that his fathers' were both still right there with him, he soon settled. His little eyes scanned around and spotted the monitor of the ultra sound machine and instantly he was captivated.

Duo gave a soft chuckle when he noted his son's reaction. "Looks like he's going to be just like his father and have his eyes permanently on a monitor."

Heero simply huffed.

Sally brought the sound head to Duo's abdomen, just slightly below the wound site and pressed it gently against the skin. She moved it around a little, spreading the gel and waiting for the pictures to start to come through.

The screen remained a blur of gray, white and black shadows, none of which made any sense to either Heero or Duo. They didn't add up to what Sally was looking for either and she began to maneuver the sound head around the wound site. Then, her face lit up into a soft smile.

"There you are," she whispered.

Immediately both men were riveted to the screen and doing their best to make heads or tails of the images on the screen.

"I'll see if I can get a clearer image," Sally said and began to move the sound head again. "Tell me if I'm hurting you at all, Duo."

"Okay so far."

"Good. I think I'll need to press a little harder though to try and get a clear picture."

"That's okay, I'll let you know if it starts to hurt or become uncomfortable," Duo said, eyes still watching the screen carefully.

Pushing a little firmer on the sound head, Sally moved it slightly and was pleased to see the image of the child appear, this time it was easier to see the outline.

"I see it," Heero said softly, his mouth breaking into a wide grin.

"I'm pretty sure I do too," Duo agreed, his eyes starting to shine with unshed tears.

Still smiling herself and not in the least surprised that the guys were managing to pick out some of the baby's outline, Sally pushed a button to freeze the picture. Taking her pen from her pocket, she pointed to the screen. "This is the baby's head," she began and traced the outline with her pen. "Here is the spine and the arms and legs. It's currently curled up so I have no idea of what sex it is." Sally glanced at the two. "Even if I could see, I'm betting you wouldn't want to know."

"I'd rather wait, like we did with Keitaro. I guess it's kinda old fashioned, but I like the thought of having the surprise at the end of it all," Duo said, his voice soft with emotion.

"I agree," Heero stated.

"Nothing wrong with that," Nurse Brown said. "In fact a lot of couples choose to wait, and I agree, it is nice to have that surprise."

"Does everything appear normal?" Heero asked, changing the topic slightly.

Sally pushed the button and the screen came alive again. Gently moving the sound head around, she did her best to scrutinize the images being projected. Every now and then she would push a button on the ultra sound which froze the picture for a moment and took a snapshot of it. Once she'd taken as good a look as she was going to get, Sally turned to the expectant pair with a smile on her face.

"I'm very happy to tell you both that everything appears normal with the child. The development is consistent with a fetus of approximately sixteen to eighteen weeks. That means you are roughly four to four and a half months along, Duo." Sally paused for a moment and checked a couple of things on the monitor. "The baby is just over eleven centimeters in length and weighs ninety-eight grams. Given what I know about your cycle from your diary and the results of the ultra sound, I'd estimate your due date at somewhere in the first couple of weeks of June." Having relayed the information, Sally turned to look at the pair and answer any questions they may have. She paused though and took a moment to watch the scene before her.

Duo was holding onto Heero's hand, his eyes simply shining as they leaked tears of joy down his cheeks. Heero was similarly overjoyed, the smile on his face going almost from ear to ear as his own eyes threatened to spill over with moisture.

Nurse Brown nudged Sally and gave an incline of her head towards the door. Sally nodded that she understood and the pair, with Keitaro still in Nurse Brown's arms, slipped silently from the room and paused just outside in the hall way.

"I think they could do with a couple of minutes privacy," Margaret said softly.

"Yes, they could. It's all such a shock to them both, a nice one though."

"Looks like you're going to have a little playmate, Keitaro," Nurse Brown told the child.

Keitaro gurgled. "Da... Da..."

"Yes, your Daddy is going to have another baby, maybe a little brother or a sister for you," Margaret cooed.

"Da..."

#

Neither man was aware that Sally, Nurse Brown and Keitaro had left the room temporarily, the confirmation that their baby was all right and doing well, along with the new knowledge of just how far along Duo was had reduced them both to tears.

"God, I love you," Heero said softly and leaned in to take Duo's lips in a soft kiss.

"Love you too, Heero," Duo returned when he was allowed up for air.

Pulling Duo into his arms and embracing his husband gently, Heero gave voice to his feelings. "I'm so glad that everything is okay with the baby, and you too," he hastily added. "Now that we know how far along you are I guess we should start to make plans for the baby's arrival."

"You thinking about getting that second job again, Heero?" Duo asked, a slight smile on his lips.

Heero sighed. "I'm just remembering how much it cost us to get ready for Keitaro. I'm still paying off the credit card and probably will be for the next fifty years."

Duo couldn't help it, he laughed. The despondent tone to Heero's voice had him in stitches.

Heero didn't see what was so funny. "You have to admit, kids are expensive," Heero defended himself.

"Oh, Heero, I'm not disputing that for a moment, but think about this."

"I have and all I can see are rising costs," Heero stated with a resigned sigh.

"This child won't be half as costly as Keitaro."

"How do you figure that? You planning on adopting the child out to Quatre until it's eighteen or something?"

That remark scored Heero a smack to the back of the head. "No! Heero, listen to me. By the time this child comes along Keitaro will be one."

"I did pass basic mathematics," Heero replied sarcastically.

"Heero, I'm warning you."

"Sorry."

"Think, Heero. Most of the baby stuff we had for Keitaro is in good condition, his crib, the linens, most of his new born baby clothes, bath and such. There's no need to buy all new items, this child will be just as cared for using Keitaro's things as if we were to buy new ones."

"Ah." Heero finally clicked. Then his face took on a look of panic. "What if the baby is a girl?"

"Eh?"

"Most of Keitaro's things are in blue; you can't have a baby girl dressed in blue."

"Why not?"

"Errr... "

"Heero, I don't think for one minute that the baby will mind being bathed in a blue baby bath, or having green towels, or wearing a blue jump suit. If it is a girl then we can always purchase a few items in -" Seeing the glint in Heero's eye, Duo quickly changed what he was about to say. "- lemon or lilac."

"Won't she need different diapers?"

"Pardon?" That had Duo completely stumped.

"Different diapers. Keitaro being a boy has that little... Umm.. He's built differently."

By now Duo didn't know whether to smack Heero again or give into the laughter that was doing its best to escape him. "I think I know the difference between a boy and a girl, Heero, and no, they wouldn't need different diapers."

"Who needs different diapers?" Sally asked as she reentered the room, Margaret and Keitaro right behind her.

Duo repeated the conversation for Sally, doing his best to hold his chuckles whilst Heero alternated between blushing madly and sending his husband death glares.

"Actually, if it is a girl you can fold the diapers slightly differently. With baby boys you tend to have a little more padding in the front, for obvious reasons. With baby girls that extra padding is better off a little further back. I'm sure Nurse Brown will be able to show you how to make any slight adjustments."

"Thank you, Sally." Heero turned back to his husband, a slightly smug smile on his face.

"I've taken some pictures of the baby with the ultra sound and I'll print them off now for you. I take it you're going to start another baby album like you did with Keitaro?"

Duo nodded. "I'd like to," he said, looking to Heero for confirmation.

Heero smiled and squeezed Duo's hand. "Whatever you want, little mother."

Duo's eyes clouded a touch with the endearment. Heero had called him that when he'd been pregnant with Keitaro and he hadn't cared all that much for it then – he still didn't care much for it. "Whatever I want?" Duo echoed, his eyebrow raising at the same time.

"Ah."

"What I'd really like right now is an orange. A big, juicy, orange." Duo added the puppy look he'd learnt from Quatre and batted his eyelashes.

Heero melted.

"Please?"

"Can he have one?" Heero asked Sally.

Both Sally and Nurse Brown had been watching the exchange with amusement. "Yes, he can have one, although I don't know if they have any in the Preventer Cafeteria."

"I'll go check. Back soon, Duo." Heero raised himself from the bed, pressed a kiss to his lover's lips and left the room in search of an orange.

"Any chance of having two?" Duo called out as Heero departed.

# # #

"Gentlemen," Une greeted the three lawyers that were seated around the large table.

"Commander," came the reply.

"Are you all prepared?" Une asked as she took a seat.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. You may continue and give me the outline of the case and the defense you intend to pursue," Une said and sat back in her chair.

The head solicitor stood up and with a sheaf of papers in his hand for reference should he need it, he gave the Commander what she'd asked for, a complete run down on the case and exactly how they intended to defend Agent Night.

As the solicitor proceeded, Une began to feel a bit better. She had been worried that the charges of murder that had been brought against Agent Night would stick, but her legal team had done their homework and done it thoroughly. The law was there to protect citizens and society and whilst it worked for the main part, there was the odd time when it was simply wrong.

As was the case now.

With Agent Night being injured and also pregnant again, the charges brought against him by the ESUN had to be defended and quickly. Une had called in just about every favor she was owed and managed to have the case held early and by video link. There was no way she would subject Agent Night to a court case in a few months time and put his entire life at risk.

As the solicitor wound up his briefing, Une relaxed. "Thank you, gentlemen. I believe you have an excellent defense for Agent Night." Une glanced to her watch. "The hearing will be in another five hours. Mr. Kerferd?"

The head solicitor looked up. "Yes, Commander?"

"You requested some time with Agent Night? That permission has been granted by his physician. I'd like you to accompany me to Agent Night's hospital room so we can brief him on the trial, go through the defense and check on any other relevant details he may have remembered since he spoke with you last."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"Gentlemen, we will reconvene in this room in four and a half hours." Une stood up, the lawyers following suit and gathering their paperwork together. Kerferd stuffed his papers into his briefcase and closed it. With the case in hand, he followed the Commander form the room to pay a visit to his client.

# # #

"It will be okay, Duo," Heero soothed and removed the tattered braid from his husband's fingers where they'd been methodically pulling away at it.

Large, violet eyes looked up and locked with cobalt. "But what if they find me guilty as charged? I _did_ kill those men, Heero."

"I know that you did, but there were extenuating circumstances, Duo. You didn't commit those murders because you wanted too, you had no choice in the matter."

"I should have," Duo muttered. "I should have found a way out of there, I should have fought them harder, I should have managed to get Keitaro and Nurse Brown out..."

"Duo, it's not your fault. There wasn't anything more you could have done. You did your best and you kept our son and his nanny safe. If you hadn't cooperated with them then who knows what they would have done to Keitaro."

"I didn't do a very good job of that either," Duo snapped. "Look what they did to Nurse Brown, they broke her wrist."

"From what both you and Nurse Brown have told me, there wasn't anything you could have done to prevent that either. You are not to blame here, Duo."

Duo closed his eyes and tried to force the memories away – but they wouldn't leave him. The solicitor had been in earlier with Une and gone through the entire defense with him. He knew he would have to answer questions from the prosecution and the defense, knew he would have to relive the entire, sordid mess again and he only hoped he could do it without throwing up or breaking down.

A pair of warm, solid arms encircled him and he leaned into the embrace. "I'll be right here with you through the entire thing," Heero whispered and pressed a kiss to the crown of Duo's head.

"I don't deserve you," Duo mumbled.

"No, you deserve much better," Heero replied and before Duo could say anything further, Heero kissed him soundly. By the time they surfaced for air, Duo had completely forgotten about arguing with his husband.

"I suppose I should make myself a little more presentable," Duo sighed. "They will be here very shortly to hook up the equipment for the trial."

"I'll help you," Heero replied and moved aside to assist Duo to sit up properly.

Between the two of them it didn't take long for Duo to have his hospital gown changed to a fresh pair of pajamas that Heero had brought in. The bed was smoothed down, Duo's face washed and his hair brushed before being neatly plaited once more.

"Thanks, Heero." Duo moved around a bit in the bed, pulling the blankets a little higher. "You can't tell..."

"No," Heero said quickly, knowing exactly what Duo was referring to. "You're only just starting to show and you're not that big yet that we can't pass it off as the dressing on your wound," he added to give his lover a little more confidence.

"God I love you so much."

"And I you, with all my heart and soul, Duo."

There was a soft knock to the door, both men looking up sharply.

"Guess this is it, Heero."

Heero nodded in reply and went to open the door.

# # #

"That's everything set up, ma'am," the technician stated as he straightened up from where he'd been connecting the last of the cables. "Just gotta test it now."

Une nodded and moved to the side to allow the man to test that the link was all working. On the bed, Duo watched the proceedings, his eyes taking in everything. Sitting in the chair at the side of Duo's bed, Heero was also watching, keen to see that nothing was amiss.

The tech began his checks, the video screen blinking into life first and then clearing to show an almost empty court room. Stepping behind the camera that had been set on a tripod, he adjusted the focus a touch. The headset was put on and the tech contacted his co-worker who was similarly checking equipment in the court room.

"Everything is working perfectly," he informed Une as he turned the camera off and placed the vid screen on stand-by.

"Thank you." Une checked the time. "We have ten minutes before the trial starts. Is there anything you need or want, Agents?" she asked Heero and Duo.

"I guess asking to be anywhere but here is out of the question?" Duo quipped.

"I'm afraid so," Une replied.

"Damn."

There was a light knock on the door followed by the entry of Mr Kerferd, the head solicitor, Sally and a court appointed representative.

"Gentlemen," Mr Kerferd greeted. "This is Mr Gilbert, he has been appointed by the court to sit in on this end of the trial to make sure that everything is done above board," he stated as he introduced the other man.

Duo nodded. "Pleased to meet you."

Heero grunted and eyed the man up and down.

Mr Gilbert shivered under the stare that Heero gave him but managed to retain his composure. "A pleasure to meet you both," he returned. "I will sit in the corner over here out of the way. It's my job to make sure that everything that takes place in this room is legal and the same as would take place should you have been able to attend this hearing in the court room."

"Thank you," Duo replied and then turned his attention to the solicitor who was busy removing papers from his briefcase and setting them on the table that had been brought into Duo's room.

Sally moved to Duo's bedside and checked his vitals. All were normal. "I'll be here for the entire thing, Duo. If at any stage I feel you are getting unduly stressed or there is a danger to your health and recovery, I will be calling a recess. Similarly, if you start to feel distressed or ill at any stage, you let me know immediately."

"I will, Sally," Duo replied, the gratitude coming through in his tone.

"Is everyone ready?" the technician asked.

"Agent Night?" Kerferd asked. "Are you ready to proceed?"

"As ready as I'm ever going to be," Duo replied and took a firm hold on Heero's hand that had been resting on the bed covers beside him.

Heero gave his husband's hand a gentle squeeze and offered a soft smile of encouragement.

The technician brought the vid screen back on line and adjusted his equipment. The screen showed the court room again, only this time the remainder of the defense team were now in residence, along with the prosecution. Duo gave a soft shudder and swallowed hard.

The technician checked that the court room occupants could hear and see everything clearly from the hospital and confirmed that they were able to see and hear everything happening in the court room.

The bailiff opened a door to the side and stepped back. "All rise," he stated in a loud, clear voice.

Everyone in the court room stood, similarly everyone in Duo's hospital room except for Duo also stood. The judge entered the room and made his way to his chair. He nodded to those present in the room and then nodded to the vid screen before seating himself.

"Judge Watkins is now in residence," the bailiff stated and moved to stand beside the Judge's podium. Holding a piece of paper in his hand, the bailiff read out the charges. "Case #395-412. The people versus Preventer Agent Night. Preventer Agent Night is charged with three counts of murder and two counts of breaking and entering with intent to commit murder."

The judge looked to the vid screen. "How does the defendant plead?"

"Not guilty on all accounts, your honor," Kerferd replied.

"Then let the trial begin."

tbc...


	123. Chapter 123

**Many thanks to all of you for reading and big hugs for the kind reviews and encouragement!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 123

With the judge's words, Kerferd gave a nod and reached for his glass of water. He took a couple of swallows, picked up the sheaf of papers and cleared his throat. Looking directly at the vid screen, Kerferd began his opening address.

"Your honor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, it is my intention to prove to you all that my client, Agent Night, whilst he admits to having ended the lives of three, prominent men in the ESUN, the acts were committed under extreme duress and with grave reluctance. In fact, Agent Night was given no choice in the decision. I have testimonies from well-respected people and a couple of witnesses that will also prove my client's position in relation to these murders. I trust that the jury will listen carefully to all evidence as it is presented and use compassion and understanding when drawing their conclusions and committing to their findings."

Kerferd set his notes down and nodded to the judge.

"Thank you, Mr Kerferd. We will now hear from the prosecution. Mr Rivers?"

On the vid screen a tall, thin man stood up. "Your honor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury. The prosecution will present to you in cold, hard facts that this man," Rivers waved his hand at the vid screen where Duo's picture was obviously being shown to those in the court room, "this man, planned in minute detail, the murders of three well known men, men who were working within the ESUN to build a better, peaceful life for the citizens of the Earth and Colonies. These murders were committed in cold blood, pre-meditated and planned to the precise second. The prosecution will provide forensic evidence to support these charges, and the truth is hard to deny. I implore the jury to consider all the facts, the evidence and put this cold blooded killer behind bars where he belongs and should remain for the rest of his life."

In the hospital room, Une had to take a deep breath and calm herself. Duo swallowed hard and felt his stomach sinking. The words from the prosecution struck deep into his heart and while he knew he'd had no choice but to commit those murders, to have the prosecution talking about him in such a manner cut him deep to the core.

Heero was having a difficult time in controlling his rage. That man didn't know anything about Duo, what he'd endured, the pain, torment and soul searching he'd gone through whilst in the hands of Nolen and Barton. Duo was a kind, gentle, loving soul and hated killing. He'd hated it throughout the war, despised it, but carried out his instructions, knowing it was a necessary part of what and who he was, the same as Heero had done; but that didn't mean they enjoyed it.

A squeeze to his hand had Heero looking up at his husband's worried face. "Ignore him, Duo," Heero whispered. "He has no idea what happened."

"But what if the jury..."

"They won't believe him. Kerferd will make sure of that. You also have witnesses, don't forget," Heero continued to whisper.

Wanting nothing more than a reassuring kiss right now, Duo had to settle for the comforting words and gentle rubbing of Heero's thumb across the back of his hand.

"Thank you, gentlemen," the judge stated and glanced to his paperwork. "Gentlemen, we will have a five minute recess to allow you both to prepare. Mr Rivers, the prosecution may present their case first."

"As you wish, your honor," Rivers replied.

"Court is adjourned for five minutes." The judge banged his gavel down on his desk.

"All rise," said the bailiff as the judge stood to walk out of the court for the recess.

Once the judge had gone, Kerferd turned his full attention to Duo. "The prosecution will state their case and proceed to try and prove that you are guilty by using forensic evidence. We already know you were there and committed the murders and when we present the defense we will address the forensic evidence. The prosecution will also want to question you; I want you to answer those questions as honestly as you can." Seeing a frown appearing on Duo's face, Kerferd quickly continued. "I will be here the entire time and should any of the prosecution's questions be out of line, not relevant or possibly incriminating, I will be objecting to the question. Listen to whatever is said and look at me before answering. I will let you know with a nod of my head if it's okay for you to answer. Do you have any questions?"

"No, I don't think so. I'm pretty sure you've covered it all," Duo replied.

"Good. Once it is our turn to present the defense, we have very strong witnesses that will testify that you were forced to commit these murders against your will."

"Thank you."

"Excuse me," Sally interrupted, "But I need to check my patient and make sure he's not becoming too stressed with all this."

"Certainly, doctor," Kerferd replied and moved aside for Sally to do what was necessary.

Whilst Sally checked Duo's vitals and had a few words with both Duo and Heero, Une exchanged words with Kerferd; mainly double checking the line of questioning he was intending to take when presenting his defense. Satisfied, Une returned to her seat against the wall of the room.

"Your blood pressure is slightly elevated, Duo. I want you to try and remain calm, take deeper breaths and relax. If it goes up too much more I'm afraid I'll have to call a temporary halt to the proceedings until you return to a stable level."

Duo nodded. "I'll do my best."

Sally patted the back of his hand. "I know you will," she smiled.

"All rise," came the bailiff's voice from the vid screen.

The judge entered the court room again and sat down. Banging his gavel, he spoke. "This court is now in session. Prosecution, will you please present your case."

"Yes, your honor."

Rivers began his spiel, explaining to the judge and jury that he would be dealing with the cases of the two assassinated ambassadors first and then the case of Senator Jefferies. Having outlined the case of the assassinations, Rivers called his first witness: Agent Autumn.

The agent was sworn in and Rivers approached the witness stand. "Please state your name and occupation within the Preventer Organization."

"Agent Autumn and I work in the forensics department," Autumn replied.

Rivers continued with his questioning, relating mostly to the collection of evidence from the crime scenes of the two ambassadors. He established that there had been sufficient evidence recovered from the crime scenes for the Preventer labs to determine the identity of the assassin.

"Thank you, Agent Autumn," Rivers stated and turned to the judge. "No further questions, your honor."

"Mr Kerferd, do you wish to question the witness?" the judge asked.

"Not at this time, your honor, but I reserve the right to recall the witness at a later point in the trial should I need to," replied Kerferd.

The judge nodded. "Noted. Agent Autumn, you are free to leave. Mr Rivers, you may continue."

"The prosecution calls Agent Summer to the stand."

Agent Summer entered the court room and took his place in the witness box where he was sworn in.

"Please state your name and occupation for the court," Rivers requested.

"Agent Summer. I am the head of Forensics at Preventer Headquarters," replied Summer.

"Thank you. Agent Summer, I would ask you to cast your mind back several weeks to when you were asked to examine some fingerprints and DNA test several items recovered from the crime scenes at the residences of the L1 and L3 ambassadors..."

The trial continued, Duo biting his lip as the evidence began to stack up against him. He knew he was guilty of committing the murders, but to have it all set out in front of him only brought the hatred and self loathing back even stronger.

Sally kept a close eye on her patient, determined to call a break should Duo show any signs of becoming distressed. Sitting beside Duo, Heero continued to hold his husband's hand, stroking his thumb across the back of it and giving a light squeeze of reassurance from time to time. Deep inside, Heero was seething with anger as he listened to the evidence. He knew Duo had committed those assassinations and his heart bled for his partner as they were forced to sit through the evidence.

Over to the side, Une bit her lip to stop herself from getting up and protesting. She already knew, as did the rest of those present in the room, what Duo had done, been forced to do and whilst she wanted nothing more than for the torture to end, she also know it was how the justice system worked. They would simply have to tough it out for now. Once Kerferd took the floor she had no doubt he would be presenting a strong case to explain Duo's actions. Despite it all, Une was quietly confident that Duo would not be convicted of the charges of pre-meditated murder.

Having finished his questioning of Agent Summer and establishing through the Forensic results of the DNA testing that Duo had been present at the scene of the murders, Rivers ceased his questioning. "No further questions, your honor."

"Mr Kerferd, do you wish to question the witness?" the judge asked.

"Not at this time, your honor," Kerferd replied.

"Mr Rivers, you may call your next witness."

"The prosecution will now move onto the murder of Senator Jefferies. The prosecution calls Agent Sand to the witness box."

Agent Sand came in and took the oath. Seating himself he waited for the questions to be asked. Rivers simply wanted to know what Agent Sand had found when called out to the scene of Jefferies' accident.

Sand recounted all he could remember, from scouring the area along the road side to moving through the undergrowth and eventually under the bridge where he located an explosive device. Agent Sleet was called in next and asked for his account of what had happened. The agent also recalled all he could remember, his story verifying that of Agent Sand's moments ago.

"When I managed to climb up to the top of the bridge support I could clearly see it was an explosive device," Sleet stated.

"What did you do then?" asked Rivers.

"I told my fellow agent what I'd found and asked him to let the Captain know and have the explosives experts come take a look as soon as possible."

"Who did the Captain send?"

"Agent Rain, sir."

"Thank you, Agent Sleet; unless the defense has any questions, you may step down."

Kerferd again declined to question the witness, there wasn't any need or purpose to at this point in time. Kerferd knew Duo had committed murder, it was his job to prove that those murders had been committed under force and duress. He would have his chance once the prosecution was finished.

"The prosecution calls Agent Rain to the stand."

Agent Rain entered the court room looking decidedly uncomfortable. He knew why he was here having already given a statement to his superiors; but like so many other agents in Preventer, he knew Agent Night, liked and admired the man. To have to stand up in a court of law and testify that a fellow agent had committed murder just wasn't sitting well with him. He would answer the questions, but he wasn't happy about it.

Once Rain was sworn in, Rivers got right to the point. "You were the explosives expert called in to examine and diffuse the device located under the bridge?"

"That is correct."

"I understand it didn't take you long to disarm the device?"

"Correct."

"Agent Rain, would you be so kind as to inform the jury and this court room why you were able to disarm the device in such a short time?"

Rain swallowed and fixed his gaze on the wall ahead of him. "The device was the same as one in which we had been trained on during our explosives training. I was very familiar with its construction and how to disarm it quickly."

"Agent Rain, can you tell me who your instructor in explosives was? Who the person was that introduced you to this type of explosive device?"

Rain lowered his head. "Agent Night," he whispered.

"No further questions, your honor."

# # #

Rivers finished his questioning and presented the facts to the court room. Aside from the testimonies given by the witnesses, Rivers also had the hard copy evidence; the results from the DNA testing, photographs of the bomb found underneath the bridge and comparison photos of the same bomb from the training sessions stored in the Preventer archives.

Glancing at the jury on the vid screen, Duo was rapidly losing all hope of escaping a jail sentence.

"The court will adjourn for lunch. We will reconvene in forty-five minutes and the defense will have its opportunity to present its case." The judge banged the gavel down hard.

"All rise," said the bailiff.

The judge left the court room and the technician turned the camera and vid screen off. "I'm going to grab some lunch. I'll be back in forty minutes," he said before disappearing.

Gilbert also stood and announced his intention to find some form of refreshment, Commander Une not far behind him.

"Don't worry, Agent Night. It's our turn next and once the jury knows of the circumstances surrounding these murders, I'm sure they will be more than sympathetic to your case," Kerferd said as he shoved papers back into his briefcase.

"Why didn't the prosecution call Duo to the stand?" Heero asked. Duo was curious to know the answer to that too as he'd fully expected the prosecution to have him up there and grill him on what he'd done.

"He's waiting," Kerferd replied. "He knows I will have Agent Night on the stand and questioning him; once I'm through he will step up and ask his own questions in an attempt to discredit what answers Agent Night has given. That's fine as I plan on questioning Agent Night once more after Rivers has had his shot. Don't forget, we also have witnesses to back up your statements and actions."

"I guess you know what you're doing," Duo muttered.

"Yes, I do," Kerferd smiled. "I'll be back shortly."

Once everyone was gone from the room, Sally stepped forward and checked Duo over. She was pleased to note that all was still fine with the recovering man. "I'll go fetch you some lunch," she said as she put the chart back in the holder.

"Thanks, Sally, but I don't think I could eat much at the moment," Duo replied.

"Duo, you need to eat to keep up your own strength and don't forget the baby too," Heero whispered, a touch concerned.

"I know," Duo sighed, "but all this trial thing has pretty much destroyed my appetite."

"I'll go get something anyway and even if you don't eat all of it now you can pick at it as the trial continues. I'll get something for you too, Heero." Without waiting to hear any objections, Sally left on her errand.

Alone at last, Heero stood up and stretched. "That lot is off, isn't it?" he questioned as he strode towards the technician's equipment and checked that all had in fact been turned off.

"I guess so," Duo replied as he picked at the blanket.

"Good." Heero turned and within a couple of strides was back at Duo's bedside and winding his arms around his lover. Holding Duo close, Heero feathered kisses along the throat and jaw, reaching those sweet lips and stealing them for a very thorough and intense kiss.

"Oh, god, Heero."

"I've been wanting to hold you, kiss away the pain for the last few hours," Heero confessed.

"Just having you here with me is a big help," Duo murmured and pressed his cheek against the strong chest.

"I vowed to remain beside you through anything and everything, Duo; I meant every word. I love you with all my heart and soul, Duo. There's no way I would leave you to face something like this alone."

"What happens if I'm found guilty on all charges and sent to jail?" Duo's voice held a touch of panic to it. There was no way he could go to jail, not in his condition. Being what was commonly known as a 'pretty boy' in jail would be bad enough, even if he did have the skills to keep himself safe; but to be in jail _and_ pregnant...

"You won't go to jail," Heero vowed. "I won't let them lock you up; Une won't let them lock you up."

"Heero, we have to be prepared for the worst possible scenario," Duo soothed.

"Duo, if they do sentence you, we will appeal. I'm sure Sally will be able to come up with a medical reason for you not to be incarcerated."

"As if being pregnant isn't enough?"

"You could always plead insanity," came a voice from the doorway. Both men looked up sharply.

"Wu-man," Duo called out.

"It's Wufei, Maxwell."

"What are you doing here?" Duo asked, ignoring the rebuff.

"I am one of the witnesses in the defense," Wufei replied as he stepped fully into the room. "Besides, if they do try to incarcerate you I'm sure that between Yuy and myself we could break you out in no time."

"Did you just make a joke, Wuffers?"

"I'd be very careful how you pronounce the name of someone who just might hold your fate in their hands, Maxwell."

"Guess you could have a point there."

Wufei took a seat against the wall of the room. "How is the trial progressing so far?" he asked.

"Not too good," replied Heero. "The prosecution has finished for the moment, but all the evidence is stacking up against Duo. They have the forensic proof that Duo was there, that he committed the murders."

"We already know he is responsible, but that is why I'm here, to assist in backing up the defense in proving that Maxwell had no choice, that in fact, he did try to help us locate him and prevent the next murder." Wufei's eyes glittered. "Justice will be done, Maxwell."

Duo had his doubts, but for now, his fate was no longer in his hands.

# # #

The lunch break finished, the various people returned and the trial got underway once more. Kerferd took the floor, an air of quiet confidence about him as he gave a short speech to open his defense.

"Your honor, ladies and gentlemen. We have heard from the prosecution and whilst we do not dispute the facts, the hard evidence that my client, Agent Night, did commit the murders, we do dispute that the murders were pre-meditated and performed in cold blood. In fact, we will present to you, evidence that the murders were committed under extreme duress and protest from my client, in fact, as you will soon see, he was given no choice in the matters."

Kerferd turned his back to the screen and walked over to his table. Glancing quickly at his notes, he turned back to the judge and spoke in a confident tone. "The defense calls its first witness, Margaret Brown."

Duo's eyes widened a touch. He knew the nurse had given her statement, but he hadn't expected her to be called as a witness.

Nurse Brown strode into the room, her head held high and a look of no nonsense about her. The cast on her wrist stood out in stark contrast to the dark blue of her skirt and top. Taking up residence next to the seat that represented the witness box, she waited for Mr Gilbert to approach and swear her in. Once done, she carefully sat down and looked to Kerferd as he approached with a soft smile on his lips.

"Please state your name and occupation for the court."

"My name is Margaret Brown, I am a nanny to the Maxwell-Yuy's child. I was formerly a nurse here at Preventer."

Kerferd asked the nurse several questions, all related to Duo's character, then he switched topic slightly. "Tell me about what happened on the day you took the child to the park..."

Nurse Brown frowned a touch before recalling the memories of feeding the ducks with Keitaro and being approached by the stranger. All those in the hospital room remained silent, listening intently to the nurse as she told of her kidnapping and being taken to the house and locked in the basement. Duo already knew the story, the nurse having relayed it to him when he'd also been a 'guest' of Nolen's, but Heero had yet to hear all the details. As he did, so he fervently wished that Nolen and his followers had still been alive so he could have had the pleasure of killing them.

"I'm not sure just how long the child and myself had been in the basement before Agent Night showed up," the nurse finished.

Kerferd asked a few more questions and then moved on to the circumstances surrounding her broken wrist.

Margaret told the court how Duric and Murphy had come into the basement with Duo and proceeded to show Duo how serious they were regarding their demands he assassinate the L1 ambassador by breaking her wrist. "Agent Night had no choice but to go along with what they asked, they had already broken my wrist as proof that they were serious. If he didn't do as requested, they would hurt the child next," she stated, the anger clear in her tone. "Animals, that's all they were, animals. How anyone could hurt a child..."

"Thank you, Margaret," Kerferd interrupted before the nurse could get into a full blown rant. "No more questions, your honor."

"Mr Rivers, do you wish to question the witness?"

"Not at the moment, your honor," Rivers replied.

"The witness is dismissed," said the judge. "Kerferd, you may call your next witness."

"The defense calls Agent Fire to the stand."

Wufei stood up and walked calmly to where Gilbert awaited him and swore him in. Taking his seat, Wufei schooled his features to neutrality and waited for the questioning to begin.

Kerferd started by asking the usual questions, what Wufei did within the Preventer organization and how he knew Agent Night. Having established that part, Kerferd moved on to the investigation of the L1 ambassador's death. "How did you know it was Agent Night that had committed the murders?"

Wufei patiently explained about the nanny and child going missing, the disappearance of Agent Night and the following murder of the L1 ambassador. He also related the clues that Duo had left for them and then went on to explain the discovery of the L3 ambassador's body and the cryptic message left on the ambassador's computer. "I have no doubt in my mind that Agent Night was forced to commit these murders against his will. I have worked with the agent on many cases, have been caught up in scenarios I would prefer not to be, and every time I have found Agent Night to be calm and efficient, using every available option to insure the best possible outcome of these situations. In all the time Agent Night has worked on cases, never once has he drawn his gun or any other weapon with the intent to kill. Agent Night is well aware of just how precious life is and knowing him as an agent and personal friend, there is no way he would kill anyone if there was any way possible to avoid it. If anything, Agent Night should be commended..."

Kerferd raised an eyebrow. "How do you come to that conclusion?"

"If it were not for the cryptic clues he was able to leave, many other deaths could have occurred. By leaving those clues, we knew who was to be next on the perpetrators' 'hit list' and as such, increase security around that person to prevent it from happening. I also know that having no choice in the matter of killing the ambassadors, Agent Night did the only thing he could do," Wufei lowered his voice, "he killed them quickly and efficiently. I very much doubt they would have suffered in any way at all."

"No further questions, your honor."

"Does the prosecution have any questions?"

"Yes, your honor." Rivers stood up and walked towards the vid screen where he could look directly at Wufei. "Agent Fire, you stated that Agent Night killed the ambassadors quickly and efficiently, correct?"

Wufei narrowed his eyes. "Yes, I believe that is what I said."

"Tell me, how would you know if the method used was quick and efficient?"

Wufei looked stunned for a moment. "It was covered in my training," he replied, declining to elaborate on just what training he was referring to.

"Then that means if the method used by Agent Night to commit the murders was quick and efficient, he would have gone through the same training, and to be that good he has obviously had quite a lot of practice in this area? A cold blooded killer in fact?"

"Objection, your honor!" Kerferd stated hotly.

"I retract the question, your honor. No further questions." Rivers looked smug as he took his seat once more

"The jury will please disregard the prosecution's questions. If there are no further questions, the witness may step down."

Wufei looked horror struck as he realized where the prosecution's questioning had gone, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. Despite the judge ordering the jury to dismiss the questions and answers, Wufei knew the seeds of doubt had been sown. He stood and left the chair, passing by Maxwell's bed as he headed for the door. He paused. "I am sorry," he said softly.

"Not your fault, Wufei," Duo replied in a whisper. "Maybe I _should_ try for that plea of insanity."

Wufei felt as if he'd been cut through the heart. There wasn't anything more he could say and so with his head bowed, he left the room.

"Kerferd? Do you require a recess or are you ready to continue?" the judge asked.

"I would prefer to continue, your honor. The defense calls Colin Farrow to the witness box."

The door to the side in the court room opened and Farrow, handcuffed and flanked by two guards, was ushered into the court room. He was quickly sworn in and took a seat in the witness box. Once the formalities had been taken care of, Kerferd stepped forward to the vid screen and addressed the witness.

"You were working for a terrorist group headed by a person called Anthony Nolen, correct?"

"Yes," Farrow replied.

Kerferd went on to outline the plans the group had put in place, their dissatisfaction with the speed at which the L2 Colony was receiving assistance and their decision to take matters into their own hands to rectify that problem. "It was the intent of your groups' founder to assassinate prominent world leaders one by one until their demands were met, correct?"

"Yes," Farrow stated.

"And how did this Nolen propose to assassinate these leaders?"

Farrow looked up. "He told us he knew of someone that would be able to take out these officials without any problem, but this person may need a little persuasion to join our cause. He had a couple of the other guys follow this person for a while and observe what was most closest to him. Once he'd established that the child and the nanny were the most likely candidates, he arranged for a couple of the guys to kidnap the nanny and child. Once he had them in his possession, he contacted the person of interest."

"And who was this person?"

"Agent Night."

"Tell me, how did your boss plan on getting Agent Night to assassinate the ambassadors?"

Lowering his head, Farrow began to talk. "He threatened to kill the child or the nanny if the guy didn't do as he wanted. To make it clear that he wasn't bluffing, he had one of the others break the nanny's wrist. He was given blueprints to the residences and told what he had to do. Failure to complete the task or any attempt to make contact with outside persons would result in the child or the nanny being killed."

"How did Agent Night react to this?"

"He wasn't at all happy. You could tell he didn't want to do it, he protested against it all the time; he even tried to persuade the boss that killing wasn't the way to get his point across. The boss didn't want to know though and Night was driven out to the residences where he killed those ambassadors and the Senator that gave my boss a hard time."

"Would you say that Agent Night committed these murders in cold blood, pre-meditated their murders?"

"No. The boss was the one that had it all worked out, he's the one that planned it all, Night was just the pawn used to execute the final blow."

"No further questions, your honor."

"Mr Rivers?" asked the judge.

"No questions, your honor."

"The witness may step down."

Farrow looked relieved as he exited the witness box and was led away by the guards.

"The defense calls Agent Night to the witness box."

tbc...


	124. Chapter 124

**Many thanks to all for reading and hugs for the kind reviews. I hope I didn't leave you all waiting too long.**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 124

Heero gave his partner's hand a squeeze and offered a smile of encouragement before vacating the chair next to the hospital bed for Gilbert to approach and swear his husband in.

Returning the smile, Duo squashed the feeling of fear that wanted to rise. He had nothing to be fearful of. Turning his eyes to Gilbert, Duo raised his right hand and placed it on the bible held out to him. He repeated the oath and made himself comfortable – as comfortable as he could anyway under the circumstances.

Kerferd approached and with his back to the vid screen, gave Duo a firm but encouraging nod of his head. "Please state your name and position within the Preventer organization."

"Agent Night. I am a field agent and explosives expert within the Preventer group," Duo replied clearly.

"Your position as a field agent within the organization I assume would involve assignments that are not only dangerous, but life threatening at times?"

"Yes. I am not allowed to divulge exact information in relation to the cases I work on, but they are dangerous and they can be life threatening."

"I would also assume that field agents undergo specialized training?" Kerferd asked.

"Yes. All agents within the Preventer organization are required to undergo training specific to the field in which they are employed," Duo responded.

"Without going into too much detail, could you please give the court an idea of some of the assignments and training a field agent of your caliber would be expected to undertake?"

"My line of work generally encompasses the riskier assignments, working to bring terrorists to justice, preventing attacks, rescuing hostages, infiltration, disarming explosives; things like that. The training is quite intense, not just the physical, but also the tactical and psychological. An agent is expected to have an in depth knowledge of weapons, explosives, terrorist tactics and the like, to be able to react in an instant to any and all possible scenarios."

"You mentioned an in depth knowledge of firearms. I assume you are also trained in the use of weapons?"

"Yes."

"Agent Night, your record of employment within the Preventer organization shows you to be a valuable, honest and reliable employee; one who is not just well liked by his fellow agents, but a hard worker with skills second to none..."

Duo's face began to redden a touch with the unexpected praise and he fiddled with his blanket.

"From what I understand of the position you are employed in and some of the assignments you are expected to carry out, there are instances where you would need to draw your firearm or other weapon, need to protect both yourself and others; correct?"

"Yes." Duo's face darkened a touch.

"Agent Night, have you ever pulled your gun or weapon on another person during an assignment?"

"Yes," Duo whispered.

"Tell me, Agent Night, the Preventer organization has protocols in place, rules and such on the handling of various cases, correct?"

"Yes, it does. All agents are required to learn the rules and regulations."

"Agent Night, could you please inform the court of the rules relating to the use of firearms when on assignment?"

Duo patiently recited from memory the rules and regulations, much to Une's and Wufei's amusement. Wufei knew Maxwell had an excellent memory when he decided to use it, unfortunately that wasn't very often and Wufei hadn't thought Maxwell had read up and studied the rules of the Preventer group – seemed he was wrong.

"An agent is to attempt any and all other options other than the use of a firearm available to him to secure the offender(s). Should those attempts fail, the agent is authorized to draw and use his weapon. However, life is to be preserved wherever possible," Duo finished.

"How would you sum up that last regulation, Agent?"

"When all else fails, you can use your weapon, but do not aim to kill," Duo promptly replied.

"Have you used your weapon in the line of duty?"

"Yes," Duo replied, looking pale.

Sally shot the lawyer a warning look.

"Agent Night, when you have been in a situation where you've been forced to use your weapon, have you killed the other person?"

Duo closed his eyes. "No," he replied. "I have followed the rules and incapacitated the offender."

"Have you ever wanted to ignore protocol and take the offender down?"

Duo looked up sharply. "Yes, quite a few times. There are some people out there that really do not deserve to exist given the crimes they have committed, however, I am not the one to make that decision. My job is to bring them to justice, to face the law and pay for their crimes in the manner the law dictates."

Lowering his head, Duo stared at the blankets covering his body. "Life is precious," he added softly and gave his belly a subtle stroke.

"Agent Night, in your own words, please tell the court what happened on the day you got that call in regards to your son and his nanny and what happened from there."

Violet eyes clouded for a moment as Duo composed his thoughts. Looking straight at the vid screen, he called forth the memories and began to speak.

The hospital room, along with the court room remained totally silent throughout Duo's recollection. No one dared to even cough. Duo related the events that occurred in the Diner with Duric, leading up to his being taken to Nurse Brown and Keitaro. He told how he met with Nolen, put together two and two in regards to the body of Cropp that had been found in the ESUN headquarters.

His voice took on a darker tone when he related the request from Nolen that he assassinate the L1 ambassador. He told of his arguments with Nolen, his attempts to get the man to see reason and forget the violence, to approach the ESUN and associated parties with his concerns and demands.

When he reached the part of Nolen threatening Keitaro and the nanny, Duo's voice turned angry. He confirmed what both Farrow and Nurse Brown had already testified, that Nolen had planned out the entire assassination, that he'd had Duric break the nurse's wrist to show Duo that he wasn't joking in his threats to harm the two should Duo fail to comply.

"If I'd wanted to kill anyone willingly, it was those bastards," Duo hissed. "I wanted to break their necks for threatening an innocent child, for hurting an innocent woman, but I couldn't. I was forced to comply with their orders, if I didn't they would have done more harm to the child and nanny; and that was something I couldn't allow to happen."

Duo paused for a moment and took the offered glass of water. He swallowed quickly, wetting his parched throat and handed the glass back to Heero. Fingers touched briefly, but it was enough for Duo to know that Heero was with him all the way on this.

"Are you okay to continue?" Kerferd asked, "Or would you like a break?"

"I'd rather continue," Duo replied. "I want to get this over and done with, the memories are not all that.. pleasant."

Kerferd nodded. "What happened when the men came to get you that evening...?"

Taking another deep breath, Duo focused once more on his memories and drew them forth. "I was driven to the residence where the L1 ambassador was staying and given a communicator and a rather blunt knife..."

By the time Duo had finished recounting his story relating to the assassinations of the ambassadors and Senator Jefferies he was exhausted. Tears shone in his eyes when he'd told of the murders themselves and a few times he'd had to pause to regain his composure or breakdown completely. Heero had remained to the side through the entire confession, his heart breaking and arms aching to hold his lover, wrap him up and take him far away from here.

Sally had interrupted twice and insisted on checking her patient over. She had tried to get Duo to take a break, but the braided man refused. He insisted he wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible.

Reluctantly, Sally had allowed him to continue.

Une seethed with anger at what her agent had been forced to endure. She was already well aware of what Night had gone through, having read his statements and sat through the debriefing. She was also aware of how Kerferd had planned on tackling this case, his decision to let Duo just tell it as it had happened rather than have the story told by question and answer.

It was a strategic maneuver, one that would be to Duo's benefit; or so she had been told.

But still she felt the young man's pain and felt for him at being put through all of this. It wasn't fair, he shouldn't be facing these charges at all, if anything, the people should be thanking him; him _and_ the other agents for preventing what could have been a very nasty ending.

But Barton was another issue entirely and whilst related to this case, it wasn't what was on trial now.

Une just hoped and prayed that Kerferd knew what he was doing.

"Agent Night, I realize how hard that must have been for you. Before I'm finished, I have a couple more questions for you. Were you forced to commit the murders of the L1 and L3 ambassadors and one Senator Jefferies?"

"Yes," Duo said clearly and hung his head, unable to look at anyone.

"Agent Night, had the kidnappers not had your son and the nanny as hostages, would you have committed those murders?"

Duo's eyes widened. "Hell NO!"

"No more questions, your honor."

"Mr Rivers, do you wish to question the witness?"

"Yes, your honor."

"You may proceed."

Violet eyes watched as the prosecution moved towards the vid screen and stared at him. Duo swallowed nervously and chanced a glance out the corner of his eye, relieved to see Kerferd watching Rivers' every move.

"Agent Night, I have one question for you. Did you kill the L1 and L3 ambassadors and Senator Jefferies?"

Duo looked helplessly at Kerferd whose face had gone red with anger.

"Objection!"

"Sustained."

"Did you or did you not kill those men?"

"Objection, your honor."

In the court room and hospital room, the various people began to mutter amongst themselves.

"It's a simple enough question..."

"Objection! Badgering the witness!" Kerferd declared hotly.

"Sustained!"

"It only takes a yes or no answer," Rivers pushed.

"Objection, your honor!"

"Sustained!"

"You killed them in cold blood, didn't you?" Rivers snarled.

"No!" Duo felt sick.

"You planned this out, killed them in cold blood and took pictures," sneered Rivers.

The murmuring amongst those present rose.

"OBJECTION! Agent Night has already stated he was _forced_ to kill those men," Kerferd all but yelled.

The judge's gavel banged down hard several times, startling everyone in the court room and hospital room alike into silence. "Objection SUSTAINED!" Judge Watkins roared. Then, in a softer tone he turned to face Duo through the vid screen. "You do not have to answer that," the judge said, and then turning his attention to Rivers, he growled, "Rivers..."

"No further questions, your honor," Rivers stated with a smirk at Duo before sauntering back to his seat.

The judge began to bang his gavel as people started to murmur once more amongst themselves. Heero was grateful the prosecution wasn't in the same room, otherwise Duo wouldn't be the only one facing charges of murder. Sally had watched Duo carefully and with the pushing of the prosecution her concern had risen. Seeing her patient turning slightly green, she stood up and was beside Duo in a second.

Despite the judge banging his gavel and calling for order, people were still continuing in their muttering to each other. Sally soon stopped them all in their tracks though.

"ENOUGH!" she yelled.

The silence was instant, even the judge pausing with his gavel in mid air to stare at the woman who had the audacity to take over his authority.

"As this agent's physician I am concerned for his health and as such I am calling an immediate halt to these proceedings so I may treat my patient," Sally barked in a tone that clearly brooked no argument.

The judge blinked for a moment then brought his gavel down hard upon the sound block. "Court is adjourned for one hour."

# # #

Once the judge had declared an hour's recess, Duo's room had emptied out pretty fast. Gilbert had been the first one out the door, the technician hot on his heels as soon as he'd shut down the equipment. Kerferd had gone to approach his client when a glare from Sally stopped the lawyer dead in his tracks. Une had intervened and taken the protesting lawyer out of the room and along with Agent Fire, she took the lawyer to her office so she could discuss how the case was going with him there. Wufei had tagged along in the role of looking out for the Commander and also to glean what information he could from the man as to how the trial was playing out.

Only Heero remained other than Sally, and he had no intentions of going anywhere. Not caring who witnessed what, Heero was beside his lover a second after the gavel had connected with the sound block and pulled the distressed man into his arms.

"It's okay, Duo," Heero soothed, holding his lover close and running a calming hand down the American's back. "I'm so sorry you had to go through all that again. You're safe now, I've got you."

"Heero, I really need to check him over," came Sally's voice from the side.

"I know," came Heero's reply and he shifted slightly. Unfortunately, Duo only held on tighter, unwilling to release his lover and the safety Heero's arms offered.

"Duo, it's okay. Sally wants to check you over. I'm just going to move to the side so she can do what she has to. I'm not going anywhere, I'll be right here with you," Heero cajoled and did his best to move again.

This time Duo released his tight grip and allowed Heero to shift to sit on the side of the bed, but he took a firm hold of Heero's hand. With a light chuckle, Heero slipped his arm around Duo's shoulders.

"Damn lawyers," Sally muttered as she proceeded to take Duo's vitals. "They should all be taken out and shot. I knew I should have insisted this case wait to be heard until you were all healed up from the surgery," she continued.

"Sally, there's only one problem with waiting," Heero said softly and placed his hand lightly on Duo's belly.

"Yeah, I guess you have a point there, Heero. What I'd love to do to that prosecutor though if I could get my hands on him."

"You might want to get in line."

"Sally, I don't feel so good," Duo said quietly, interrupting the pair.

"Shit! Heero, grab that bowl, quick!" Sally ordered and Heero was in motion before she'd even finished speaking. Looking around and spotting what Sally was asking for on the side table, he grabbed the bowl and passed it over. Sally snatched it up it and managed to hold it in front of Duo just as the braided man gave the first of several heaves.

All Heero could do was watch and rub comforting circles on his husband's back as Duo proceeded to empty the entire contents of his stomach into the bowl.

After a couple of minutes, Duo's vomiting eased and he leaned back against the pillows, sweat running down his face. Sally handed over a glass of water and Duo dutifully rinsed his mouth out, spitting the water into the bowl. Whilst Sally disappeared to empty the bowl, Heero fetched a wash cloth from the adjoining bathroom, wetting it and wiping his husband's face.

"Feel better?" Heero asked as he tenderly wiped away the sweat.

"A bit," Duo replied, his eyes closed and body completely limp. He had no energy left at all.

Sally reentered the room, a clean bowl in her hand which she set down on the table next to Duo's bed. "I need to check the wound site, Duo, make sure you haven't busted any stitches. I'll re-wrap your ribs too."

Duo groaned, but let the doctor have her way. He was sore, the muscles he'd used to expel the contents of his stomach had pulled on the wound site and caused his ribs to ache fiercely.

Fortunately, no stitches had given way, although a couple looked to be a bit strained. The wound was given a fresh dressing, the ribs checked and also wrapped firmly again.

"Your temperature is up a touch, Duo and so is your blood pressure. I'm going to give you a mild pain killer, your next shot of antibiotic and I'll also give you a very mild relaxant." Seeing the protest about to happen – and not just from Duo – Sally got in first. "The drugs will not harm the baby in any way. The relaxant won't impair you in any manner, just relax your muscles a bit and take the pressure off that wound."

"Okay," Duo consented.

"If you continue to feel nauseous, I want you to tell me and I'll give you something for that too."

Duo nodded, knowing that to argue wouldn't get him anywhere.

Sally left the room to collect the drugs, leaving Heero and Duo alone for a few minutes. Heero immediately moved back to envelop his lover in his strong arms.

"Have I told you how damn proud of you I am?" Heero whispered as he feathered kisses across Duo's forehead and down his jaw.

Duo moaned softly.

"Or how much I love you?" Heero took his husband's lips in a searing kiss, one that told Duo in no uncertain terms just how much Heero did care for him. When they came up for air, both men were panting softly.

"I don't think that will do much for my blood pressure," Duo commented with a small smirk.

"Then I might as well raise your temperature too," Heero replied and before Duo could reply, he stole those sweet lips in another, deep kiss.

Duo was completely dazed by the time Heero had finished kissing him and he hoped that Sally wouldn't be taking his blood pressure again for at least another fifteen minutes.

A soft knock to the door told them Sally was back, along with a kidney dish that rattled suspiciously. The needles and syringes were withdrawn, along with alcohol swabs and Duo was duly 'stabbed' as he put it.

"Comfortable?" Sally asked as she tossed the last syringe into the trash.

"Yeah. Dunno for how long though," Duo replied.

"Don't worry, I'm not about to let you go through that again," Sally growled.

"I might have to," Duo said, his tone one that told how much he really didn't want to have to answer any more questions.

"If they do require you to answer more questions then they will do it on my terms," Sally stated. "I will be monitoring you at all times and the instant anything changes, that will be the end of it."

"I'm not the one you have to convince," Duo said, his hands going up in the air in mock surrender.

Sally shook her head. "Do you think you could drink something for me? A little sweet tea perhaps?" She knew better than to ask the man to eat, even if he did need it to keep his own strength up and assist the growing baby within. A cup of sweet tea would help to soothe the upset stomach and aid in bringing Duo's blood sugar levels back up.

"Actually, a cup of sweet tea sounds really good," Duo replied.

"I'll go get you one. Back in a moment." Sally disappeared to fetch the tea.

Heero blinked his eyes in disbelief.

"What?" questioned Duo when he saw the odd look on his lover's face.

"Tea?"

"Um, yeah. I have drunk it before, Heero."

"But you usually have coffee, to the point where I'm not sure if you have an IV of the stuff permanently attached to your arm."

"So what. I feel like tea. Can't I have tea without it turning into a complete drama?" Duo's voice began to rise a little and his face took on a dark look.

Heero's mind scrambled. _Hormones_, it supplied and the proverbial light bulb went off in Heero's head.

"You can have all the tea you want," Heero replied, sure to keep his voice neutral. "I'll see if I can round up a couple of oranges later for you too if you want." The light that appeared in Duo's eyes with that comment told Heero he'd said the right thing.

"Would you?"

"For you, Duo, anything."

# # #

The hour was up and the people began to return to their places. Duo was feeling a little better, the nausea had passed and the muscle relaxant was doing its job. Duo was feeling much more comfortable but still in complete control of his faculties.

The judge returned and took his place, waiting for everyone to be seated before he spoke. When he did, he directed his words to Sally first. "Doctor Po, is your patient medically well enough to continue?"

"Yes, your honor. However, I will be monitoring him continuously and should he show any signs at all of distress, I will call a halt to any questioning until I deem him medically fit enough to continue," Sally stated clearly – and loudly.

"Accepted," the judge replied. Turning his attention to Rivers, the judge spoke again. "Mr Rivers, listen carefully as I will only say this once. I do not wish to see a repeat performance of earlier. When you are asked to stop, _you stop_. Understood?"

"Yes, your honor."

"Kerferd, you may proceed."

"The defense will continue with the current witness, Agent Night," Kerferd stated and walked over to Duo.

Heero remained sitting in the chair beside the bed, refusing to leave his partner after the last fiasco with Rivers. No one dared to challenge him either. Heero's eyes darted between his lover, Kerferd and the Vid screen.

"Agent Night, before I proceed I will remind you that you are still under oath."

"I understand," Duo replied.

"Agent Night, despite being told by the terrorists that you were not to try and make any form of contact with anyone, according to earlier witnesses, you did in fact, attempt some form of contact? Is it true that you did leave a type of message, left something behind in an attempt to alert the Preventers to your whereabouts and also prevent another assassination from taking place?"

"That is true," Duo replied.

"Just to refresh the jury's memory, would you mind telling us what you did in that capacity?"

Duo explained as carefully as he could about leaving the message in blood on the L1 ambassador's pillow, he also confirmed he'd pulled out several strands of hair and placed them in the ambassador's hand. He then went on to explain about leaving the cryptic message on the L3 ambassador's computer, attempting to warn the rest of Preventer who the next target was intended to be.

"By leaving the unexploded device under the bridge supports I knew Preventer would locate it and those in the explosives division would recognize the device and who would have put it there," he finished.

"Thank you, Agent Night. No further questions, your honor."

The judge looked to Rivers, his posture indicating he wasn't going to take any more of Rivers' idiocy should the prosecutor wish to question the accused.

"No questions, your honor."

Duo gave a deep sigh of relief and visibly slumped in his bed. Sally was right there to check him over, satisfied he was okay.

"The defense calls Agent Cloud to the stand."

Agent Cloud was sworn in and the questions began again. Kerferd grilled the agent on his findings on the L3 ambassador's computer, wanting to know what the agent had thought, how he had come to his conclusions and so on. Once he'd finished his questions, Rivers declined to ask any of his own.

"The defense recalls Agent Fire to the stand."

Wufei was similarly put back through his earlier testament, going back over the findings at both residences for the benefit of the jury. Finally, Kerferd was finished, Rivers had no further questions or wished to recall any witnesses and thus the judge called a halt to the proceedings.

"Gentlemen, I will give you a ten minute recess to prepare your closing arguments." The gavel banged down hard.

# # #

"As it has been made clear to the jury today, Agent Night killed those three, innocent men in cold blood. He entered the premises of the ambassadors in a manner that avoided detection – because he didn't want to be caught. He killed the two ambassadors with a knife to the throat, and by his own admission, cleanly and efficiently as he had been trained to do – in other words, a _trained_ killer. As for the Senator, he not only killed the Senator by using a bomb placed in the road, but had a second one waiting under the bridge should the first one have failed to take out the target! Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I trust you will do the right thing here, the evidence has been presented to you, the cold, hard facts of forensic proof that Agent Night committed those murders and did so willingly. Please, take this killer off the streets and put him behind bars where he belongs and cannot hurt any further innocent people." Rivers concluded his closing address and with a nod to the jury, went back to his seat.

In the bed, Duo could feel his heart once again sinking to his feet. He knew he would end up in jail, there was no possible way he could avoid a conviction, not with all the evidence stacked against him like this. But he hadn't counted on Kerferd's closing speech.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury," Kerferd began as he stood and approached the vid screen. "Yes, you have been presented with forensic evidence that puts my client, Agent Night at the scene of those murders. Agent Night has already confessed to having committed those murders, however, despite all the forensic evidence in the world, one must also consider the motives behind such murders..."

Kerferd continued in his spiel, his words striking home to those around.

"I have to ask you that when you are deciding this man's fate, you also take into account the following evidence. Would a cold blooded killer go to the trouble of leaving forensic evidence behind? Would he deliberately leave strands of his own hair in the hand of his victim to be found and identified? Why would he take the time to leave messages behind, messages that warned of the next person to be assassinated? And why would he use an explosive device that he'd trained several agents on and leave the unexploded one behind to be found, knowing full well that whomever discovered it would know who had created it? Are these the actions of a person who had pre-meditated the murders? I think not.

As has already been testified, under oath I remind you, by several witnesses, Agent Night had no say in the matter. He had no choice but to do as he was told, failure to comply would have meant his own child and an innocent nanny would have been added to the list and the victims would have numbered five and not three. No, Agent Night didn't want to commit those murders and despite being forced to comply, he did his best to leave behind clues to alert the Preventer organization as to who he was and who would be next if the terrorists' demands were not met. In short, Agent Night _wanted_ to be found.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, when you decide this man's fate, please remember all that has been said here today. I trust you will all do the right thing." Kerferd gave the jury a small bow and returned to his desk.

Duo began to feel slightly better.

The judge banged his gavel down hard, drawing everyone's attention. "The jury will now retire to deliberate on their verdict. Once they have come to their decision, the court will reconvene."

"All rise," came the bailiff's voice and everyone stood as the judge left. The jury also filed out and once they were gone, both the court room and the hospital room relaxed a touch.

"Now we wait," Kerferd stated.

tbc...


	125. Chapter 125

**Many thanks to all for reading and warm hugs for the kind reviews!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 125

"How long will it take?" Duo asked. Having never been on trial as such before, he had no clue to how long the jury would deliberate on his fate.

"Hard to say," Kerferd replied. "It all depends on how they look at the evidence, whom they believe the most. In this case, they are fully aware of the fact that you have admitted to killing the three people, but it is the circumstances relating to the murders that they need to look at. If all the evidence, the testimonies and facts have been presented well enough then they shouldn't take too long to reach a decision."

"Then you had better hope you did your job properly," Heero growled softly.

Kerferd looked a little startled at the words and swallowed.

"I'm going to get some refreshments," Wufei announced. "Would any of you care for some?" he asked, looking pointedly at Heero, Duo and Sally.

All three declined the offer and Wufei left. He needed to get out of the room for a little while, it was starting to become oppressive with the waiting.

Knowing there wasn't anything more he could do and the other people in the room were otherwise occupied with their own thoughts or talking to each other, Kerferd returned to the makeshift desk and organized his papers.

Gilbert was quietly conversing with the technician, discussing different cases they had both been assigned recently. Une was talking with Sally, the doctor briefing the Commander on Duo's current health status but keeping the pregnancy out of the conversation.

Duo was reclining on his hospital bed, Heero perched beside him and draping an arm around his husband's shoulders. Heero's free hand rested atop of Duo's whilst Duo's other hand was busy picking at the blanket again.

"Stop it," Heero gently admonished.

"Sorry, I can't seem to help it," Duo replied and brought his hand back up and slipped it beneath the covers to rest across his belly. "What do you think they will decide?" Duo asked, his violet eyes looking lost.

"I don't know, Duo," Heero replied honestly. "Kerferd did a pretty good job in defending you and presenting your side of the case. I think they will be pretty hard pressed to convict you given the circumstances."

"I don't know, Heero. Yeah, I agree that Kerferd did the best he could, but that prosecutor, he was pretty insistent and did a good job of trying to discredit everyone."

"But Kerferd questioned you again and also Wufei. I'm sure he managed to wipe away any negative thoughts that Rivers may have created. Don't forget the judge also told the jury to disregard what Rivers was asking and trying to do."

"I know that, but even you have to admit, the human mind is very susceptible to suggestion and it doesn't matter if they were told to disregard it or not, the seed has been sown."

Heero frowned, knowing that what Duo said was true. He just hoped with all his heart that the jury had listened to the judge and to the case Kerferd had presented.

"What will we do if I am found guilty and sentenced to jail?" Duo whispered.

"I won't let that happen, Duo. I told you before, if the worst should happen, I'm sure that Sally will be able to come up with some medical thing to prevent you from being incarcerated."

"Knowing Sally, she'd probably invent some disease that's contagious or the like," Duo snickered.

"Well, either way we're about to find out," Heero answered and nodded to the vid screen.

"All rise," came the bailiff's voice.

The court room and hospital room alike all stood as the judge reentered and took his seat.

Wufei returned a moment later with a tea in hand, just as everyone was taking their own seats again.

"Please bring the jury back in," Watkins requested to the bailiff, the man moving across the court to the door on the other side of the court room.

The jury began to file back in, locating their seats and sitting. The foreman of the jury remained standing and faced the judge.

"Has the jury reached a decision in the case of Agent Night?" the judge asked.

"Yes, we have, your honor." The foreman glanced down at the piece of paper in his hand.

Duo sat up straighter in the bed, his body becoming taut, his stomach churning. These people held his fate in their hands.

Beside his lover, Heero was similarly on tenterhooks.

"Would you kindly read out the jury's decision," the judge requested.

"Yes, your honor."

Duo bit his lip and squeezed Heero's hand. Heero squeezed back, his heart thundering in his chest as dread filled his stomach.

"In the case of the murder of the L1 ambassador, we, the jury find the defendant, Agent Night, guilty."

Duo felt the room start to swim.

"In the case of the murder of the L3 ambassador, we, the jury find the defendant, Agent Night, guilty."

Heero felt faint.

"In the case of the murder of Senator Jefferies, we, the jury find the defendant, Agent Night, guilty. However..."

The foreman didn't get to finish his words, the uproar in the hospital room drowning him out.

"That can't be right!" Une cried.

"I won't allow him to be locked away," Sally growled.

"Injustice!"

"I don't believe it," Kerferd stated.

"They aren't going to take you, Duo," Heero stated firmly.

"No..." Duo whispered, a look of total shock on his face.

"Order! Order!" the judge yelled, banging his gavel down hard. "ORDER!"

Everyone shut up and turned back to the vid screen. Heero's eyes blazed with anger at the foreman and jury. Duo remained in shock whilst Une, Wufei and Sally's glares were almost enough to rival Heero's.

"Foreman, will you please continue?" the judge asked.

"Thank you, your honor. The jury finds the accused guilty on all three charges of murder; however..." the foreman paused, swallowed and looked nervously around, waiting to be interrupted again. When it didn't happen, he continued. "However, after hearing all the evidence presented, we, the jury, find that Agent Night was forced under circumstances beyond his control to commit the murders. It is the jury's recommendation that the court show leniency, preferably by having the charges dismissed." Having said what he wanted to, the foreman sat down.

The silence was deafening as the words sank in.

Everyone took a moment to think on the jury's words, the final statement having registered and guilty looks began to appear on several faces for jumping the gun.

With the jury finding him guilty, but recommending the charges be dropped due to the circumstances surrounding the murders, Duo could only hope that the judge could do that. He looked towards Kerferd.

A smile had begun to form on Kerferd's lips as the jury recommended the dropping of charges; now it was up to the judge. He saw Agent Night looking at him and had a pretty good idea of what was going through the man's mind right now. He gave a nod in the agent's direction and kept the confident smile on his face.

Rivers didn't look too happy at all; unfortunately, there wasn't anything he could do about it.

The judge banged his gavel down calling everyone's attention back to him.

"Agent Night, normally I would ask you to stand for the reading of the judge's decision, but given your current state of health, that is not possible."

"Thank you, your honor," Duo said quietly, his violet eyes never leaving the judge's face. Try as he might, he couldn't read what might possibly be going through the judge's mind.

"Agent Night, the jury has found you guilty on all three accounts of murder. Whilst you have already admitted to these murders, the circumstances under which you committed these murders are now known and as such the jury has recommended the charges be dropped. It is my job as a judge to see that justice is served in the fairest manner possible and it is with that thought in mind and the recommendation of the jury that I hereby hand down my decision."

Heero's hand tightened in Duo's as he felt his lover beginning to tremble, offering his support and love in the only way available to him at the current moment.

"For the murders of the two ambassadors and one senator, I hereby sentence you to a total of four months home detention, after which you will be free to continue your life with no further prosecution in relation to these charges." The judge looked squarely at Duo. "Case closed." He slammed his gavel down hard and then stood up.

"All rise," said the bailiff.

The judge departed and once he had gone, the hospital room once again exploded into a cacophony of voices. On the hospital bed, both Heero and Duo remained in stunned silence.

Kerferd approached his client, the smile still on his lips. "How are you feeling, Agent Night?" he asked.

"I – I'm not quite sure," Duo replied honestly. "What does it all mean now?"

"The charges against you have been dropped in one manner of speaking, but the judge cannot let it go completely without some form of justice happening for the men that have lost their lives," Kerferd began to explain. "The judge has done the next best thing and that is put you under house detention for a period of four months. Translated into plain English that means that for the next four months you will be confined to this hospital room and then your home. You won't be allowed to leave your property unless prearranged and then only for medical reasons or in the case of an emergency. The justice department will require you to wear what is called a tracking device and they will check where you are via that device. Understand?"

Duo nodded that he did.

"I'll leave you alone for a few minutes, I need to confer with the bailiff and arrange for the paperwork to be signed and the device collected and fitted."

"Thank you," Duo offered up as Kerferd left him to his thoughts.

Heero gave a soft sigh. "It could have been a lot worse," he stated softly.

"You got that right. At least I'm not going to jail but being confined to the mansion," Duo breathed. "Four months isn't that long," he added.

"Iie, it isn't," Heero mused, "and it should go fairly rapidly, especially considering your condition and that Sally wants you on complete bed rest. I suppose in one way it's worked out quite well."

Duo didn't look too happy when Heero mentioned the complete bed rest part, but had to admit that it had indeed, worked out in his favor.

Sally, Une and Wufei came over to the bed to pass on their thoughts. Une was relieved it was all over and she hadn't lost one of her best agents. Sally was also pleased with the result. At least now she knew Duo would _have_ to stay put. Wufei could see where the judge was coming from and all things considered he thought that what the judge had done was the fairest option all around.

The bailiff finished his talk with Kerferd and Gilbert, the technician shutting down the equipment once they were done and starting to pack it all away. Gilbert left the premises to fetch the tracking device for it to be fitted to Duo's ankle. Whilst they were waiting for Gilbert to return, Kerferd produced the 'paperwork' that the bailiff had sent through in regards to Duo and his sentence.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Kerferd began as he approached the patient's bed and people surrounding it. "But I need for Agent Night to look over the paperwork and sign in the appropriate places. I also need someone to stand surety for him whilst the four month sentence is being served."

Before anyone could answer, Heero got in first. "I'll do it," he said.

"Okay," Kerferd replied. Looking to the Commander, Kerferd spoke again. "Do you have somewhere close by with a printer that I can connect my palm top to and print the documents off?"

It was Sally who replied though. "There's one at the nurses station. I'm sure Wufei would be happy to show you where that is."

"I will?" said Wufei who had only been listening with half an ear.

"Yes, you will." Sally lowered her voice. "You will if you want to go to the movies with me next week."

Wufei's cheeks burned red for a moment before he turned to Kerferd. "If you will follow me."

# # #

The papers were printed off and Kerferd returned with several copies in his hand. He passed over a sheaf of them to Duo for himself and Heero to read through. He gave the Commander a copy to look over as well, after seeing the looks the woman was giving him.

The documents were straightforward enough, simply stating that Duo understood the sentence handed down to him and outlining the details of his house detention. A tracking device would be fitted to his ankle and it was to be worn at all times. The device would allow the Department of Corrections to check exactly where he was at any given time of the day or night and should he breech the rules of his detention, then he would be immediately arrested and serve the remaining time of his detention inside a jail.

The paperwork that Heero needed to sign was the same as Duo's but with the added extra stating that Heero was responsible for Duo whilst the man was serving his four months. He was also required to provide a large sum of money as a surety that Duo would serve his time. If Duo didn't, Heero would lose that money and Duo would still have to serve his remaining time in a jail.

Both men signed in the designated places, Kerferd signing along with them and Gilbert, who had returned with the tracker, adding his autograph to the paperwork as a witness. Once the paperwork side of things was completed, Gilbert showed Duo exactly how the tracking device would work.

Duo had been given a case number which was entered into the Department of Corrections' data base and loaded onto the chip installed in the small device. Duo's other information was also loaded onto the chip, things such as the locations where he was to be confined and the dates of confinement. The chip would emit a signal at certain intervals and those signals would be picked up and monitored by the Department's main computer. The computer could also request the device 'check in' at any time.

Once he was sure that both Duo and Heero understood the device, Gilbert went to fit it, only to be brought up short by Sally.

"I'll do it whilst you watch," Sally stated. Seeing Gilbert about to protest, Sally clarified her reason. "Agent Night sustained a sprained ankle along with his other injuries and I don't intend for him to suffer any further. I would prefer it if I could fit the device, that way I know it's been done right and his ankle that's okay isn't going to suffer any harm at all."

"Fine," Gilbert replied and handed over the device, showing Sally how it opened and what to do to seal it around Duo's ankle so that it would remain in place until his period of detention was completed.

With the device in one hand, Sally managed to lift the blanket and sheet back from the side of the bed to expose Duo's good ankle. "Can you raise your leg a little for me, please, Duo?"

Duo complied, shuffling a little in the bed to raise his leg slightly. Sally reached for his ankle and gently settled the bracelet like device around it.

"Does that feel okay? Not too tight or loose?"

"That's fine," Duo replied.

"Good." With the device at the right tension, Sally snapped the item shut, effectively sealing it around Duo's ankle.

Gilbert moved forward to check that Sally had connected the tracker properly and satisfied, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and made a call. Whilst he was waiting for the call to connect, he filled the others in on what he was doing. "I'm just letting the Department know the device is on the detainee and for them to activate it." Gilbert turned back to his call and exchanged words with the person on the other end, all the time he remained beside Duo, his eyes watching the device on his ankle.

The tracker gave a soft beep and a green light began to flash. "Thanks, it's all working now," Gilbert said and then closed his cell. Turning his attention back to Duo, he cleared his throat. "The device is activated and the Department has you locked into their data base. From here on, it will register exactly where you are at all times. Doctor Po?"

"Yes?"

"You will need to contact the Department when Agent Night is to be released from hospital so they can update the data banks accordingly. Agent Day?"

Heero focused his blue eyes on the man, causing Gilbert to shudder for a moment with the intensity of the gaze. "Yes?"

"I will also need you to contact the Department on the day that Agent Night is released from hospital."

Heero raised an eyebrow.

"You will be required to contact us once you arrive back at your place of residence so the device can be updated and reset." Gilbert paused for a moment. "Agent Day, once the term of your detention concludes, the green light will turn red and the locking mechanism will release, that will allow you to remove the device. I will warn you, any attempt to remove the device before the conclusion date will set off an alarm at the Department and officers will be dispatched to arrest you immediately. Do you understand?"

Duo nodded.

"If no one has any questions, I'll leave my card with you, that has the number on it you will need to call." Gilbert handed over a card to Sally, Heero and Une. "I will bid you all good day."

Once the man had left, everyone in the room heaved a sigh of relief and immediately began to talk amongst themselves.

# # #

Duo remained in hospital for another two weeks, much to his chagrin. Sally insisted he remain as she wanted to keep a close eye on the abdominal wound, not just to make sure it was healing okay, but she also wanted to monitor the progress of the baby as she was still a touch concerned over the closeness of the injury to Duo's womb and the growing baby.

The stitches were removed after ten days, the wound having healed up better than expected and Sally was finally able to give in to the braided man's pleas to go home. Duo's ribs had also settled down and he was now able to move around without needing the strapping. The bullet grazes to Duo's arm and hip had also closed up neatly and the ankle, whilst still tender, stood up to a little gentle exercise so there was no reason for Duo to remain in the hospital any longer.

Heero was also back to his usual self, his body's ability to heal itself in a short time serving him well. It was with a light heart that he went to the Preventer hospital for his final check up and to pick his husband up.

"All is well, Heero. You never cease to amaze me with your ability to heal so well," Sally stated as she gave the man his check over.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I suppose you want to take that husband of yours home today?"

"Hai, if he's all cleared to leave," Heero replied.

"Somehow, I don't think I dare not clear him," Sally chuckled. "Come on, I'll go give him one last check over before I sign the release papers and you can take him with you."

Pulling his shirt back on, Heero followed the doctor out of her office and through the corridors of the hospital to Duo's room.

Duo was trying hard to contain his exuberance, but it wasn't easy. It had been a while since he'd last been at the mansion and he was eager to go home and see Miracle and Barney again, sleep in his own bed, play with his son, snuggle with Heero and just soak up the atmosphere of the one place he could really call home.

"Due to the stress that's been put on your body and the weakened state of your abdominal muscles from the knife and your last pregnancy, I want you to take things very easy, Duo. Your body is going to be under a lot more stress and strain with this baby as it grows and I'm concerned about tearing of the muscles or the uterus not being able to cope with another baby so soon after Keitaro."

"I promise I won't do anything I shouldn't," Duo said.

"I know you will," Sally replied, her tone serious. "Duo, you are on complete bed rest, you're only allowed to get up to go to the bathroom, showering and occasionally to eat."

"I'll starve if I'm only allowed to eat _occasionally_," Duo quipped.

"You know what I mean," Sally growled.

"Yeah, I do, no need to get all snarky. Can I go now?"

"You can get dressed whilst I talk to Heero and let him know exactly the conditions of your release." With a meaningful look at Duo, Sally left the room along with Heero to give Duo some privacy to dress and explain to Heero what Duo was and wasn't allowed to do whilst at home. With Duo now dressed the pair stepped back into the room.

"I'll be calling around to the mansion every two weeks to check you over, Duo. It will be pretty much the same deal as when you were carrying Keitaro." Sally paused and picked up a small bag, handing it over to Duo. "In there are your medications. There's the last of the antibiotics I want you to take, vitamins and iron tablets. If I think you need anything else I'll let you know and prescribe it when I come to do a check up. Any questions?"

Duo shook his head, it all seemed pretty clear to him.

"I'll just make that call to the Department of Corrections to let them know you're going home with Heero. Meet me by the nurses station." Sally left to make her call, Heero having already made his call earlier to let the Department know of the changes to Duo's residence.

"All set?" Heero asked as he fetched the obligatory wheelchair from outside the door.

Duo frowned as he looked at the wheelchair but decided against voicing his opinions, it wouldn't get him anywhere anyway. Keeping his mouth shut, he sat in the chair and allowed a relieved Heero to wheel him out of the room.

Heero was glad that Duo hadn't protested the wheelchair. It wouldn't have done any good as it was hospital policy. Duo would have only ended up exhausting himself, upsetting Heero and the end result would still be the same.

They paused at the nurses station where Sally was just hanging up from her call and she joined them to ride the elevator down to the basement car parking area and assist Heero to get Duo into the pickup.

"Take care, Duo. I'll be around for your first check up in a week. If you have any concerns in the meantime, just call me."

"Thanks, Sally, not just for this, but for everything," Duo replied and gave the woman a quick peck to the cheek before settling himself into the seat for the drive home.

Closing the driver's door, Heero put his seat belt on and started the car up. Moments later they were out in the sunlight and heading for home.

#

The landscape rolled past, Duo taking the time to watch and savor it. Heero concentrated on driving, casting a glance from the corner of his eye from time to time at his husband and noting the soft smile on Duo's lips. Only when Duo's attention returned to the inside of the car did Heero break the warm silence. "Miracle is going to be over the moon to see you."

"I know," Duo replied happily. "Are Quatre and Trowa still staying?"

"Yes, they are. Trowa still has another two weeks before the cast can come off his ankle. His shoulder is much better and the cut to his scalp has healed up. I think he will be glad to have the cast off."

"I know how he feels, although mine wasn't broken it was still a pain to deal with, Trowa must be getting really fed up with his by now," Duo replied.

"Actually, he's not so much bothered by the cast, more Quatre's fussing over him."

Duo started to snicker, then, unable to hold his laughter any longer, he let it go. It was music to Heero's ears. "Yeah, I can just imagine how Q-man must be hovering and mothering Trowa," he managed to get out at last. "Trowa has my full sympathy. At least with Quatre fussing over Trowa he'll leave me alone."

"I wouldn't bet on that," Heero muttered and turned the pickup into their sweeping driveway.

tbc...


	126. Chapter 126

**Many thanks to you all for the very kind reviews and continued support in writing this fic. *snugs you all***

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 126

Duo had been home at the mansion for all of four weeks when Trowa's cast was finally taken off. Sally had left it on a little longer as the bones hadn't knitted back together as firmly as she would have liked. The extra time would ensure that the ankle would be able to bear Trowa's weight as he began to use it again.

Trowa was more than happy to have the cast off, at least with the cumbersome thing gone he could move around a lot more freely; and that meant he could escape his overly protective partner for a while.

Unfortunately, it meant Duo suffered more.

With Trowa unable to be found, the blonde turned his protective streak fully to Duo, and as the American was on bed rest he couldn't escape the mother goose.

Tempers were starting to become very short in the Yuy-Maxwell home, Duo begging Heero to put a lock on their bedroom door so he could have some peace from Quatre. At first Heero had refused the request, but when Duo threatened to leave the mansion and have himself arrested for breaking his detention just to get some peace, Heero relented.

"It's not that I don't appreciate the guy and what he does," Duo whined, "But he's in here just about all day from sunrise to sunset, and later too."

"I know," Heero agreed.

"It's getting to the point where I can't even get out of bed to go take a piss without him shadowing me, wanting to practically carry me," huffed Duo. "He'll be wanting to shake the drops off next so I don't strain myself."

"Pardon?" Heero wasn't quite sure he'd heard that right.

"You heard me," Duo snapped.

"I'll try to speak to him," Heero soothed.

"I'm warning you, Heero, either he stops the fussing or I'm out of here."

"Duo!"

"I'm serious, Heero. It's okay for you, you can take off outside or something. I'm stuck here in this bed at his mercy."

"Okay, okay! I'll put a lock on the door today."

"Thank you."

True to his word, Heero went out and purchased a locking mechanism for the door and installed it. Duo had watched and assisted, sitting in a chair beside the door and passing over the various tools. Barney had been sitting on Duo's shoulder and watching the proceedings with interest.

Miracle sat at Duo's feet, her liquid eyes observing all that went on around her but refusing to leave Duo's side. When Duo had returned, Miracle had been overjoyed. She'd barked, whined and whimpered, her tail wagging furiously as she did her best to give her beloved master a tongue bath. Instinctively she knew he was to be treated carefully and although she was excited, she remained gentle. Since then she had refused to be parted from her master if she could help it, just in case he disappeared on her again.

"All done," Heero stated as he stood up and eased the kinks from his spine.

"Great!" Duo enthused as he took in the shiny new lock. Just then, Quatre came along the hallway.

"Duo! You shouldn't be out of bed," Quatre chastised. Spotting Heero, Quatre frowned. "Heero, you know Duo's supposed to be on bed rest. What's that?"

"Quatre, Duo is on bed rest I agree, but that means he's not supposed to be walking around or things like that. He is allowed to get out of the bed and sit in a chair," Heero growled. He was also getting a little on the annoyed side with Quatre. The blonde meant well, he knew that, but he didn't appreciate being told what his husband was and wasn't allowed to do; he was the one responsible for looking after Duo, not Quatre and when it came down to it, he thought he was doing a fairly good job of it.

Quatre looked a little hurt for a moment, but then his cheery demeanor returned. "Of course he is," Quatre soothed. "What is that?" he asked again, staring pointedly at the new lock on the door.

"It's a lock," Heero stated in a tone that clearly questioned if Quatre was blind.

"I can see it's a lock-"

"Then why ask the obvious?" Heero replied tartly.

Ignoring the snipe, Quatre continued. "Why do you need to have a lock on the door?"

"Why does anyone have a lock on their door, Quatre?" Duo questioned.

"To keep things safe, keep things in or out?"

"Exactly."

"Surely you wouldn't need such measures here? Has someone been trying to get in? If they..."

"Quatre, it's okay, it's nothing like what you're thinking," Duo interrupted.

"Then why?"

Heero gave his lover a look that clearly said: 'Let's see you explain this one.'

Duo gave his partner a returning look that said: 'Just watch me,' and returned his attention to Quatre. "The purpose for the lock, Quatre is so that Heero and I can lock the door when we need to, wouldn't want anyone walking in on us when we're... I'm napping and disturbing my sleep, now would we?"

Heero tried to hold the snicker and managed to turn it into a discreet cough. He'd known what Duo was about to say and if he had, no doubt that would have brought on a completely new lecture on the dangers of sex during pregnancy. Neither man was about to put their child at risk for the sake of satisfying their hormones, actually, they hadn't been intimate at all since Duo's disappearance.

'_Might be time to rectify that little oversight_,' Heero's conscience told him.

"Ah, that's not a bad idea," Quatre conceded.

"I'm glad you agree," replied Duo, his tone a touch smug and he gave his husband a satisfied look.

"Do you need anything, Duo?"

"I'm fine, Quatre. I think I just might take a bit of a nap now though," Duo said with a purposeful tone.

"Okay, that would probably do you the world of good. Do you need a hand to get back in the bed?"

"Thanks but I have Heero here to help me."

"I'll leave you to your nap then. Oh, have you seen Trowa at all?"

"I think he was out in the garden doing his physiotherapy exercises," Heero said.

"Thanks. I'll catch you later then." Quatre turned and walked off down the hallway.

Both Heero and Duo physically sagged in relief.

"Fuck off," chirped Barney from Duo's shoulder.

"Barney!"

# # #

With Duo being on house detention and Quatre and Trowa having to remain Earth side for Barton's trial, Heero decided to take some well deserved time off too. Sally had already given him two weeks medical leave and once that was over, Heero had informed Une of his intention to take a further eight weeks off.

Heero had already used up two of those weeks when Trowa's cast came off and quite frankly, he was starting to get rather short tempered with the blonde businessman. Since Trowa was now able to move round more freely, the blonde's mothering instincts had turned more to Duo, and that meant that Heero also suffered – twice.

Not only did he become irritated at the blonde for taking over what was his role in looking after Duo, but he also had to suffer through Duo's ranting and complaining about being smothered. When Duo suggested the lock on the door he'd been hesitant at first, mainly because he didn't want to be locked out of his own room! But when Duo had insisted it was either a lock or he would leave and get arrested, Heero knew the situation had reached crisis point and gave in.

Actually, it would also work in his favor.

Heero couldn't wait for Barton's trial to commence, the sooner it did, the sooner it would be over and that meant Quatre and Trowa could return to L4. Once that happened peace would return to their lives. At least he hoped so.

Nurse Brown's cast would be coming off in another week, hers staying on longer than usual due to the severity of the break and the damage done to the nerves. Sally wasn't taking any chances.

Heero figured that by the time he was due to go back to work, Nurse Brown would have had a good five weeks for the mobility to have returned and she should be back to normal function.

Keitaro was overjoyed to have both his fathers home again and constantly followed Heero around. Heero took as much of the child's care on himself as he could, Keitaro spending some time with Duo in his room, or when Duo came down to sit and share a meal with all the other occupants, Duo would feed his son.

The child was almost walking now and Heero was finding it exhausting keeping up with him at times. Keitaro would grasp hold of anything he could and pull himself up. Once he had his balance, he would be off, and using the furniture to keep his balance he would move about a room at lightning speed.

'_Looked like he got his energy from Duo,'_ Heero thought wryly.

The child's vocabulary was improving too. He could speak several single words quite fluently. 'Dada' had been mastered first followed by 'Nanny'; and much to everyone's amusement, 'Miwacle' had followed.

It didn't matter that Keitaro couldn't pronounce the name properly, Miracle still knew it and came as soon as she heard it called out.

Duo only hoped that Barney would keep his beak shut around the child.

# # #

Barton's trial was hovering on the horizon and everyone was nervous about it. Several of his assistants from the Satellite had already faced the courts and been convicted. Their sentences had been many and varied. The majority of the members of Barton's armies that had landed on Earth had also been through the justice system and whilst some were given jail time, many others were ordered to pay their dues by cleaning up the mess left from the Firecell; something akin to 'community service' from previous times.

It worked well for all concerned; the men who had been betrayed by Barton and were now well aware of that fact avoided going to jail and the governments had a willing 'army' to assist in the clean up from the aftermath of a madman's desire.

Barton had recovered well from his surgery, enough so that he had been transferred from the Preventer hospital to the jail at the local Military base where he would finish his recuperation to stand trial.

All the agents had given their statements and the prosecution was more than convinced they wouldn't be needed to front the court to give verbal evidence; but the agents were all asked to remain available just in case the improbable should raise its head.

Duo was the only one that wouldn't be able to attend court in the physical sense as his pregnancy was advancing and his belly growing. Not only that, but he was under house detention as well so if the court wanted him to give verbal evidence it would have to be done via video link.

Sally had called around weekly as promised to do her checks on Duo and make sure all was well with both 'mother' and baby. She was pleased with both and happy that Duo was heeding her 'orders' to remain on bed rest, although he was permitted to move around a little.

Keeping Duo completely confined to the bed just wasn't going to happen, Sally knew that, but she had to try. It had worked for all of a week, then Duo had begun to complain, whine and moan about the unfairness of it all. He didn't want to be confined to his bedroom, to not be able to see and hear all that was going on. He knew he couldn't move around too much, not if he wanted to remain in good health and deliver a healthy baby too, but he couldn't see why he had to remain flat on his back either.

The steady stream of complaints began to wear on Heero's patience, but he was determined not to give in. When Duo changed tactics and began to constantly need him – for trivial things – Heero got wise but couldn't do anything about it. He daren't not respond to Duo's calling for him just in case it was something important.

By the time Sally came for Duo's third check up, Heero was almost at his wits end and about to strangle his lover with his braid. It was mutually agreed (mainly for Heero's sanity, not to mention his physical state – running up and down those stairs can get taxing after a while regardless of how fit he was.), that Duo would be allowed to travel from the bedroom to the lower floor where he would be required to remain seated or resting on the couch. That seemed to appease Duo and gave Heero a sense of relief. Now all he had to do was carry his husband down or up the stairs just once each way – far easier than the marathons he was currently doing.

"How is the child doing today?" Duo asked as Sally maneuvered the sound head across his abdomen.

"Very well," Sally replied and pushed a few buttons on the machine. "I'll have some more pictures for you to put in your album in just a minute."

"Thanks." Duo's face was beaming as he craned his neck to try and see the screen.

Noting what the man was up to, Sally turned the screen slightly across to make it easier for him to see. She froze the picture and grabbed her pen from her pocket. "If you look carefully, you can see the outline of the baby here. This is the head," Sally traced the outline of the shadows on the screen a she explained to the two men what was what in regards to the picture. "This is the spine and here we can see the legs..."

Heero and Duo both watched intently as Sally pointed out the various 'parts'. The child was curled around itself and looked peaceful.

"You know, it doesn't matter how many times I've seen this on a screen it till gives me goosebumps," Sally whispered.

"I know exactly what you mean," Duo replied. "It makes me shiver when I look at the pictures. It kinda leaves you in awe. To know that's a part of me, growing inside me..."

"It is remarkable what the human body is capable of," said Heero softly, his eyes a little on the bright side as he gazed at his child on the screen.

"It certainly is, and even more so in this case," came Sally's quiet voice. She turned back to the machine keyboard and pushed a few more buttons. "Your baby is roughly four hundred and twenty grams in weight and twenty-five centimeters long, give or take a centimeter. It is pretty much fully formed now, just a few smaller things to finish developing and obviously a lot more weight to put on."

"So do you, Duo," Heero teased.

"Don't remind me," Duo huffed. "I'd forgotten just how much I felt like a beached whale when carrying Keitaro."

"Well, I'm sorry to say, but you will most definitely be putting on weight, Duo," laughed Sally. "Now, I want to take a look around the rest of your abdomen, make sure that your other organs are still coping okay with the lack of room as it's only going to get worse."

"Tell me about it," Duo muttered. "It's already starting to get a little on the uncomfortable side."

Ignoring the complaint, Sally moved the sound head around, checking what she could of Duo's other internal organs and satisfied that so far all was okay with them. "That's it for today," she said as she removed the sound head and gently wiped Duo's abdomen of the gel. Replacing the sound head in its holder, she pushed another couple of buttons on the machine and waited for the pictures to be printed out. Once they were she handed them over to the parents to be. "There you go," she said and then left them to look at their child whilst she finished shutting down the ultra sound machine.

"I'll put them in the album later," Duo said with a catch in his voice. No matter how many times he looked at the pictures, he was still moved.

"Our baby," whispered Heero and pressed a kiss to Duo's forehead.

"Yeah, our second precious gift."

# # #

The morning of Barton's trial arrived, the weather overcast and promising rain later in the day. Somehow it seemed fitting that the gray skies should be hovering.

Everyone in the mansion was in a somber mood, not just the weather affecting them, but also the thought of what was to take place.

Barton's trial was very high profile and the ESUN had decided on an open court so any member of the public could attend, and knowing the response would be overwhelming, they had also decided to broadcast the entire thing. The people of the Earth and Colonies were owed at least that much after what Barton had put them through.

The charges against Barton were a few more than the public were aware of. The main charge and the one the public knew of was for conspiring to bring about the disruption of the peace. Aside from that charge, Barton was also facing charges for the release of a malicious program with the intent to take over the ESUN, the murders of many civilians through the action of the release of said malicious program, kidnapping, brainwashing, theft of government funds, the storing and procurement of weapons and the building and using of mobile suits to name a few.

With all the evidence that had been accumulated against him, it wasn't a case of _if_ the man was guilty, it was just what sentence the justice system would hand down to him for the crimes.

Senators Wainright and Richards had stood trial the previous day for their part in the conspiracy, having been charged with siphoning off funds meant for government projects and falsifying records. Both men had pleaded guilty and received sentences of twenty years each for their crimes.

Professor Hawkins had made a full recovery from his injuries and whilst he'd been charged with creating the Firecell program, the charges against him were dismissed given the circumstances.

Duo had been highly amused to learn that Preventer had offered the professor a job within their technological section once the charges had been dropped – and the professor had accepted. Despite the professor's best intentions with his work there would always be the risk of things ending up in the wrong hands. With him working for the Preventer organization, that problem was lessened considerably.

With the majority of Barton's men having been convicted and now serving their sentences, it was time for the instigator of it all to face up to his peers and be held accountable.

With breakfast out of the way, Heero bathed Keitaro and dressed the child in a pair of jeans and long sleeved shirt.

"Dada," Keitaro said with his hands and arms stretched out for his father to tug the sleeves of the shirt down.

"Are you going to be a good boy for your daddy today, Keitaro?" Heero asked as he sat the child up and did his best to tuck the back of the shirt into Keitaro's jeans.

"Dada," squealed the child again, a wide grin on his face.

Heero gave his son a soft smile in return and ruffled the small mop of hair. "Come on, sunshine, time to put you in your playpen so I can sort your other father out." Picking the child up, Heero carried his son down to the lounge room where everyone was starting to congregate.

Keitaro was placed in his playpen with several toys to keep him occupied. Heero noted that Duo was lying comfortably on the couch, pillows propped up behind him. Trowa and Quatre were seated in two armchairs side by side, Nurse Brown had entered the room and took up residence in the chair by the playpen. Miracle was lying beside the couch, one eye closed, the other half open and fixed firmly on her master. Barney was sitting in his cage and preening his feathers.

Picking his way across the room, Heero sat himself down on the couch by his lover's hip, Duo's hand immediately searching for and finding his, settling itself comfortably within Heero's and drawing strength from his partner.

The television droned on in the background, the trial not having started yet. "You okay?" Heero asked, the touch of concern in his voice.

"I'm fine," Duo sighed, "But I'll be a whole lot better once that maniac is found guilty and locked away."

Heero knew exactly what his lover meant. Until Barton was safely locked away somewhere neither one of them could breathe easy for fear of him trying something else. "Wufei didn't make it here?"

"No, he called earlier and said he would watch the trial with Sally at Headquarters," replied Duo.

"It's starting," Quatre told them and both men fell quiet their attention focused solely on the television screen.

The court room was jam packed, the crowds spilling out onto the street as they waited to see the result of Barton's trial.

Barton shuffled into the court room wearing a bright orange jump suit, his wrists cuffed and a chain running from those bound wrists to his ankles which also bore shackles. He looked a lot less intimidating now than when the agents had confronted him on the Satellite.

The officers escorted him to the 'dock' and assisted him to climb up the two steps. Once he was standing there, the officers took up residence on either side, their guns glinting in their holsters under the artificial light of the room.

"All rise," called the bailiff as the door to the side of him opened and three judges walked into the court room.

Duo gave a low whistle. "Shit, he gets three, I only got one."

"And that was one too many," whispered Heero as he squeezed his lover's hand.

Duo's eyes softened and he gave his husband a warm smile.

"This court is now in session. Judges Carmichael, Pinkerton and Fairfield presiding," the bailiff announced.

The judges took their seats, the remainder of the court room following suit. The judge in the middle, who seemed to be the one in charge, picked up the sheaf of papers before him and glanced at them. Raising his eyes, he looked at the two lawyers first, then across to the bailiff.

"What are the charges?" he questioned.

Stepping forward, the bailiff held his own paperwork up so he could read and began to reel off the list of charges against Barton, beginning with the serious charge of intent to take over the ESUN and run the Colonies and Earth with himself as the head and finishing with the lesser charges of deprivation of liberty.

"That's quite a number of charges," the judge declared.

The entire court room had fallen completely silent, stunned by the sheer number of charges and the man's intentions.

"Who is the council for the prosecution?"

"I am, your honors. Martin Jones." The lawyer to the left of the judges stood up and made the introduction.

"And the defense?"

"David Thussell, your honors." The defense lawyer looked anything but happy.

Judge Carmichael looked to where Barton sat, a dark scowl on his face. "Will the accused please stand?"

Barton shuffled to his feet and glared defiantly at the judges.

"Are you aware of the charges brought against you?" Carmichael asked.

"Yes," replied Barton.

"Do you understand the charges brought against you?"

"Yes."

"How do you plead?"

"Not guilty to all charges," Barton spat.

A ripple passed through the court room, Carmichael banging his gavel down hard to restore order.

Once the silence was restored, Carmichael looked Barton square in the eye as he said; "Then let the trial begin."

tbc...


	127. Chapter 127

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 127

"Not guilty? _Not guilty?_" Duo spluttered. "That son of a bitch."

"Now Duo, calm down," Heero soothed

"Calm down? You're telling me to calm down when that no good, lower than an insect assho – swine has the gall to stand up there and say he's _not guilty?_" Duo was almost yelling by now but had enough brain cells left to mind his language with Keitaro and Nurse Brown present.

"Don't go getting all riled up, Duo. He won't get away with it," Quatre said in his attempt to help Heero calm the braided man.

"They are right, Duo. There's too much evidence for him to get off. No way will he beat the charges," Trowa added to the mix.

"He's guilty all right. You know it, I know it and they all know it too. They will sentence him, Duo, it's just going to take a little longer as the prosecution will have to present all the evidence to back up the charges, which won't be hard to do at all," Heero stated.

"Trust that slime ball to drag it out as long as possible," Duo muttered.

"He will get what he deserves. Those judges are excellent," Quatre informed.

"How do you know that?" Duo asked, his fury abating for the moment.

"I happened to speak with Wufei a couple of days ago and he told me that Une had informed him who the judges would be in Barton's case. She seemed very pleased with them. They each have an exemplary record and are known for being fair and honest. They also believe in the punishment fitting the crime."

"If that's the case then maybe they should consider strapping Barton to a chair, put a single bullet in a gun pointing at him and let a computer play Russian roulette with him. After all, isn't that kind of what he did with humanity, releasing that Firecell onto them all?" Duo growled.

"Duo!" Nurse Brown scolded.

"I'm sorry if I sound bitter," Duo apologized, "But that bastard deserves to die for his crimes."

"Duo, I'm not annoyed at you for wishing such a thing, I'm annoyed at you for voicing it aloud when there are children present," Nurse Brown explained, then added in a hushed tone, "Personally, I happen to agree with you."

"I'm sure the judges will come up with a suitable punishment for him," Trowa said.

"Well, I hope they give him the death sentence; many times over," Duo huffed and folded his arms across his chest, glaring at everyone and daring them to disagree.

"I suggest you calm down a bit otherwise your blood pressure will rise too much and I'll have to take you back upstairs to bed and you won't get to watch the trial at all," Heero threatened.

That gave Duo pause to think. He sighed and relaxed into the sofa. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Heero replied. "I quite understand, but you need to remember that you're supposed to be taking it easy, resting and not getting excited. It's not just you that we have to worry about staying healthy." To back his point up, Heero stroked a hand across Duo's now obvious baby bump.

"I know and I promise to try better." Duo let his own hand join Heero's in stroking across his abdomen.

"The prosecution is about to start," Quatre informed them and everyone turned to watch.

Martin Jones took the floor, introducing himself once again for the benefit of anyone who may not have heard him earlier. Facing the judges, he began his opening address. Jones was straight to the point, no beating around the bush for him, he went right for the jugular. He summed up the prosecution in few, but concise words. "I have sworn statements from victims, visual evidence, computer evidence and forensic evidence that will back up each and every charge brought against this, this madman. I will prove to your honors beyond any and all doubt that the accused had meticulously planned every detail of his overall plan. He knew exactly what he was doing and didn't care how many innocent people were killed along the way as long as he achieved his goal." With a nod of his head, Jones resumed his seat.

"Nothing like keeping it simple," said Trowa approvingly.

David Thussell stood up and approached the bench. "I intend to defend the accused against all charges and refute all evidence brought against my client. My client has been wrongfully accused of these crimes, he is nothing more than an innocent victim of circumstance." The defense lawyer didn't look convinced with his own words and having said all he wanted to, returned to his seat.

"Well that was short and sweet," Duo snickered. "I'm glad I didn't have him as my defense."

"Actually, he's a really good defense lawyer; that's what Kerferd told me anyway," Quatre piped up.

"I feel sorry for him," said Trowa. "It's obvious that the man hasn't got a hope in hell of defending Dekim, there's too much evidence stacked against the man to start with. Thussell knows that but unfortunately, he's got no choice in the matter, he has to try and do his best to defend Barton."

"It does look that way," replied Quatre.

"I really don't give a rats either way," stated Duo. "Just as long as that assho – excuse for a human being gets what he deserves."

All eyes were back on the television as the trial got underway.

Jones was meticulous in his presentation of the facts. He began where any good prosecution lawyer would; at the start. He outlined Barton's plans, how the man decided to implement those plans and then took the judges through each phase, step by step.

"When the original Operation Meteor failed to come together and the plans went off on a completely different tangent, Barton was not happy and that is when he first began to look at how he could avenge himself for the deviation. Once the war had finished he set to his task with a purpose, looking at how the failure of the original plan had come about and factored those things into his new plans. He was well aware of how fickle the human element was and could be and that is when he began to look at other forms of intelligence to put him where he felt he deserved to be," Jones outlined.

"He spent a lot of time researching into computer systems and that is when he happened to stumble across a Professor Hawkins and the early stages of a program that would come to be called a Firecell..."

Jones presented all the facts and as he did so, he backed those facts up with the appropriate evidence. Hawkins had given his statement which was read out, outlining his kidnapping and subsequent inclusion into the project. Computer hardware was produced that held vital information into Barton's dealings, plans and so forth.

"Barton required significant funding to be able to carry out his plans, building mobile suits and gathering an arsenal of weapons does not come cheap. More people were drawn into his plans, those that were in a trusted position and able to siphon off funds intended for the Colony cluster known as L2 were recruited. His human factor was built up of those very people he was depriving, twisting the truth of the shortage of funding to make it look like the ESUN was denying the cluster what was rightfully theirs when in fact it was himself that was responsible for their continued downward spiral into poverty..."

Jones produced the banking paperwork that Heero and Wufei had painstakingly sought out along with the records from the computers confiscated from the offices of Wainright and Richards.

All the time Barton sat in the defendants chair with an unreadable face.

When Jones got to the Satellite XRB 23 and facilities, the lawyer was almost grinning with glee. He had so much evidence to produce it would take him quite some time to do so. Knowing that though, Jones gave a condensed speech as to the results of the investigations into Satellite XRB 23 and handed over several folders to the judges with all the relevant details, statements and other evidence to back up the claims contained within.

After a good three hours, Jones finally came to the end of his presentation. "Your honors, I think the evidence speaks for itself. This man, Dekim Barton is guilty of trying to take over the ESUN, the people and the Colonies. He planned it out over the course of several years, implementing his plan in many different stages and places until the time was right for him to completely unleash on an unsuspecting population his desires. During the course of all this, many people suffered at his hands; many died. I trust that your honors will look at all the evidence provided, weight it carefully and make an informed and correct decision in relation to this man. Thank you." Jones resumed his seat and immediately reached for his glass of water, downing it all in just a couple of swallows.

"The court will adjourn for an hour's recess," Judge Carmichael announced and banged his gavel down. "We will return at thirteen-hundred hours when the defense will have its opportunity to present its side of the case." With another bang of the gavel, the three judges began to stand.

"All rise," called the bailiff as the judges left the court room.

The television cut to a commercial break and those present at the mansion all breathed sighs of relief, annoyance or frustration, depending on who they were.

"I'll go feed Keitaro and put him down for a nap," Nurse Brown said and got up to collect the child. Keitaro gave a few grunts as his play was disturbed, but soon settled once he realized he was going to the kitchen which usually meant food.

"Is anyone else hungry? I can make some sandwiches," Trowa asked and offered.

"Sandwiches sounds good if you don't mind, Trowa. I am feeling a little peckish," Duo smiled.

"Duo? Why didn't you say something before? I could have gotten you something to eat," Heero fussed.

"I wasn't hungry before," sighed Duo.

Sensing a possible argument coming on, Trowa unfurled himself from the chair and stood up. "I'll go start on those sandwiches."

"I'll come help you," Quatre said quickly and followed his husband form the room.

"The prosecution put up a good argument, didn't they?" Duo stated in an attempt to divert the conversation from food and Heero's fussing.

"Yes, he did. He also had all the evidence to back up the facts. When Une said she had the best in the legal team working on the case, she wasn't joking," replied Heero.

"I wonder what Barton's defense will come up with to try and get him out of this?" mused Duo.

"There isn't really anything they can do to refute it. It's pretty much cut and dried, black and white."

"I guess he could always plead insanity."

"He'd have a hard time proving that!" snorted Heero. "Even if you and I know he's probably lost his marbles."

"Guess you're right there. If he were insane at the time he wouldn't have been able to come up with the plans that he did," thought Duo aloud.

"Yeah. In one way it looks like the work of a madman, but in another it's sort of the work of a genius too."

"Seems that way. I still hope the judges find him guilty and give him the death penalty," growled Duo.

"If you ask me, that's too good for him," Heero snarled.

"Shoot him, shoot him," chirped Barney.

"Duo, have you been watching those cop shows with Barney again?"

"Err..."

"Fucking weather."

# # #

"Have they started again?" asked Nurse Brown as she entered the lounge room, cup of tea in her hand and resumed her seat. Keitaro had been fed, changed and put down for his nap, the child quite happy to doze off.

"Not yet," replied Quatre. "They're still waiting for the judges to return, but I don't think it will be too much longer."

"Is it back on?" Duo echoed Nurse Brown a second later when he returned from his short trip to the bathroom, Heero hovering at his elbow.

"No, not yet," Quatre repeated in his 'patient' voice.

"Good, I was hoping I hadn't missed anything," Duo replied as Heero assisted him back onto the couch and then sat beside his lover.

"Is it on again?" asked Trowa as he entered the room, a tray with drinks and a plate of cookies on it in his hands.

"I swear, the next person that asks me that I'll shoot them," Quatre growled.

"Is it on? Is it on?" chirped Barney, his beady eyes watching the group gathered in the lounge room.

Quatre cocked his finger at the bird.

"Now Quat, Barney's just a bird, not a person and you said person," Duo chuckled.

Quatre's eyes narrowed and he flipped the Weiro the bird.

Duo fell into fits of laughter. "I don't believe it," he snickered. "Quat just gave the bird, the bird."

"Pretty boy. Give us a kiss," Barney chirruped.

Quatre shook his head and sighed.

"It's back on," Nurse Brown interrupted and all eyes returned to the television once more.

The three judges filed back into the court room and took their seats. Duo guessed they must have all eaten a good lunch as their faces appeared to be content.

"This court in now is session," Carmichael announced with a bang of his gavel. "We have heard from the prosecution; it is now the turn of the defense. Mr. Thussell, if you would present your case?"

The defense lawyer looked anything but happy and took a moment to shuffle the papers on his desk. He glanced briefly at Barton who returned the glance with a glare. Swallowing, Thussell stood up, wiped his sweaty hands on his pants and cleared his throat.

"Your honors, the charges and the evidence brought against my client are many and varied. Whilst the evidence is pretty compelling, my client is still innocent of these charges."

The three judges all raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, it all started way back with Operation Meteor, a project that my client was dragged into supporting. He was a peaceful person, one who didn't enjoy fighting or anything like it. When Operation Meteor was developed, Barton was brought into it under false pretenses, he was told it required his support to insure the Colonies and Earth could exist in harmony together. By the time the Operation was underway and he'd figured out what was going on, it was too late, the war was in full swing and he'd been cheated out of much more than just finances. It was a bitter pill to swallow, one I'm afraid my client couldn't take."

"He should have choked on that damn pill. This is such a crock of shit," Duo whispered.

"I'd say he's going to try for that plea of insanity," Heero whispered back.

"You can imagine the shock all this was to my client when the truth behind Operation Meteor was revealed, and then the deviations. I'm afraid, it affected my client very deeply, in fact, it sent my client over the edge."

"Are you saying your client pleads not guilty to the charges because he wasn't in his right mind?" Judge Pinkerton questioned.

"Your honors, my client pleads not guilty to all charges on the grounds of insanity," Thussell stated.

There was an immediate uproar in the court room from the people present, all of them clearly stunned and angered by the defense's reasons for the crimes.

In the dock, Barton sat with a smirk on his face.

"He's no more insane than I am a woman," Duo spat.

Four sets of eyes turned to the braided man. "Pardon?"

Realizing what he'd said, Duo blushed and then did his best to climb out of the hole he'd just slid into. "You know what I mean!"

All four chuckled.

"Yes, Duo, we know what you meant," Trowa snickered.

"I hope the judges can see through this rouse," Margaret muttered.

"I can just imagine what Wufei is thinking," Quatre mused.

"I think we should give the judges some credit. They know the defense is just grasping at straws. He might be nuts now, but no way was Barton insane when he put all this together," Heero snarled.

"I guess we better hope." Duo gave a soft sigh and followed it with a small smile as he felt Heero's hand stroke over his belly.

"Don't worry, Duo. Barton _will_ pay for his crimes. If the judges don't find him guilty I'll take care of it myself," Heero vowed.

Duo could see his love was deadly serious. "Heero, don't go doing something stupid," he warned.

"I'm not about to." But the threat was there.

"Order! Order!" Judge Carmichael repeatedly slammed the gavel hard until the court room fell silent. "Defense, do you have anything further to say or are you finished?"

"No, your honors. The defense has nothing further to add." Thussell sat down, clearly relieved he was finished.

"The court will adjourn whilst we make our decision," Carmichael said and with a glance to his fellow judges, the three got up and left to deliberate.

"Might be time for a cup of tea," Duo said with hope in his voice.

# # #

In the mansion, the group all remained in the lounge room. None of the men knew how long it would take the judges to reach their decision, but no one was going anywhere until they'd heard the result. Whilst none of them would confirm verbally, all were quietly confident in their own minds that Barton would be found guilty. The prosecution had presented a water tight case, backed by undeniable evidence.

All the defense could come up with was a plea of insanity.

Everyone felt kind of sorry for the defense lawyer. It had to be hard to try and defend someone when you knew damn well they were as guilty as sin. From what Quatre knew of the case and the lawyers involved, all those lawyers that had been approached to defend Barton had declined. Thussell had been pretty much ordered by the State to defend the man and had done so under duress.

At least it was mostly over now.

The judges remained absent for almost two hours, Duo had begun to wonder if they would ever return. "Surely it can't take that long to come to a decision," he muttered, making his impatience known.

"I don't think it's so much deciding that he's guilty, but rather them coming up with an appropriate sentence for him," Quatre tried to reason.

"What's so hard about saying 'Guilty, sentenced to the death penalty, ten times over?'" Duo growled.

"Nothing, but they have to follow protocol," Quatre replied.

"Well, whatever it is they've decided, it better be the right thing or they will have a riot on their hands," Heero stated with a nod to the television.

All turned back to note that the coverage was still going, the television crew doing their best to keep people interested whilst they waited for the verdict by speaking to people inside the court room as well as some from the large mob that were based outside. The general consensus from those present was to 'lock the bastard up and throw away the key'.

"I'd say we're about to find out. The judges are coming back in," Trowa informed everyone.

The court room fell silent, the bailiff being the only one to speak in his request for everyone to rise. Once the judges were back in their places and seated an expectant silence hung over the room.

"Will the accused please stand," Carmichael ordered.

Barton got to his feet, glaring defiantly at those in the court room.

"Dekim Barton, you have been accused of many crimes and pleaded not guilty to those crimes. Your defense has pleaded insanity in your defense. After listening to the evidence supplied, viewing the facts and evidence to support the charges and discussing all with my colleagues, the three of us are all unanimous in our decision." Carmichael paused to take a sip of his water and clear his throat.

"On behalf of the ESUN and the Colonies, we three judges find you guilty on all charges."

The court room burst into an uproar of cheers, whistles and applause. Outside wasn't any better with the crowd all going wild. In the lounge room of the mansion, everyone added their own cries to those on screen.

"Yes!"

"Rot in hell, you bastard!"

"That's the best result."

"He deserves everything he gets!"

"Woof, woof!"

"Where's the fucking fire?"

"Barney!"

#

Once order had been restored to the court room, (and the mansion lounge room, including placating one Nurse), the judge was free to continue.

"You have been found guilty on all charges," Carmichael continued. "Given the severity of the charges my colleagues and I feel that giving you the death penalty is too good for you. Therefore, we sentence you to life imprisonment. From this day forward, you will be held in a maximum security prison with hard labor for the rest of your natural life."

Barton paled as the implication of his sentence struck home. This was worse than death.

The rest of the community didn't have a problem with it – in fact, they were all very pleased with the result and let it be known.

The parties went on well into the night.

Barton was led away to face his fate. In the mansion the residents all toasted the result with glasses of wine; and one of orange juice.

# # #

Barton was led out of the court room and directly into a prison van. The doors were locked and the vehicle started up. Soon Barton was on his way to the ESUN maximum security facility.

It didn't take long for him to arrive at his new 'home'. The van pulled up and the doors were opened. Barton was escorted out of the van and into the reception room where all his details were recorded. Despite already wearing a prison issue jumpsuit of orange, Barton was strip searched and sent to shower. From the shower he was issued with a new set of clothing; this time a jumpsuit of bright red.

An officer collected him from the showers and led him through the main doors and into the main cell block. "You have a second change of clothing there and a list of the rules. I suggest you learn them. We have strong penalties for those who do not obey the rules. As you are new, you will be allowed one error and that is all. Make any more mistakes and you will discover what those penalties are. Understood?"

Barton sneered at the guard but nodded his head. The man was pretty solidly built with a buzz cut and a stony expression. It was clear he wasn't a person to be messed with.

"This is your cell. Your cell mate is at work right now so I suggest you make the most of the quiet time and put your things away. Familiarize yourself with the rules and regulations. Dinner is at five and your cell mate will be back at four."

Barton noticed the strange smile that appeared on the guard's face when he mentioned the cell mate. Shrugging it off, Barton entered the cell and began to put his things away.

A little after four, Barton heard the sounds of the other prisoners returning from work and he raised himself slightly on his bed where he'd been reclining. A shadow fell across the entry and he looked up to see a small man standing there. He gave a soft sigh of relief. This man was a little shorter than him so wouldn't pose any threat to Barton.

"Hey Tiny, your new cell mate is here," the short man said to someone outside the cell.

Barton froze as the short man moved to one side to allow the other prisoner - his cell mate - to enter. He swallowed hard as a giant of a man stepped inside. Muscles rippled beneath the skin, brown eyes lit up as they alighted on Barton and a tongue slipped out past a missing front tooth to lick at thick lips.

"I'm Tiny, your cell mate," the hulking man said as he stepped deeper into the cell, leering at Barton as he did so. Looking Barton up and down, Tiny brought a hand to the front of his jumpsuit and rubbed at his crotch. "I like meat, especially fresh meat, and it's been a while since I had any..."

tbc...


	128. Chapter 128

**Many thanks to all for reading and warm hugs for the kind reviews. My apologies if I have missed replying to anyone who has reviewed; I'm having an issue with FFnet and being able to respond directly to reviews. I do appreciate the feedback and will try to reply to each review where possible.**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 128

With Barton's trial now over, life began to return to some form of normalcy for the guys. Trowa was now completely healed and Quatre could no longer stay away from his business on L4. He'd already been absent for longer than planned and whilst his sisters were more than happy to look after things in his absence, Quatre liked to know what was going on and be there. As Trowa put it, the blonde didn't trust anyone other than himself to run the business properly.

With the threat of the Firecell and Barton gone, the extra Magunacs that Quatre had enlisted to assist Harim and Raphel were no longer needed. They returned to their usual duties back on L4 leaving the other two to continue on as normal.

Trowa and Quatre were due to leave in the afternoon a couple of weeks after Barton's trial. They had delayed their departure not just for Trowa to finish completely healing and get the all clear from Sally to fly, but to accompany Heero who had wanted to check up on Zechs and the promise he'd made in relation to the Gundams.

Not that Heero didn't trust the other man, but he needed to see to satisfy himself. Wufei had understood, also wanting to know where his Gundam was being held and had approached Une along with Heero. Whilst Une was not at liberty to disclose any information on Zechs, his place of residence or anything else for that matter, she did agree to contact him and arrange for the agents to make a visit to where the Gundams were being stored. Une also agreed that the ex pilots had a right to know that their Gundams were being looked after and held in a safe location.

Unfortunately, due to his condition, Duo wouldn't be allowed to go and that didn't sit well with him at all. In fact, he let his displeasure be known.

Loudly and regularly.

Heero stood firm though and refused to give in. Duo tried everything he could think of from whining, begging, and threatening, to crying, cajoling and bribery.

Nothing worked.

This was one time that Heero refused to budge.

Having suffered through the constant nagging at Heero, Quatre couldn't stand it anymore and offered to remain behind and stay with Duo to keep him company whilst Heero, Wufei and Trowa went to check on the Gundams and the security in place for them.

Duo quickly gave in and insisted that Quatre accompany the others.

Une handled all the arrangements, the four agents were to present to the Preventer shuttle port where Zechs would collect them and fly them out to where the Gundams were secreted away. There were conditions attached, all four pilots would be sight and hearing deprived whilst on the trip, purely to protect Zechs and the Gundams.

Whilst none of the four – Heero especially – were happy with the conditions, they accepted anyway; it was Une's way or no way.

#

Having promised Duo that he would check that Deathscythe was okay, Heero left the mansion to join with the others and their trip to the space port. Zechs was waiting for them and once the pleasantries were exchanged, the four men were allowed on board the sleek shuttle Zechs had flown in on. Once inside and safely in their seats, a set of head phones was placed over each agent's ears. A special pair of glasses was also given to each man and they were ordered to put them on.

The eye wear and headphones were a new prototype being tested by the Preventer Labs. Once they were on the subject, they could not be removed by anyone other than the allocated person without risking severe damage to the subject's sight or hearing. A special code was required and Zechs was the only one aside from the Lab personnel who knew the code in the case of the agents.

Understanding the reasons for such measures, the four men settled themselves into their seats, dozing lightly and waited for the journey to pass.

Once Zechs was cleared for take-off, the shuttle was soon on its way. Being a new model of shuttle, specially built for short range, fast travel, it didn't take long to reach Zechs' secret residence. Pagan employed the scramblers again so anything that could possibly be trying to track the shuttle would be left thinking it had disappeared into thin air.

The shuttle landed smoothly, Zechs taxing it into the small hangar and powering it down. The large doors closed and the hangar was sealed off from the rest of the world. With the shuttle taken care of, Zechs left the cockpit to release his guests from their silent and sightless world.

"I am sorry for the extreme measures, but you do understand why we have to put them in place," Zechs apologized again as he released the four men from their silent, dark world.

"We understand," Heero replied. "I would expect nothing less for one who is involved in the Black Ops."

Zechs nodded by way of reply. "This way," he stated and turning, led the way out of the shuttle and into the hangar.

The four followed the taller man along several hallways and through a few steel doors before halting outside an elevator. Zechs punched in a code, pressed his hand to a plate set into the wall beside the code pad and then had his retina scanned. Only once all three added up did the elevator doors open.

"Quite sophisticated," Heero approved as they stepped inside the elevator.

"I did say the Gundams would be kept under the highest security we could come up with," Zechs replied with a smile.

The doors closed and the elevator began to descend. In no time at all, it came to another stop and the doors opened into a small chamber. Zechs once again placed a code in the keypad, followed it with a hand scan and then retina scan. A small screen fuzzed to life and a face appeared on it.

"Sir," the man said.

"You may open the doors, Lieutenant, these are our guests I informed you earlier that I would be bringing to visit," Zechs stated.

"Sir, yes, sir."

The doors opened and Zechs stepped forward, the other four right behind him.

They stepped onto a sort of catwalk which sat roughly half way up in a huge cavern. Heero calculated that they were underground in a sort of basement hangar, the rock and concrete of the walls along with the drop in temperature backing his theory.

The catwalk extended completely around the perimeter of the walls and had several more 'walks' running off it at various intervals. Around the outer walls stood the five Gundams. Each Gundam had a type of scaffolding around it which allowed the technicians and mechanics easier access for maintenance and repairs.

Currently, Heavyarms was the Gundam with the most work happening around it. Wing, Deathscythe and Shenlong only had a couple of techs by them, Sandrock a few more, but the main activity was centered on Heavyarms.

"These four Gundams have been repaired already. They didn't suffer much in the way of damage and it was relatively quick and easy to restore them to their full capacity," Zechs explained. "Heavyarms took quite a lot of damage and thus is taking longer to repair."

"You don't have to remind me of that," Trowa muttered.

Quatre gave his husband a nudge in the ribs.

"We expect Heavyarms to be completely repaired and fully functional again within the month," Zechs told them, ignoring Trowa's comment.

"What are the techs doing?" Heero questioned, the touch of anger in his tone. Heero had never been one to let anyone else touch his Gundam, preferring to work on Wing alone. He constantly had to remind himself that Wing was no longer 'his', that the Gundam was preserved only for use should every other avenue fail to bring about an end to whatever conflict was occurring.

"They are running diagnostic tests. Each day they do them, checking and double checking that all is running smoothly with the mecha," Zechs replied. "God forbid, but if we ever need to use them again in the future they will be ready for immediate dispatch."

"Logical," Wufei stated.

Zechs could feel the undercurrent of tension running between the ex pilots and smiled inwardly. "Whilst the Gundams may be secured here and my staff that I trust implicitly are responsible for keeping them all in perfect working order, I would feel better about the whole deal if you four would be so kind as to check each one over yourselves, take a look at not only the physical side of them, but make sure that all the programs are functioning at maximum capacity." Zechs knew he'd said the right thing when he saw the light flare up in each of the agents' eyes.

"The techs won't mind?" Quatre asked.

'_Ever the diplomat,' _Zechs thought to himself before replying. "No, of course they won't mind, if anything I'm sure they will welcome the input and no doubt will be picking your brains for ways to improve the overall performance of the mechas," said Zechs with a smile.

"Thank you," Trowa stated on behalf of them all.

"You're welcome. If you follow this walk around, you will see the various branches off to each Gundam," Zechs informed them and gestured to the areas of concern. "I'll leave you all to explore and settle your minds in regards to your suits for a while. I'll be in the main control booth up there," continued Zechs and pointed to a small, glass booth that sat further up on the side wall where it was in the ideal location to observe everything that went on in the 'hangar'.

"If you have any questions, just ask the technicians working on your respective machines; if they can't answer them they will contact me. I'll leave you to it, gentlemen." With a bow to the four, Zechs departed for the control booth.

"What are we waiting for?" asked Quatre when Zechs had departed and the four of them were still standing on the catwalk.

Heero gave a grin and charged off down the catwalk in the direction of Wing. Wufei turned and followed a different trail of metal walk in the direction of Shenlong, leaving Trowa and Quatre standing together.

"Not much I can do with Heavyarms right now so once I've had a look over and satisfied myself that all is being repaired properly, I'll join you at Sandrock," Trowa said.

"Okay, I'll be in the cockpit," Quatre replied and headed for his Gundam. Trowa tagged along for a short way before branching off to his own mecha.

#

The techs Zechs had working on the suits were friendly enough and willing to answer any and all questions that were in their capacity to do so. The guys discovered that Zechs had handpicked each man based on his skills in his particular field plus his loyalty and ability to work in secret. The men were hard working and dedicated to their job, something that put them all up in Heero's estimation.

Trowa was more than happy with the progress on Heavyarms. The suit had taken several direct hits during their battle with Barton's troops and the damage had been extensive. Heavyarms was looking more like its old self, new plating replacing the damaged ones, the hydraulics had been completely overhauled and replaced where necessary and the circuitry gone over with a fine tooth comb.

What couldn't be repaired had been rebuilt and much to Trowa's delight, he'd discovered that whilst the suit was being repaired, the techs had managed to make a few modifications to the suit, modifications that allowed it to carry more ammunition than before and thus minimize his chances of running out again should he need to do battle in the future.

Happy in his heart that his suit was being tended to, Trowa went to catch up with Quatre and Sandrock.

Heero had commandeered the laptop from the tech who was working on Wing and was busily checking all the systems for himself. He was pleased with the overall result and turned to the tech to thank him for doing a great job. The tech, Derek, was more than happy with the praise and couldn't keep the beaming smile off his face. When Heero showed him a few other things to help with the programing of Wing, Derek was over the moon and watched avidly.

Several hours were spent by the ex pilots with their suits and the techs, all learning a little something from each other. Heero had checked Deathscythe as he'd promised and found the suit to be running perfectly. All systems were fully functional and any repairs that had been necessary had been carried out as if Duo himself had done them. Heero knew his lover would be pleased with his Gundam's state of 'health'.

The guys were more than happy with the state of their Gundams and joined Zechs inside the control booth once they were finished with their inspections. Zechs took the time to show them the many, elaborate systems in place to insure the safety and secrecy of the Gundams. Aside from the codes and scans, there were four other levels that someone would have to pass through in order to gain entry to the premises.

First they had to locate the place, then they would have to pass through sensors, scanners and radar that was operating twenty-four seven above and around the property itself. If they managed to infiltrate that far, then they needed to get inside the building itself and that was safeguarded by voice analysis and fingerprint identification.

Assuming the intruder got through all those security measures and managed to be inside the building, they then had to locate the secret elevator and use the code, palm and retina scan to pass through and into the elevator. The elevator itself had several floor buttons one could select; all but one were dummy floors and should the elevator open up on one of those, the occupant would find themselves facing another scan pad which they would need to pass both palm and retina scans within two minutes or a sleeping gas would be released.

Once arriving at the actual basement 'floor', there were the scans and codes again to pass through, the final one being a visual by personnel on the other side.

It was no wonder the techs all opted to live 'on site' as such, Quatre had commented. It would take them at least two hours to get through all the security measures just to start work!

"I trust that all the security we have in place meets with your approval?" Zechs asked the group.

"More than enough," Trowa replied.

"Yes, I must admit, you have an excellent system here," Wufei stated, suitably impressed.

Heero nodded. "I doubt even Duo would be able to infiltrate into here and he's the best we have."

That made Zechs feel particularly good about the systems. He was well aware of Maxwell's infiltration skills, the man had an uncanny ability to get into and out of the most difficult of situations. For Yuy to say what he had meant Zechs was on a winner. "Thank you."

"I feel more than happy about leaving Wing in your care and I know Duo would say the same in regards to Deathscythe," Heero commented.

"Shenlong is in safe hands. I commend you on your security," Wufei acknowledged.

"Thank you for providing a safe and secure place for them, Zechs," Quatre said. "It means a lot to know they are being taken care of."

Zechs nodded, he knew exactly what Quatre meant having had both Tall Geese and Epyon in his care in the past. A pilot grew to know his mecha, it became a part of him, an extension as such and when you relied on it to keep you safe you made damn sure you looked after it in return.

Glancing at his watch, Heero gave a soft sigh. "As much as I would love to stay and explore this facility for longer, I'm afraid we really should be going."

With those words, the agents bid the staff good bye and thanked them again for their care and dedication to the Gundams. Following Zechs, they rode the elevator back up and stepped out into the hallway once more. Pagan was waiting for them and took them to the hangar where the shuttle awaited. Once the eye wear and headphones were in place, Zechs fired up the shuttle's engines and took the four agents back to the Preventer shuttle port.

# # #

The days turned into weeks, Trowa and Quatre left for L4, a teary farewell on Quatre's part, Duo not doing too much better. Despite Quatre's mothering tendencies, the blonde did mean well and both Heero and Duo knew that.

Quatre kept in touch though, either emailing or speaking with Duo via vid phone every second day. The blonde was looking forward to the birth of Duo's second child and as he'd missed being there for Keitaro's birth, he fully intended to make up for that this time around.

Heero also intended to be there for Duo when he went into labor. When Keitaro had decided it was time to come into the world, Heero had been doing his best to rescue Quatre and several other dignitaries from a terrorist who thought the world revolved around him and his desires.

Come hell or high water, Heero was planning on staying firmly beside his husband for the last few weeks of the pregnancy and nothing short of an earthquake would get him to shift.

Wufei had gotten over his shyness and taken the words Nurse Brown had spoken to heart. He let Sally know he was very interested in becoming more than just good friends. The pair began to date, Wufei taking the woman out to various restaurants, movies, shows and festivals. As they spent more and more time together Sally began to discover the real Wufei.

The Chinese agent may have been tough on the outside, but underneath he was a big softie. When Wufei really let himself go and relax he was a lot of fun to be with. He had a wicked sense of humor that Sally took great delight in bringing out of him.

Duo had also been surprised and then happy to discover the lighter side to Wufei. Sally and Wufei often came over to the mansion and shared dinner and a movie with the other two. With Duo restricted in the amount of movement he was allowed to do, it soon became apparent the man needed occupying with something.

Movie nights were always a lot of fun.

Margaret's wrist healed and Sally removed the cast from it. Overall she was pleased with the results. The bone had knitted back just fine and it seemed the nerves had also healed as well as could be expected. There was a bit of muscle wastage which both women knew would happen and it would just take time for Margaret to build those muscles up.

Sally put the nurse through many grueling exercises with the hand to see exactly how much nerve damage there was. Fortunately for Margaret there wasn't a great deal. She was still able to grip items, manipulate objects and carry things. Overall, Sally estimated the nurse had lost about ten percent of the function, not enough to affect her functioning in caring for a child.

It was great news to all and Duo called for a celebration to mark the occasion. Heero got stuck with making a cake, Duo supervising the effort as he wasn't allowed to participate. Much to Heero's surprise, the cake came out nicely and once it was iced, both looked and tasted delicious.

Duo's pregnancy continued on and Heero suffered much the same way as he had when Duo had been carrying Keitaro. The cravings were constant, but this time Duo couldn't get enough of oranges. Didn't matter what shape or form they came in, he was always on the prowl for some. Heero was secretly pleased with the craving this time, at least it was a healthy one, although he did begin to worry a touch over the amount of the citrus fruit Duo could consume.

He discussed his concerns with both Sally and Nurse Brown, both women assured him that it was fine, the fruit wouldn't do Duo any harm in the quantities he was eating or drinking as any excess vitamins were not stored in the body but passed out. Just so long as he wasn't eating or drinking the juice on an empty stomach due to the citric acid contained in the fruit then all would be okay.

During Duo's latest check up, Heero approached Sally whilst Duo was getting himself dressed again to ask the one question he'd been waiting to ask and yet embarrassed to do so. Sensing the man wanted to speak with her regarding something, Sally did her best to make it as easy as possible for the dark haired man.

"You have something you want to ask me, Heero?"

"Ah, yes. It's about Duo, this pregnancy, his wounds from Barton... With all he's been through, still going through, would it be safe for us to – to – ah, that is, could we become more..."

"Heero?" Sally had to hold the chuckle.

"Yes?"

"Are you asking me if it is safe for you and Duo to resume having sex?"

Heero wondered if he was about to spontaneously combust. "Ummm... yes."

Giving the man a warm smile, Sally did her best to make it as painless as possible for Heero. "Heero, Duo's wounds have healed up well and there is no threat to them if you indulge in sex. There is no risk to the baby either if the pair of you are careful. I think you would remember our talk on this same topic when Duo was carrying Keitaro?"

"I do recall most of it," Heero replied.

"Then it's the same with this pregnancy. Although I would advise Duo taking the uke role as opposed to the seme."

Heero went a deeper shade of red.

"The reason Duo is on bed rest is not because of the wounds he received from Barton, but rather because this pregnancy has come quite soon after Keitaro and Duo's body had not finished completely healing up from the last pregnancy before this one started. I would have preferred it if you two could have waited for another year or so before continuing your family, but what is done is done. I don't want Duo putting any stress on his body which means if you want to resume sex then you're going to have to do all the work, Heero. Just remember to keep the penetration shallow and all will be fine."

"Okay, I think," Heero said as he analyzed the doctor's words.

"Don't worry so much, Heero. Just let nature take its course."

Heero gave the doctor a smile.

# # #

"Do you think I'm ugly?" Duo asked as he shuffled across the carpet from the bathroom towards the bed where Heero was already reclining.

"No, of course not," Heero replied quickly. "Why would I think that?"

"Because I'm fat, I waddle when I walk and I feel like a bloated fish when I lie down."

"You don't look like a bloated fish."

"I haven't seen my toes in ages either," Duo continued to moan as he moved to the side of the bed and prepared to get into it.

"If you prop your feet up on a stool when you're sitting down then you would see your toes," Heero replied, doing his best to be helpful.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Duo managed to settle himself onto the mattress and glared at his husband. "You fond of sleeping on the couch?" he growled as he got himself comfortable.

Knowing he'd made a really big mistake, Heero did his best to climb out of the hole he'd dug for himself. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way," Heero apologized. "I'd much rather sleep with you," he continued, dropping his voice to a husky tone and scooting across the bed to be closer to Duo.

"Heero?" Duo questioned, unsure of what his husband was up to.

Heero managed to sidle alongside his husband and pulled Duo's head to rest on his shoulder whilst his arm draped over Duo's swollen belly to reach for the braided man's back where fingers began to trace idle patterns across creamy skin.

"Ahh," Duo moaned, the touches causing little shivers to dance across his nerves.

Feeling bolder, Heero allowed his fingers to wander lower, still keeping their tender touches to Duo's skin as they edged closer and closer to the hem of Duo's boxers. He placed kisses to the crown of Duo's head and whispered sweet nothings to the love of his life.

Duo closed his eyes and let his body feel. It had been way too long since they had been intimate together and although Duo was unsure of exactly what Heero's intentions were, he was enjoying the touches and attention way too much to stop it. Besides, they could always pleasure each other in ways that didn't involve penetration.

The need was beginning to rise in Heero and he could feel an answering need from his husband pressing against his thigh. Wriggling a bit, Heero managed to push his leg between Duo's. His hand continued stroking across Duo's back, only now it was brushing against the hem of Duo's boxers. Taking a deep breath, Heero pushed his fingers underneath the fabric and began to stroke them across Duo's buttocks.

"Good, feels good," Duo moaned. His hips began to push slightly forward and found the friction they sought against Heero's thigh that was pushed between his own legs. Slowly but steadily, Duo's cock was rising, his need building and he rubbed himself against Heero in an attempt to find some form of friction.

Heero was hard too and with each rub of Duo's groin against his leg, Heero's cock connected with Duo's hip and lower abdomen. The friction wasn't enough to offer anything other than further torment and Heero growled softly. His fingers ghosted along the crevice of Duo's ass and he boldly allowed a finger to ease between those cheeks to caress the small entrance hidden there.

"Heero?" Duo moaned. "I need you, I want you but I don't think we should..."

"Hush, Duo. I spoke with Sally and she said it was okay as long as I'm careful and I do all the work." Heero pressed a soft kiss to his love's mouth. "But I'll only make love to you if you're comfortable with that."

"Oh, god. I want you so much," Duo moaned.

"Then lie back, relax and enjoy."

Fingers roamed over creamy skin, both mens boxers becoming history as Heero set out to discover Duo's body all over again. He lay Duo down and began to worship his partner's skin with fingers, lips and tongue. He kissed, nibbled and licked his way over every inch of Duo, from his throat to his navel, over the baby bump and along sensitive, inner thighs.

The level of excitement was rising rapidly, neither man was going to last long at this rate. Heero pulled the new tube of lube from underneath his pillow and coated his fingers. Gently he prepped his husband, fingers sliding in and out of Duo's heat as the muscles stretched and gave to accommodate him. He was thorough in his preparations, not wanting to cause Duo any pain at all and it had been a while since Duo had been penetrated.

Gradually Duo's body relaxed and the long haired man was reduced to mindless begging. He was so aroused he thought he would burst. "Please, Heero. Now, take me now," he pleaded.

A soft smile on his lips, Heero rolled his lover to his side and arranged his legs to make penetration easier. Slicking himself with a generous amount of lube, Heero settled behind his husband and gently eased himself into Duo's body. The muscles protested at first, though they soon relaxed and eagerly swallowed Heero's length.

Waiting for Duo to adjust, Heero slipped his hand around Duo's middle to grasp his lover's erection. Feeling the passage around him softening, Heero began to withdraw a touch, then plunge back inside. His hand began to stroke his lover's length as his own cock sank into the warm sheath of Duo.

Their lovemaking didn't last too long, both men having been denied the act for too long. It was tender and slow though, each thrust, each stroke savored and enjoyed. Duo moaned softly as his excitement built until it reached the point of no return. He cried out as his orgasm hit him hard, the fluid spurting from his cock to spill over sheets and Heero's hand.

With Duo's fall into nirvana, Heero soon followed. The heat and tightness of Duo's passage was torment to his engorged cock. With his orgasm claiming him, Duo's passage began to contract, the muscular ripples stroking Heero's need and tipping him over the edge. He called out Duo's name as he spilled himself inside the one that owned his heart and soul.

Once they were able to move again, Heero fetched a warm wash cloth and cleaned them both up. "Enjoy that?" he asked his sleepy partner, pulling Duo close to his chest and cuddling his husband.

"Mmmhmm," Duo mumbled. "Need to sleep now."

With a soft chuckle, Heero turned off the bedside lamp. "I love you, Duo," he whispered.

tbc...


	129. Chapter 129

**Many thanks to everyone for reading and for the kind reviews. I'm still having problems being able to reply to my reviewers, I think FFnet must hate me. Rest assured though, I really do appreciate your comments and feedback and I will respond to you all individually just as soon as I can. *snugs* Shen ^_^**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 129

Quiet.

It was quiet and peaceful.

The fetus moved slightly, stretching its limbs but unable to move much in the confined space of the uterus. Frustrated, it gave a small kick; and came up against another barrier. It rolled slightly and discovered it had a little more space to play with if it maintained this position.

Happy with that, the fetus began to work it's arms and legs, randomly pushing out at different angles and connecting with the ever present obstacle of the uterine wall. At least it had a bit more space and could stretch a touch further.

The fetus tested its appendages for a little while, seeing just how far it could stretch and push before the solid barrier refused to give any further. It was fun and the fetus continued its game for several minutes before beginning to tire.

Eventually its energy ran out and the fetus curled back up into a ball, a tiny thumb finding the mouth and sucking on it.

# # #

"Active little devil, ain't 'cha?" Duo muttered and ran a hand over his moving belly. "Ouch!"

"You okay, Duo?" Heero questioned from where he was sitting on the floor playing with Keitaro.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Duo sighed.

Looking up, Heero gave a soft smile as he watched Duo's hand rubbing lightly over the swollen abdomen, the belly moving from time to time. "Baby giving you grief?" he asked softly.

"In a manner of speaking," Duo replied. "I'd forgotten just how uncomfortable it can be when they decide to play soccer with your insides. Ow! Take it easy, munchkin."

Scooping Keitaro into his arms, Heero picked himself and his son up from the floor and joined his husband on the couch. Keitaro immediately did his best to crawl into Duo's lap.

"Sorry, Keitaro, there isn't any room for you there," Duo chuckled and eased the child to his side where he could cuddle the boy.

Duo's belly moved again and Keitaro's eyes lit up. Small hands reached for his father's stomach, Heero grabbing hold of the young one's wrists and guiding them gently. "Gentle, Keitaro," Heero warned.

The child's hands landed softly on Duo's stomach and Duo gave a smile. "Down here," he said and guided both Heero and Keitaro's hand to a spot on the right of his belly. The fetus gave another kick and then pushed its foot out against the internal barrier. Duo's belly jerked and then a lump appeared to the side, moving slowly across the taut skin of the abdomen.

Keitaro's eyes widened as he felt the movement under his hands and he tried to see where it was coming from. Heero also felt the fetus move and watched in awe as the raised bump under Duo's skin began to move.

Reaching forward, Heero placed his hand over the moving 'bump' and chuckled as it shifted. He followed it across Duo's abdomen and back again, his heart swelling with love for the unborn baby.

Both father and son continued to 'play' with the unborn child, eyes wide as they followed the movements of both Duo's belly and the child within.

"If you've both quite finished?" Duo said, the amusement clear in his tone and twinkling in his eyes.

Heero looked sheepishly at his partner. "Sorry, didn't mean to make you uncomfortable but it's just so unbelievable," Heero replied.

"I know," Duo said softly, "you don't have to remind me; and I don't mind, really. It's just that I need to go pee."

The soft sound of laughter came from Heero.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, buddy," Duo groused and began to maneuver himself from the couch.

"Let me help," said Heero and stood up to give his husband a hand up from the couch.

"Baba," Keitaro said, eyes still fixed on Duo's stomach.

"Yes, Keitaro. Baby," Duo responded with a smile and another sweep of his hand over his belly. "Now I really need to pee." With his feet under him, Duo waddled off in the direction of the bathroom. He would be really thankful once this pregnancy was over.

# # #

"How are you feeling, Duo?" Sally asked as she entered the small examination room in the mansion they used for Duo's check ups.

"Not too bad. I'm getting a bit short of breath and my back aches, but other than that, I'm fine," Duo replied honestly. He'd learnt during his pregnancy with Keitaro that it didn't pay to omit anything from the doctor, Sally would find out anyway.

"That's all to be expected," Sally replied with a grin. "How do you feel internally?"

"Squashed."

"I'm not surprised." Sally turned as Heero entered the room. "What the hell happened to you?" she asked when she spotted the bruising around Heero's eye and cheek.

Heero huffed.

Duo snickered. "If you don't tell her, I will."

Scowling, Heero faced the doctor who was waiting expectantly. "I happened to mention that the skin across Duo's abdomen looks as tight as a drum," he began. "He agreed with me. I also said I could probably play a tune on it as it was so tight and went to see if I could. He didn't appreciate it."

"I'm not a musical instrument," Duo snapped.

Sally laughed. She could easily picture the scene, Heero going to play a beat out on Duo's belly, the braided man clocking his partner for being so forward.

"You didn't have to hit quite so hard," Heero retorted.

"At least you will think twice next time."

"There won't be a next time."

"Good."

"Errr... Guys, do you think we can call a truce for the moment? I really need to examine you, Duo."

Two faces looked at the doctor, sheepish expressions on them. "Sorry."

"No problem, you can continue with the domestic after I'm gone," Sally teased.

Heero chose to ignore the teasing and took up residence in his usual spot beside the bed Duo was currently sitting on.

"I'll need you to remove the shirt and lie down for me Duo," said Sally as she brought the ultra sound machine across.

With a grunt, Duo managed to pull off the shirt then turned himself and with Heero's assistance, swung his legs up onto the bed and lay himself down. His swollen abdomen rose up before his eyes and he swallowed as he realized just how big he was getting.

"I hope those internal organs of yours are coping okay," Sally said as she spread the gel across Duo's abdomen.

"I hope so too," came Duo's reply.

"Have you been suffering with any heartburn at all?" asked Sally as she brought the sound head into play.

"A little," replied Duo.

Scanning over the skin, Sally located Duo's internal organs one by one and took a good look at them. She frowned as she worked but declined to say anything for the moment. A further scan of Duo's insides told Sally all she needed to know in relation to the amount of space, or rather, lack of, there was inside. She decided to address this part before moving on and checking the baby.

"What's up, Sally?" Duo asked when he noted the look on the doctor's face, plus she'd not continued on with the check.

"There's nothing wrong as such," Sally began, choosing her words carefully, "Everything is okay inside with your internal organs..."

"But?"

"As you can see, there isn't a lot of room inside-"

"I know that, there wasn't much room when I was carrying Keitaro either, but I seemed to cope okay," Duo interrupted.

"Yes, that's true, but in this case there seems to be even less room. This baby is slightly bigger than Keitaro was at the same stage and I'm a little concerned that if it grows too much more then your internal organs could well suffer some damage from being too squashed."

"I see," Duo whispered.

"Is there anything you can do to alleviate the situation?" Heero asked, taking hold of Duo's hand and squeezing it reassuringly.

"Short of removing some internal organs which wouldn't be in Duo's best interests, no, I'm afraid there isn't," Sally replied, trying to make light with her tone.

Duo gave a soft sigh. "I don't think I like the idea of having anything removed either, I'm kinda attached to my insides, thanks."

"What about the baby?" questioned Heero.

"What about it?" Duo asked his husband, clearly confused. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm pregnant and the baby is growing inside me, Heero."

"Baka! What I meant was, is there any chance that Sally could deliver the baby early to alleviate the pressure on your internal organs?"

"It's a possibility," Sally stated, "but it will all depend on how developed the baby is. This is the problem we have with premature babies, quite often their lungs are not developed enough when they are born and they have major complications with breathing which leads to problems in other areas too. Duo is currently at roughly 30 weeks and that means the baby's lungs are almost fully developed. If we have to bring the birth on sooner, I'd rather wait until he's at 35 weeks or more as the baby's lungs will be developed enough by that stage to support it."

"I'm not putting this child at risk," Duo stated firmly.

"What I think would be the best thing to do would be to keep an eye on both Duo's insides and the baby's development. Once the child gets to a safe delivery stage we will monitor the amount of room inside your abdomen and how it is coping with the child. If it looks like there could be problems then we will deliver the child early." Sally looked to both men for confirmation.

"Sounds good to me," Heero agreed.

"I'll only go through with something like that if there is no risk to the baby," Duo said.

"I wouldn't perform it if there was going to be any risk to the child," Sally replied. "I promise, it will only be used as a last resort. Now, shall we take a look at the child?"

"Yes please." Duo's tone was eager, he couldn't get enough of seeing the tiny being on the scans, to know it was a part of him, growing inside his body only made it that much more special.

The sound head was deployed once more, sliding across Duo's belly until the pictures began to show the baby inside.

"I think it's sleeping," Sally murmured. "It's curled up, See, here are the legs and that's the spine..." Sally pointed out the various areas on the screen, Heero and Duo following intently. Since Keitaro and now this child, as the pregnancies progressed both men were getting better at 'seeing' what Sally was pointing out on the ultra sound screen.

"The length is... ah, forty centimeters from crown to toe; that's good," Sally informed the pair. "The baby should also be able to open and shut its eyes now."

"Then I wish it would keep an eye out for my bladder and stop using it as a punching bag," Duo muttered.

"Don't worry, Duo, the movement should start to slow down soon as there's not much room for the child to move around. You will probably find over the next few weeks that your breathing may get a little harder, that will be because the child should start to turn around and drop the head down towards your pelvis, getting into the birth position. As it does that so the uterus will push up a little bit and could cause you to become short of breath at times. Don't worry too much about it but if it does become really uncomfortable, try hopping onto your fours for a bit, that usually helps to ease the pressure."

"Okay, I'll try to remember that," Duo responded.

"Right, that's it for today's session. Any questions?" Sally wiped the gel from Duo's abdomen and began to pack up the machine.

"Nope, I've not got any," Duo said and looked to Heero.

"I don't have any either."

"Good. I'll stop by in another three days to check you again, Duo. Meanwhile, any problems just call me. Nurse Brown will keep an eye on you and check you out daily for me as well. If that's it, I'm out of here."

"Thanks, Sally. Have a good evening," Duo said as he sat up and reached for his shirt.

"I'll come see you out," Heero stated. "I'll be back to help you to our room or the lounge in a minute, Duo," he told his partner before stepping out of the room with Sally.

Whilst Heero was seeing the doctor out, Duo finished getting dressed and waited for Heero to return. He didn't dare try to walk out of the room and down the stairs by himself, Heero would seriously kill him if he did.

Heero wasn't long and soon assisted Duo down the stairs and into the lounge room where he made his husband comfortable on the couch. Nurse Brown was playing with Keitaro, the pair building a castle out of the child's blocks. "How is everything?" Margaret asked.

"All is well with the child although my insides are getting a little cramped," Duo replied as he eased himself into a slightly more comfortable position.

"That's to be expected," replied the nurse.

"Yeah, don't remind me," Duo sighed. "I'll be glad when this baby is born and I can have my body back."

Nurse Brown chuckled. "Most pregnant women I've dealt with over the years would agree with you there."

"I tell you, my respect for the female of the species has gone way up," Duo said. "And to think, some women actually carry and deliver twins. It's uncomfortable enough with only one in there, I can't imagine how it must be having two inside!"

"Having two inside what?" Heero questioned as he returned to the lounge room from the kitchen where he'd put the kettle on to make them all a cup of tea.

"Two babies, you know, twins?" Duo said with a grin.

"You're not having twins... are you?" Heero visibly paled and the last part came out in a whisper.

Duo couldn't help it, he laughed, loud and long until the tears were running down his cheeks. "No, I'm not having twins."

"I don't see what's so funny," Heero huffed.

Even Nurse Brown was chuckling away.

"Oh, Heero. You're what's funny; if you could have seen your face," Duo snickered.

Heero did his best to draw his tattered dignity back around him. "I'll go fetch the tea," he said a little stiffly and went back to the kitchen.

"You really shouldn't tease him like that, Duo," the nurse scolded.

"I know, but I didn't know he would take it that way; it was just so funny."

Heero returned with a tray bearing a teapot, cups, milk and sugar which he set down on the coffee table. Picking up Keitaro, Heero set the child in his playpen with a bottle of fruit juice, Keitaro grabbing for it and drinking the juice down.

With cups of tea in hand, the conversation returned to Duo's pregnancy.

"What does Doctor Po think?" Nurse Brown asked.

Duo related what Sally had said in regards to his lack of space inside and should things start to get too cramped she was thinking about delivering the child early. Duo voiced his concerns as he'd done with Sally, Nurse Brown reassuring the man that Sally wouldn't put either the child or himself at risk. At least with Duo already having one pregnancy and safe delivery under his belt so to speak, they all had a better insight into what to expect.

"Have you given any thought to names yet?" asked Nurse Brown as she sipped on her tea.

"Actually, no, we haven't," Duo replied.

"I guess we really should," Heero said.

"It might be an idea to start thinking about what you would like to call he or she," the nurse advised. "How did you come up with Keitaro's name?"

"I went looking on-line," Duo said with a grin. "We wanted something really special as Keitaro's conception and birth are nothing short of a miracle. Sorry, I wasn't calling you, Miracle," Duo apologized to the dog who upon hearing her name, had risen from the rug she was lying on and wagging her tail had approached her master. "There's several good baby name sites out there that have the meanings behind the names so I just went searching and found the name Keitaro," Duo explained as he patted the dog's head.

"Are you going to give this one a Japanese name, or stick with something American or European?"

"You know, I hadn't really given that any thought," Duo said honestly. "What do you think, Heero?"

"I don't mind either way," Heero replied.

"I suppose it doesn't really matter what language the name comes from as long as it's suitable and we both like it. I guess we should go on line again and have a look around, see what we can find unless you have anything in particular in mind you'd like this child to be called, Heero?"

Heero shook his head. "I hadn't given it any thought, but whatever we come up with it will be special, just as this child is also special."

"Better find something for either sex as we won't know if it's a boy or girl until Sally delivers me," Duo mused.

"I kind of figured that," snorted Heero.

Poking his tongue out at Heero, Duo changed the topic. "I'll worry about names later, right now I'm hungry. What's for dinner?"

# # #

It was later that evening when both men were sitting comfortably in bed, laptop perched between them that they went looking for names.

"I'll find us a few good sites to start searching through," Heero announced and took control of the keyboard.

"Putting that superior computer knowledge of yours to work, hey Heero?" Duo teased as he watched his husband's fingers fly over the keyboard.

"Actually, it's called Google," Heero replied with a grin.

Duo thwaped him upside the head.

"Ah, here we are. There could be a few interesting sites in this lot to look through," Heero said and selected a couple. Duo's eyes were riveted to the screen along with Heero's as they investigated the various sites.

After a couple of hours, Duo's eyes were beginning to ache from all the reading on the screen. Heero's eyes weren't too much better and the pair decided to call it quits for the evening. Heero shut down the laptop and turned to his partner.

"Was there anything in particular you liked out of all of those?" Heero asked.

Duo reached for the notebook he had beside him that he'd scribbled a few names down on that they had both quite liked the sound and meaning of. "There's a few I've listed here. A couple of them you mentioned you liked and there's one or two that I quite like," Duo replied.

"Let's hear them then." Heero settled back comfortably against the pillow and waited for his lover to speak.

"Okay. boy or girl first?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Then we will stick with tradition; ladies first," Duo snickered. "I've got three down here if it's a girl. There's Tamako, which means precious child. Then there's Nadira which means rare or precious and lastly Nasya which means miracle of God." Duo looked to Heero. "Are there any of those that you particularly like?"

Heero tossed the names around in his head for a moment before replying. "I still like Nadira the best out of them all," he said honestly.

Duo gave him a beaming smile and Heero knew he'd said the right name – even if it was his personal favorite. "I like that for a girl too, Heero."

"Then Nadira it is if the baby should be a girl." Heero smiled at his husband and reached over to caress the swell of the child beneath the bed covers.

"What about a boy? I've got Ayden, which means little fire, or there's Nathaniel which means gift of God," Duo said, reading what he'd written down.

"To be honest, I don't mind either of them," Heero stated.

Duo sucked on the end of his pen for a moment and then locked gazes with Heero. "I think I prefer Ayden," he said softly.

"Then if the child is a boy we will call him Ayden," Heero replied and reached forward to steal his lover's lips in a warm kiss.

Melting into the kiss, the notebook and pen dropped from Duo's fingers as he reached to wrap his arms around Heero's shoulders. "Mmmm, I like," Duo whispered when they broke for air. "You sure you're happy with those names, Heero?"

"More than happy," Heero murmured and snuggled closer to his husband.

# # #

As Duo's due date drew closer Sally monitored him very carefully. So far he was coping okay with the growing baby and Sally didn't want to deliver him any earlier than absolutely necessary. As the baby grew, so did Duo's abdomen. As Sally had told him, his internal organs were shoved to the side to give the growing child more room and Duo found himself reunited with the joys of heartburn, indigestion, constipation and a permanently flowing bladder.

With the increase in his physical discomfort Duo's normally soft and gentle nature also began to disappear and he found himself becoming short tempered and snapping at Heero over trivial things. Although Duo apologized repeatedly for his words and Heero completely understood that it was simply the 'hormones' talking, both men admitted they would be more than happy when this child was born and their lives could get back to what passed as normal for them both.

Quatre and Trowa returned to Earth two weeks before Duo's due date, Quatre determined he wasn't going to miss out on the birth of this niece or nephew. Trowa had been there with Duo for Keitaro and quite honestly he could well do without the dramas this time around; last time had been more than enough to convince him that child birth was best left to the female of the species.

Sally had finished another of her checks on Duo and was quite satisfied that he was doing as well as could be expected. Whilst she was at the mansion, she requested a meeting between all the guys and Nurse Brown as well. Curious as to what Sally wanted, all five men and one nurse fronted up to hear what Sally had to say.

"I'm sure you must all be curious as to why I wanted to meet with you all," Sally began and smiled at the nods she received. "It's really quite simple, I think we need to discuss everyone's role in the upcoming birth."

"I don't think I follow you, Sally," Quatre said with a frown.

"I know what role I'm playing," Duo snickered.

Sally rolled her eyes, as did Wufei and Heero, Trowa shook his head and Quatre still looked confused.

"When Duo is ready for this baby to be delivered all of you are going to have a job to do," Sally tried again. Seeing the questions about to be fired her way, the doctor was quick to continue. "Naturally I expect Heero to come to the hospital with Duo and be there for the entire delivery."

Heero nodded in reply.

"Nurse Brown will also come to the hospital to assist me with performing the caesarian section. With Margaret at the hospital that means we're going to need someone to remain here and be responsible for looking after Keitaro."

"I will be happy to remain here and look after the child," Wufei volunteered. The Chinese man figured it would be much easier for him to babysit the child than suffer through things along the lines of the last time.

"I don't mind staying here and looking after Keitaro with Wufei," Trowa offered.

"Thanks, guys," Duo said softly with a smile of appreciation.

"That means I can drive you all to the hospital when the time comes," Quatre beamed.

The silence could be cut with a knife.

"Just so you know, we are planning on taking the sedan. No lights or sirens," Heero stated.

"Of course," replied the blonde, completely oblivious to the underlying sarcasm. "I do know how to drive the sedan."

"I'm glad that's all settled," Sally continued on doing her best to avoid any confrontations when she spotted Heero about to reply. Turning to Duo, she addressed the pregnant man. "I assume you have your bag all packed?"

"Yup. It's been packed and ready to go for a week now," Duo replied smugly.

"Good. Don't forget to bring it to the hospital when you come in. Anyone have any questions? No? Then I will take my leave."

With Nurse brown seeing Sally out, the remaining five men began to discuss the various roles they would play in the upcoming birth of Duo's child.

tbc.


	130. Chapter 130

**Many thanks to everyone for reading and warm hugs for the kind reviews. Again, my apologies for not replying to your reviews individually, but progress has been made in the replying sector - no longer to I get the message: "Oops, you are accessing an older version of the page which is no longer available" Now I'm getting the message that tells me the person I'm trying to reply to no longer has an account or exists! *shrugs* Go figure. Meanwhile, another couple of chapters and an epilogue and this fic should be done. Then maybe I can get Cowboy back in the writing again. *sigh***

**Enjoy!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 130

As the baby continued to grow inside Duo, so there became less and less room. This child was slightly larger than Keitaro had been and carrying Keitaro had pushed Duo's internal organs to the edge; with this child those organs were placed under more stress and it was going to be just a matter of time before something gave out.

Sally monitored the braided man carefully, checking every second day with the aid of the ultra sound and frowning with what she found. With Duo approaching his 34th week of pregnancy, Sally made the decision she'd been putting off for a short while.

"Duo? Have you noticed if the child is becoming less active these past few days?" Sally asked as she cleaned off Duo's belly having given the man his latest ultra sound check.

"Come to think of it, yes, I have. Normally the baby is jumping around and using my insides as some sort of amusement park, but these past couple of days it hasn't been moving much at all," replied Duo.

"What is wrong?" asked Heero who was ever present.

"Nothing is wrong as such," Sally replied thoughtfully, "It's more like what we talked about before; Duo's insides and the lack of room for this baby."

"I see," Duo stated, his mind deep in thought.

Returning the sound head to the machine, Sally absently gave Duo a hand up to a sitting position. While Heero assisted his husband back into his shirt, Sally thought long and hard on what she wanted to say.

"Duo, do you remember what we talked about before in relation to your insides and the amount of room this baby would be needing?"

"Yeah, I do," Duo replied, a touch of fear in his voice.

"I won't beat around the bush here. Duo, I'm starting to get concerned for your health. This baby is continuing to grow and whilst that is quite normal, it is starting to cause stress on your other internal organs. In fact, I'm betting you've already noticed some small changes yourself."

Duo gave the doctor a quizzical look. "How do you mean?"

"You've been suffering with heartburn, is it getting worse? Have you found that your bowel habits have changed these past couple of days? I'm also betting that you're not eating as much as you used to at a meal either."

The pregnant man cast his mind back over the previous couple of weeks. "Come to think of it, the heartburn has been getting a touch worse. I can't really say about the bowel habits changing, but you're right about the food intake, I don't eat as much as I used to."

"Hai, I agree," Heero put in. "He only eats about half the amount he usually would for a meal, but he does snack in between which is why I haven't worried too much, but I was going to ask you about it."

"You never said anything about it before," Duo said to his husband, a frown on his face.

"No, I didn't mention it to you, Duo as you would have snapped my head off given your fluctuating hormones lately. I figured that seeing how you were still nibbling away between meals and as long as it was reasonably healthy I wouldn't confront you with it either."

Duo gave his partner a sheepish grin and scratched the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah, I guess I can see your logic there. I have been a bit grouchy lately."

"Is it related to the baby at all?" Heero asked the doctor, getting the conversation back on track.

"Yes, it is," Sally said. "This baby has pushed your internal organs to the sides, upwards and downwards. Your abdomen has stretched and grown to do its best to accommodate this child but it's now reached the point where it can't cope for much longer. Your stomach has been squashed to the side and into your diaphragm which is why you can't eat as much in one sitting, there simply isn't the room for it in the stomach. If the baby continues to grow at this rate then I'm afraid your internal organs may start to become deprived of oxygen, blood and the like and that will lead to organ failure."

Both Heero and Duo paled.

"This baby is now at 34 weeks and all its major organs are formed and functional. The lungs should be mature enough for the baby to be able to breathe by itself and with all that information I think it is time we considered delivering this child."

"You want to deliver me now?" Duo whispered.

"No, not right now," Sally replied. "I propose that we wait for another week, by that stage the baby will be 35 weeks and the lungs will be capable of breathing perfectly fine."

"Are you sure?" Duo asked, his voice low. "I told you before I won't risk this child."

"Duo, the baby will be just fine, it's you that I'm concerned about. If we leave you for much longer or to full term then this child could rupture a major organ of yours."

Heero turned his worried blue eyes to his lover and life partner. "Duo, listen to Sally and let her deliver this child when she wants to. I know she wouldn't suggest it if it would put the baby in danger, but you need to consider yourself too."

"Heero's right, Duo. This baby needs to be delivered by next week for both your sakes."

Violet eyes closed as Duo thought long and hard on the doctor's words. He searched his heart for what felt right, knowing that all Sally said was true. He was beginning to suffer quite a lot of discomfort due to the baby's growth and lack of respect for his internal workings, although he hadn't let on just how much pain and discomfort he was in at times. He'd done a little research himself into a baby's development stages and knew that at 35 weeks the lungs of the child would be capable of sustaining its life. With a soft exhalation he opened his eyes again and fixed them on Sally.

"Okay. You can deliver this child next week."

"Good," Sally said and heaved a sigh of relief.

"Everything will be fine, Duo," Heero reassured as he wrapped an arm around his lover and squeezed gently.

"I will inform Nurse Brown of the decision and I'll take care of the arrangements at the hospital. We will do the same as before when you had Keitaro. I'll isolate an operating theater, citing repairs or something to it as the reason why it's out of order. The medical wing isn't all that busy at the moment, only a couple of agents are in residence and they will both be discharged in a couple of days. Providing we don't have any accidents in the next few days the hospital should be relatively empty. I'll have a room set up for you in the isolation ward, same as last time and as far as anyone knows, I'm treating a patient with a highly contagious disease. No one other than myself and those of you I issue with pass cards will be able to access the area."

Heero nodded. It had worked last time so fingers crossed, it would work this time.

"What shall I do then? Duo asked.

"It is even more important now that you rest completely, Duo. There is so much stress on those internal organs that I don't want to risk anything further happening to them. Even moving around on the couch could cause damage. I want you to remain in bed, only getting up to shower or visit the toilet. Once I have all the arrangements in place at the hospital, I will inform Nurse Brown and she will let you know which day and what time next week to present to the hospital."

"Okay." Duo didn't look very happy with the confinement, but accepted it was necessary.

Heero nodded, knowing this next week would be one of the longest and hardest of his life.

# # #

Inside Duo's abdomen the fetus was restless. It tried to move around, stretch out its arms and legs only to have the movement halted. Time and time again it found itself brought up against an invisible barrier. It became frustrated and struck out, the tiny hand only managing to get so far before returning rapidly towards the tiny body. A foot kicked out in anger, bouncing back and striking the fetus in its other shin. The small being blinked in slight pain.

Unhappy with the restrictions, the fetus tried to push itself around, only to be stopped when the umbilical cord pulled tight around its torso. Annoyed, the baby turned the other way and found the tautness gone. Curling into a ball, it floated for a while, unable to do much else given the cramped conditions.

A small gland secreted a substance into the child's 'mother', the hormone infusing into the blood stream and traveling around Duo's body until it reached the placenta. The placenta exchanged the gasses and nutrients from the child's blood to that of Duo's, the hormone filtering through and into the child's blood stream where it waited until it reached the brain of the baby. Once there, it did what it was created to do.

The fetus calmed, small body turning inside the womb that had been its home for so long now. Despite the cramped conditions, the baby managed to do as the hormone requested, turning a touch, lowering the head and twisting around until it was facing downwards.

The tiny body relocated itself, careful to keep the limbs folded inwards and legs bent as the head moved down and into Duo's pelvis. Once it felt it was in position, the fetus stilled and relaxed, content to simply wait for whatever was to come.

# # #

Duo groaned softly and rubbed his hand across his swollen abdomen. In the past two days the baby had settled a lot, the movement slowing until he was barely able to feel the child at all now. In one way it was a relief, in another, disturbing.

"You okay?" Heero asked as he entered their bedroom with a mug of tea in one hand and an orange in the other. He set the items down on the bedside table and sat himself upon the edge of the mattress.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Duo replied, his voice sounding tired and strained.

Heero reached towards Duo's face and placed his finger under the American's chin, tilting it up so he could look his lover in the eyes. "You don't sound fine."

Turning his eyes away, Duo sighed softly. "I'm just tired, Heero. Tired and sore."

"Sore?" Heero was instantly on alert.

"Yeah. My belly feels like it's gonna explode."

"Is the baby still active?" Heero reached across and ran his hand gently across the swollen stomach of his lover, his worry increasing when he felt just how tight the skin and muscles were pulled.

"No, the baby's not moved much at all, but I can't seem to get comfortable. Doesn't matter which way I turn, if I try to sit or lie down, something feels like it's pulling or strained. I swear, if you were to stick a pin in me I'd burst."

Despite his concern for his partner Heero couldn't hold the small chuckle that escaped with those words. "Would you like me to massage your back or shoulders for you?" Heero asked, remembering that during Duo's last pregnancy he'd done a similar thing and it had helped.

"You can try if you like, Heero, but I don't think it's going to do much to ease this ache; it's in my belly, not my back."

Nodding, Heero assisted his lover to shuffle down the bed a little and settled himself behind Duo. Heero sat with his legs splayed on either side of Duo's hips and reached for his husband's shoulders. Strong yet gentle fingers began to work at the knots and tight muscles of Duo's shoulders, the touch welcomed but not doing a lot to relieve the ache in Duo's abdomen.

Heero continued in his work, diligently soothing away some of the aches from his lover. He sensed it wasn't all helping though and wished he could do something more to assist his troubled spouse. "Do you think if I were to massage some warm oil or something into the skin of your belly it might help?" Heero suggested.

Duo thought about that for a moment. "I guess it couldn't hurt. Where did you hear about that?"

"I remember reading about it somewhere ages ago. I'd forgotten all about it though until now. It said something about warm oil being massaged into the skin can help with reducing stretch marks, and alleviate itchiness."

"I do not plan on having stretch marks," growled Duo.

"I know you don't," Heero soothed quickly. "I wasn't thinking about it for that, I thought it might help to soothe the ache and ease the tightness of the skin a bit."

Duo sighed. "I suppose it couldn't hurt to try it."

"I'll go fetch some oil and warm it." Heero managed to extract himself from behind his lover and making sure Duo was comfortably propped up with pillows, he went in search of that oil. A few minutes later he returned, a small bowl in one hand and a towel in the other. Heero smiled to himself when he noticed the tea mug was empty and the orange had disappeared too. He set the bowl down on the bedside table.

"How would you like me?" Duo asked, his interest a little piqued now that Heero had returned.

"What would be the most comfortable position for you?"

"Ohhh, Heero," Duo teased.

"Not like that, baka!" Heero turned a lovely shade of red.

Thinking he'd better not tease his husband too much, Duo settled back down. "I think in a slightly reclining position would be best. It really doesn't matter how I am, it still aches and feels uncomfortable."

"Okay." Heero gave Duo a hand to move himself into a slightly more reclining position. "Comfortable?" he asked.

"As comfortable as I'm gonna be," Duo sighed.

"Just relax and enjoy," Heero murmured as he reached for Duo's shirt and pulled it up and away from his large belly. The sweat pants were lowered a touch too and the shiver didn't go unnoticed by Heero. The towel was spread across Duo's lap to protect the bed linen and Duo's clothing from the oil before Heero reached for the bowl and drizzled a little of the oil across the taut skin.

Warm hands began to gently spread the oil across the abdomen, sweeping, soft strokes of calloused palms and fingers spreading the slick fluid over every inch of Duo's baby bump. Heero was mindful of his strength, keeping his touch feather soft and concentrating on working the oil into Duo's skin.

Moaning softly, Duo relaxed as the oil penetrated and the sweeping movement of Heero's hands did in fact soothe a lot of the ache.

"Feel okay?" Heero asked, watching his lover closely for any sign of discomfort.

"Feels good, Heero. Just whatever it is you're doing, keep going." Violet eyes fluttered shut as Duo relaxed even more.

With a soft smile on his lips, Heero continued with his task, pausing from time to time to add a little more oil.

The tight skin absorbed the oil, drinking it in and easing a little of the tightness. Whilst it wouldn't do a lot to ease the condition – only the birth of the baby would do that – it did help to ease some of the discomfort.

It also had Duo feeling a little aroused.

The American wasn't sure why he should be getting aroused over something as simple as a massage of his belly, but there was definitely action happening in his nether regions. It did take his mind off his current situation. He gave a low groan and sank back into the pillows even further.

When Heero next applied some oil he swept his hands down low over Duo's abdomen and felt something hard brush against his wrist. His eyes looked down to the towel in Duo's lap and widened when he noted the tent there. "Duo?" he questioned, wondering why his lover should be getting excited over such a simple massage.

Duo elected not to reply with words; instead he let another groan escape his lips, one that contained a hint of pleasure in it.

Lowering one hand to the bulge, Heero squeezed gently. "Would you like some help with that?" he asked.

"Mmmm, please..."

Carefully, Heero slipped his hand underneath and managed to ease the sweats down a touch further. His hand snuck beneath the fabric and locating the flap to Duo's boxers, dived inside. Bringing Duo's length out of the restrictive clothing, he curled his fist around the shaft and began to pump, the residual oil on his hand aiding in the movement.

A soft panting came from Duo as his length was stroked, the heat inside began to build and pleasure raced through his system. All thoughts of his tight belly and the child inside fled his mind as he let the sensations take over and simply relaxed into the touch he was being gifted.

Tightening his fist a little, Heero swept his thumb over the leaking slit and spread the precome around. Blue eyes watched his lover's face intently, drawing his own pleasure from watching his husband's features twist and contort as his body was flooded with feeling.

Given the pregnant state of his body and the position he was currently reclining in, Duo was unable to thrust his hips much at all and had to rely on Heero's pleasuring of him to bring him to completion. He groaned and panted as each stroke pushed him closer to the edge. "More," he managed to grind out through his teeth.

Happy to oblige, Heero sped up his strokes a touch and brought his other hand around to slip beneath the fabric of Duo's sweats and inside his boxers to cup and fondle his balls.

That was all Duo needed to send him over the edge and into nirvana. His mouth opened in a keening wail, eyes clenched shut as his seed began to spill from the head of his cock and coat Heero's hand. His hips managed to jerk a little as he rode his orgasm to the fullest.

Watching Duo's face in the throes of orgasm was something Heero would never tire of. His love was simply stunning to behold; flushed and panting, soft trembles passing through his body as the ripples of pleasure bathed him from head to toe. His hand continued to stroke the now softening organ, mindful of how sensitive his lover would be and careful not to squeeze too tightly. When Duo's body finally slumped to the mattress, Heero let the organ go and reached for the towel to wipe his lover clean.

Violet eyes cracked open, a sated haze swirling in their depths as the last of his climax ebbed away. He felt the brush of fabric over his nether regions as Heero cleaned him up and let go a soft sigh of contentment. Once his pants were back in place, Heero appeared beside him and Duo reached to run his fingers across Heero's cheek. "Thank you," he murmured. "That was incredible."

"Happy I could help," Heero returned as he leaned into the touch. "Feel better now?"

"Mmm hmm, much," replied Duo as his eyes slipped closed on him, body still thrumming.

"I'll clean this lot up and then I think we should get some sleep, it's getting late," Heero said and reached for the towel.

"Whatever you say, Heero," came the sleepy reply.

With a soft chuckle to himself, Heero picked up the soiled towel and climbed off the bed. Grabbing the bowl with the little bit of oil left in it, he went through to the bathroom and sat the bowl upon the vanity counter, the towel going into the laundry hamper. Heero relieved himself and gave his hands a thorough wash before cleaning his teeth. Returning to the bedroom he was pleased to see Duo had at least repositioned himself under the covers. Grabbing his pajama bottoms, Heero quickly shed his clothes and pulled the soft pants on. Lifting the sheet, he slipped into the bed beside his lover and claimed Duo's lips in a soft kiss. "Good night, Duo. I love you," he whispered.

"Night, Heero. Love you too," came the quiet reply.

Turing off the bedside light, Heero snuggled closer to his husband, one hand resting lightly on Duo's belly and rubbing gently.

Inside that tight abdomen, the fetus had settled with its head down inside Duo's pelvis, arms and legs curled against its form. It wasn't sure what was happening, all it was aware of was the lack of room for it to stretch and play. Around it, the protective sac and walls that had been home to the small form, protecting it as it grew began to change slightly.

Deep inside Duo's brain, a small gland began to secrete a hormone.

# # #

It was several hours later when Duo woke. He wasn't sure what had caused his sleep to be disturbed. He listened carefully, nothing out of the ordinary could be heard. With a little light from the moon penetrating the bedroom, he glanced around. Nothing was out of place.

Heero was still snuggled close to his side, soft snoring coming from his husband's mouth. Duo smiled to himself and let his eyes drift shut again. He could feel himself relaxing and sinking into the soft mattress when a sudden, sharp pain lanced through his abdomen causing him to gasp and squeeze his eyes shut.

It was brief, only lasting for around thirty seconds, but it was enough to have Duo worried. Now he knew what had woken him. He tried to ease himself into a slightly more comfortable position. Thinking that maybe the way he was currently lying was the cause for the discomfort.

Shuffling his swollen belly was easier said than done and as he moved a touch so Heero woke up.

"Duo? You okay?" came the soft, almost inaudible question.

"Sort of. Need to move to get comfortable," Duo replied keeping his tone quiet.

"Want some help?" Heero was a little more awake now and shifted to a sitting position to try and help his lover.

"It would be appreciated," Duo said. "I think I need to be a little more upright."

"No problem." Heero reached behind his partner and dragged the pillows up a bit. Slipping an arm around Duo's shoulders, he grasped his lover gently under the arm and helped to pull Duo upright a bit more.

Just as Duo was moving, another pain hit his abdomen and Duo instinctively grabbed for the swollen belly, a soft cry leaving his lips at the same time as his eyes squeezed shut and he grit his teeth.

It frightened the living shit out of Heero.

"Duo! Duo!" Heero called, his anxiety rising when he didn't get an answer. "Duo? What is it? What's wrong?" Heero tried again, his worried face trying to see what was happening with his partner. Unfortunately, all he could see were Duo's eyes closed firmly together, a soft panting coming from his lips as he grasped his belly with both hands.

A soft moan escaped as the pain began to ease off and slowly Duo was able to focus again. He was aware of Heero hovering right over him, worry and concern radiating off his husband. "I'm okay now," he gritted out.

"What's happening?" Heero asked again, the fear deeply ingrained into his tone.

"Not sure. I woke up a few minutes ago but didn't know why. Then I got this pain through my abdomen. It didn't last long at all and I thought it's because of the position I was lying in. That's when I decided to try and change positions and woke you up. I just had another of those pains then," Duo explained, his violet eyes clouded with unease. "Heero?"

"It's okay, Duo. I'm right here. I think I should go and get Nurse Brown though, get her to check you over just to be safe. Will you be okay for a minute or two whilst I fetch her?"

Duo nodded. "I'll be fine if I can just ease up a little in the bed."

By now Heero had gotten out of the bed and moved quickly to his husband's side where he fluffed the pillows once more and eased Duo back into them. "Better?"

"Much, thanks."

"I'll go get Nurse Brown." Turning, Heero grabbed his robe from the foot of the bed and tossed it on as he left.

Violet eyes watched Heero disappear, a hand rubbing across a very swollen stomach. Chewing on his bottom lip, Duo hoped the nurse wouldn't be long and that the pain was something simple. "Hang in there, munchkin, help is on its way," he whispered softly to the child within.

Once he was out of their bedroom, Heero sprinted down the hallway and skidded to a stop outside the nurse's bedroom. He rapped quickly on the door and waited for a response. When none came within five seconds, he knocked again, a little more urgently.

"What is it?' came a sleepy voice from within.

"It's Heero. I need you to come and check Duo for me." No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the door opened to reveal a slightly rumpled nurse.

"What's wrong?" she asked and motioned for Heero to enter the room whilst she went in search of her robe.

"I'm not sure. I woke up when he was trying to shift himself to a more comfortable position. I gave him a hand and when I went to help him move he suddenly gasped and clutched at his stomach. He said it was a pain through his abdomen."

Nurse Brown looked up sharply from where she was tying the belt around her robe. "How long did it last?"

"Not long, about thirty seconds or so."

"Come on, let's go take a look," the nurse said, her tone brisk and reassuring.

The pair walked quickly back down the hallway to where Duo was waiting, the relief evident on his face when the pair walked in. "I'm sorry to wake you up in the middle of the night," Duo apologized.

"It's perfectly alright, Duo," the nurse replied. "Now, what's been going on?" Margaret moved to the side of the bed and as Duo explained all that had happened, she took his pulse and breathing rate. She asked a few questions, mainly about the pain itself; where was it located? What sort of pain was it? How long did it last? On a scale of one to ten how would Duo rate the severity? Duo answered as best he could, the fear still present in his eyes and speech. Finally the nurse finished her questioning and patted the young man's hand. "Don't worry, Duo. I'm pretty sure your body is trying to start labor."

"Labor?" Heero cried. "You mean the baby is on its way?"

"I'm pretty sure that's what I meant," Margaret replied in an amused tone and then turned her attention back to Duo.

"But, we need to get going to the hospital; Duo needs Sally's help if this baby is coming. Shit! I need to wake Trowa and Quatre – I'd better call Wufei too..."

"Heero, calm down!" the nurse growled. Immediately Heero stopped his rant and blinked at the nurse. "Thank you, that's much better. Before you start running around like a chicken with its head cut off, use that mind of yours and think. I will go and get dressed and call Doctor Po and advise her of the situation, whilst I am doing that I want you to go through to the examination room and fetch the fetal heart monitor along with the other monitor, the one that tracks the blood pressure, heart rate and so on. I'll be back in a minute." The nurse's words left no room for argument.

Heero did as he was told and fetched the requested equipment, muttering and grumbling all the time about shouldn't they be getting Duo to the hospital rather than messing around with all this stuff? Duo watched his partner with amused eyes. He knew there was no point in just running off half cocked to the hospital. Now that the nurse had explained to him what she thought was going on, he'd calmed a lot. Before Heero could get himself too worked up, the nurse returned, fully dressed and with the cordless phone in her hand.

"Give me a hand please, Heero," she requested as she pulled the monitor closer to Duo. Heero assisted the nurse in securing the various electrodes to the appropriate parts of Duo's body and then stood back fidgeting. Margaret took the fetal monitor and turned to Duo. "I'll need to secure this around your belly," she told him.

"No problem. Heero?" Duo called and the Japanese man responded, assisting his husband to lean forward so the nurse could pass the straps around Duo's back and settle the monitor securely against his abdomen. The monitor was turned on and instantly the room was flooded with the sound of a tiny heartbeat thundering away.

"Isn't that a bit fast?" Heero asked.

The nurse checked the readout. "No, it's well within the range of normal," replied Margaret. "I'm going to ring Doctor Po now." The nurse dialed the doctor's number.

"Margaret, have you any idea what time it is?" growled Sally down the line.

"I know and I'm sorry to disturb you, but I think Duo is going into labor."

"Shit!" Sally scrambled to sit up in her bed, disturbing a certain Chinese man in the process. "What's happening?" she demanded and put her hand over the mouthpiece to answer Wufei who had poked her in the ribs wanting to know what was going on.

Margaret brought Sally up to speed with Duo's pain and what had transpired during the past half hour; she also passed on the information displayed on the monitor regarding Duo's vital signs and also the baby's heartbeat.

"Sounds like it is the early onset of labor to me," Sally replied as she scrubbed her eyes. "Margaret, I want you to head to Preventer hospital and prep the operating room for me; you know what I will need. I'll get dressed now and meet you there as soon as I can. Tell Heero to remain calm and bring Duo directly to the hospital. Come in through the back to the loading zone, like we did the last time and I'll meet him there. Oh, you'll need to let Trowa and Quatre know what's going on, it's time to put that strategy we talked about the other day into action."

"Okay, Doctor Po. I'll pass all that on. What about Mr. Chang? Shall I call him?"

"Errr... I'll let him know."

"Let me know what?" Wufei demanded.

"Doctor Po? Did I just hear-"

"Margaret, don't worry about it. Just get to the hospital." Not giving the nurse the chance to reply, Sally hung up and turned to her Chinese lover. "Thanks for that, Wufei, now I have to explain what you were doing here in my apartment at two in the morning," she grumbled.

Wufei just smirked.

"Come on, shift that butt. You need to get over to Heero and Duo's place to watch over Keitaro with Trowa. I'm needed at the hospital, Duo's in labor and I have a baby to deliver."

tbc


	131. Chapter 131

**Thank you all for reading and for the kind reviews! I can now reply to each reviewer individually again. Yay! Please don't shoot me for this chapter. :) **

**Enjoy...**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 131

Nurse Brown pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it, her eyes blinking.

"What did Sally say? Are we to take Duo to the hospital? Heero demanded.

"Ahhh, shit it hurts," Duo moaned as another pain assaulted him and he hunched forward, grasping at his belly. Instantly Heero was there, rubbing soothing circles on his partner's back and whispering comforting words.

The sudden gasp of pain from Duo drew the nurse from her thoughts and she shook her head. Taking in what was happening, she dropped the phone and moved to Duo's other side. "Try to breathe in soft pants, Duo. It can help with the pain," the nurse advised

"So can freakin' pain killers," Duo ground out. "What I wouldn't give for some of Quatre's morphine right about now."

"It will all be okay, Duo," Heero soothed.

"How do you know, Yuy? You're not the one carrying the fricken' kid and having his insides scrambled. Shit, it hurts. Feels like my stomach's about to burst." Duo gritted his teeth against the building pain.

Heero blinked at the harsh words and tone in which they were delivered and caught Nurse Brown's eye. The nurse mouthed the words _'hormones, he doesn't mean it,' _at Heero who nodded in response. Moments later the tense form beneath his hands began to relax and a pale, sweaty Duo lay back against the pillows.

"Okay, these labor pains are starting to build," Margaret stated.

"No shit," growled Duo.

Choosing to ignore the language, on the grounds that Duo couldn't help himself right now, Margaret continued to speak. "Doctor Po wants us to meet her at the hospital as soon as we can get there. Heero, I suggest you go wake Trowa and Quatre. Trowa will need to keep an ear out for Keitaro should the boy wake with all the ruckus that's going on. Quatre offered to drive you two to the hospital so I suggest we get you ready to go."

"What about you?" Heero asked.

"I'll head off to the hospital in my own car just as soon as I've gotten Duo ready to travel. I can get there quicker and start to set the operating theater up for Doctor Po."

"What about Chang?" asked Duo. "He was going to come over and help Trowa with Keitaro."

"I believe Mr. Chang is already on his way," Nurse Brown replied.

"He is? How would..." The proverbial light bulb went off in Duo's head as he recalled overhearing bits of the nurse's conversation with Sally. "Why that sly dog," he snickered.

"What?" asked Heero who was still completely in the dark regarding Wufei.

"I'll bet our Wuffers was helping Sally to keep her bed warm."

"Duo! That is quite enough, thank you. What Doctor Po does in her own time is none of your concern and neither should it be gossiped about," Margaret chastised.

Duo gave the nurse a sheepish grin.

Nurse Brown turned her attention back to Heero. "What are you doing still standing here? I thought I gave you instructions."

"Aa. I'm on it." Heero darted from the room and headed for Trowa and Quatre's room.

"Now, Duo. Let's get you into something a little more comfortable for the trip to the hospital, shall we?"

#

Quatre was having a lovely dream, one that involved a secluded beach, soft sand and warm sun along with his lanky lover, a can of whipped cream and a few strawberries. Needless to say, he wasn't very happy about being woken up.

A loud knocking on the door of their room began to draw Quatre from his dream and the blonde moaned softly. "Mmm, Trowa; just like that."

"Huh? Quatre?" Trowa had also been woken by the sound of knocking, which he thought was unusual enough, but his husband's moans and soft words had him even more foxed.

"Uh, Trowa? Whas' goin' on?" murmured the blonde.

"I don't know," Trowa replied. "There's someone knocking at the door."

"Why don't you answer it then?" suggested Quatre as he rolled over and ducked his head back under the covers, clearly stating he wasn't about to get up for anyone.

The rapping came again, firmer and more insistent.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming," Trowa muttered and swung his legs out to the side of the bed. He stood up and hopped his way across the room to where his robe sat across the back of a chair. "Cold, cold," he muttered as he continued to 'dance', finally finding his slippers and slipping them on. With the robe covering his nude body and providing a little more warmth, he opened the door, yawning widely and rubbing a hand across his jaw. "Heero?" he questioned, clearly surprised to see the Japanese man on his bedroom doorstep at this hour of the morning. "You have any idea what time it is?"

"Of course I do," snorted Hero. "Trowa; is Quatre awake? I need him to drive us to the hospital. Duo's in labor and we need to get him to Preventer hospital quickly. I also need you to keep an eye on Keitaro. Chang is on his way already to help you." All this tumbled out of Heero's mouth in about two seconds flat.

"Duo's in labor?"

"Hai, he is." Unable to wait any longer, Heero pushed past the Latin and strode to the lump in the bed currently hiding under the covers. Grasping what he hoped was Quatre's shoulder, Heero shook firmly. "Quatre, wake up. I need you to drive us to the hospital, Duo's having the baby."

A few strands of blonde hair appeared followed by a sleepy, aqua eye. "I know Duo's having a baby," Quatre replied, his tone heavy with sleep.

"Yes, Quatre, he is. He's also having that baby _now_."

"Huh?" Quatre's head appeared above the bedclothes, his hand rubbing at the sleep in his eyes as he tried to scramble his brain.

"Duo is in labor, Quatre. He has to get to the hospital now. Either you get up and drive us there as you said you would or I'll drive him myself."

"Duo's in labor? Why the hell didn't you say so? Shit! Trowa, get me my clothes and a hot coffee." Quatre shot out of the bed and promptly fell into a heap on the floor when the bed clothes refused to let him go. "Ow, fuck!" he cursed as his rear end collided with the unforgiving floor. With a growl he yanked at the sheets, only succeeding in tangling himself more.

"You go get Duo ready, I'll help Quatre," Trowa said in his calm voice.

"You sure? We need to move quickly."

"Don't worry, I'll have Quatre downstairs and ready to go in five minutes," Trowa promised.

"Okay then." Heero turned and left the Latin to sort out his husband, Heero's own husband also needed taking care of.

"Quatre, stay still for a moment," Trowa ordered as he watched the blonde struggling to free himself.

"But, Trowa... Duo's in labor and I need to get them to the hospital," Quatre complained and kicked viciously at the sheets. "Damn bed linen," he muttered.

"The more you try, the more entangled you're becoming. Stay still," Trowa ordered.

Quatre stopped his struggles and did as his husband requested. Within two seconds Trowa had him free from the sheets. "Thanks," he said and planted a kiss to Trowa's cheek. "I'd better get dressed." Pink, polka dotted pajamas disappeared into the walk in closet.

Trowa shook his head and sighed. Tightening the belt around his robe, he paused to grab a pair of boxers and slid them up his legs. Satisfied, he exited the bedroom and headed for the kitchen to make a coffee for Quatre to swallow now before driving the other two to the hospital.

Quatre grabbed a shirt and pants from their hangars and dragged them onto his wiry frame, the pajamas being yanked off and tossed to the messy bed. He had the thought to snag a jacket and with his socks and shoes in hand, he charged down the stairs to the kitchen where he spotted a light on. Skidding to a halt in the kitchen, he realized it was Trowa there and not Heero and Duo as he'd first thought it would be. A mug of coffee was pushed under his nose along with the command: 'drink.'

"I don't have time to drink that now," Quatre protested. "Put it in a travel mug and I'll drink it on the way."

"Quat, sit down, put your socks and shoes on and drink the coffee. If you don't you will either fall asleep half way to the hospital or end up having an accident by trying to drink whilst driving," Trowa insisted. "Heero is still getting Duo ready to travel so you have a few minutes."

Glowering at his husband, Quatre obediently sat and in-between sips of coffee, put his socks and shoes on.

#

Nurse Brown had managed to get Duo into a fresh pair of sweat pants and clean shirt when Heero came charging back into the bedroom. "Did you manage to raise them? The nurse asked as she slipped a pair of socks onto Duo's feet.

"Hai. Quatre's getting ready now and only has to bring the car around to the front. Trowa will wait for Wufei and the pair of them will watch out for Keitaro," panted Heero. "How are you doing, Duo?"

Duo grunted softly. "Okay I guess. I'll be a lot happier once we get to the hospital though."

Margaret stood up. "You're all ready, Duo. Heero, I need to get going myself and get the theater prepped and ready. Will you be okay to get Duo to the hospital if I leave now?"

"We should be fine," Heero replied.

"Good. I have my cell on me so if there is any problem at all, just call me. Duo, keep as calm as you can and all will be fine; I promise you." Margaret patted the young man's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "I'll see you shortly. Oh and Heero?"

"Hai?"

"You might want to put some clothes on yourself." The nurse took her leave.

Heero went a rather bright shade of red as he realized he was still running around in only his robe. Quickly he dived into the closet and grabbed a pair of jeans and t-shirt. Now dressed, he slipped on his sneakers and turned to his partner. "Are you okay to head down the stairs, Duo?"

"Yeah, in a sec, Heero." Duo gave a slight grimace, his belly feeling very tight indeed. "Is Quatre ready to go?"

"I hope so," muttered Heero. "Here, let me help."

With Heero's arm around his waist, Duo draped his arm over Heero's shoulders and the pair managed to make their way down the stairs, albeit very slowly. The kitchen light was still on so Heero made a bee line for there, settling Duo into one of the kitchen chairs for a moment.

"All ready?' Quatre asked and swallowed the last of his coffee.

Heero nodded. "As soon as you bring the car around we can get going."

"I'll get it now." Quatre rushed off out the back door, Miracle barking madly at his sudden departure.

"Miracle, be quiet," Duo scolded.

"Bad dog, bad dog," chirped Barney.

"You shut it too, Barney," Duo growled at the bird.

"Tetchy, tetchy," Barney chirruped.

"Weiro pie?" Heero asked the bird with a raised eyebrow.

"Shutting up, shutting up," Barney chirped and promptly shoved his head underneath his wing.

"Car's outside and ready," Quatre informed, sticking his head back inside the kitchen.

"Okay. Duo, are you ready to move?" Heero asked.

"Yeah, just take it slow, okay?"

"Of course." Heero stood beside his lover again and wound his arm around Duo's waist. On the other side, Quatre added his support. Duo leaned against the pair and slowly shuffled out to the car, Trowa following behind.

"Have you got his bag?" Trowa asked as the pair helped Duo to ease into the back seat.

"Fuck!" Heero cursed as he realized he'd left Duo's bag sitting on the floor by the closet in their bedroom.

"I'll go get it," Trowa offered and sprinted back inside and up the stairs.

Whilst Trowa was getting Duo's bag, Heero and Quatre managed to get the American into the car and as comfortable as possible. Heero dived in after his husband, Trowa returning with the forgotten bag and placing it in the trunk when Quatre opened it for him.

"Don't forget to get it out when you get to the hospital," Trowa reminded the three.

"Don't worry, I'll remember, I'm blonde, not stupid," Quatre replied and placed a kiss to Trowa's cheek before hopping into the car behind the wheel.

Trowa raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Drive-"

Quatre dropped the clutch and with a spray of gravel from the tires, shot off down the driveway.

"-carefully," Trowa finished and blinked at the diminishing tail lights. Seconds later he was blinking again as headlights shone into his eyes almost blinding him. Wufei had arrived.

# # #

Sally grabbed her clothes and quickly dressed. Brushing her blonde hair she began to secure the length into two braids. Wufei removed himself from the bed, grumbling a little to himself. He stood and stretched, popping his spine and scratching at an itch on his chest.

"Nice view," Sally said with a grin as she blatantly ogled the golden skin.

Wufei suitably blushed. Even though he'd been very intimate with Sally and she knew every inch of his body, he still couldn't help but feel embarrassed by the teasing words. "Onna," he growled softly and grabbed his boxers from the floor, pulling them up his legs and giving him back some of his modesty.

"You might want to hurry it up a bit, Wufei," Sally informed him.

"I will be ready in a moment," came the sharp response.

Sally shrugged and went back to finishing off her hair. By the time she was winding the elastic on the end, Chang reappeared completely dressed and looking wide awake.

"Would you like me to give you a lift to the hospital on my way to Yuy's?" Wufei asked as he shrugged his jacket on and checked he had his keys and wallet.

"Thanks, but I think I'd better drive myself. I have no idea how long I will be there for and you will be needed to share the care of Keitaro with Trowa."

"Understood. I hope everything goes well for Maxwell. I will wait to hear from you." Wufei wrapped the doctor in his arms and stole a warm kiss.

"Mmm, nice," Sally responded. "Good luck with Trowa and Keitaro. If you guys have any problems or need any help, you know where to contact me."

"We will be fine. You go do what you do best and save people." Wufei gave her another kiss before letting go and leaving for his car and the Maxwell-Yuy mansion.

Checking she had all she would need, Sally locked the door to her apartment and aimed for her own car. Moments later she was on her way through the dark, quiet streets to Preventer headquarters.

#

Margaret arrived at Preventer and quickly parked her car. She rode the elevator to the hospital floor and exited, her pace brisk as she traversed the corridors and headed for the operating rooms. There was currently only one patient in the hospital and only one nurse on night duty. The night nurse looked up from her book and gave Margaret a curious look as the older nurse approached the nurse's station, but she kept her mouth shut, knowing better than to question a senior nurse.

"I have a patient coming in, an emergency. Doctor Po has requested operating room four be prepped and ready for her; she will be in very shortly. The patient is returning from an undercover mission and is to be isolated after surgery in case of any disease or the like that we are not aware of right now," Nurse Brown offered by way of explanation.

The night nurse nodded in understanding.

"Thank you," Margaret said and moved swiftly down the corridor in the direction of the operating theaters, the young night nurse returned to reading her romance novel.

Turning on the lights, Margaret moved quickly around the theater, fetching the surgical instruments Sally would need along with a few surgical cloths and the 'curtain' apparatus that would be placed across Duo's abdomen so he wouldn't be able to witness Sally cutting into him to deliver the baby. Bandages, gauze, sutures and wound dressings were added to the tray. Once that part was done, Margaret went to the 'fridge and unlocking it, fetched the required drugs. She wrote down what she had taken, knowing Sally would fill out the drug chart later with the dosage she had used of each drug and the remaining information that was required by law.

Turning around, she checked and double checked all was ready. Satisfied, she went into the adjoining 'scrub' room and fetched a fresh surgical gown for Duo and surgical scrubs for herself and Doctor Po. She'd just finished placing the items down on the bench when Sally walked in.

"Morning, Margaret. Thanks for getting everything ready for me," Sally greeted. "Any idea how long until the patient gets here?" Sally dropped her bag into the small locker and picked up a pair of the scrubs to change into.

"They should be here any tick of the clock," Margaret replied, "and you're welcome." The nurse picked up the other set of scrubs and began to change into them. "I only have the baby's cot to fetch and a set of scales to get and all is ready to go."

"That's fine, I'll let you grab those whilst I check all is as I need." Sally disappeared into the operating theater to check and double check she had all that would be necessary.

Margaret was on her way back to the operating theater with the portable cot when Sally came charging through pushing a wheelchair. "They're pulling into the loading bay area now," she said as she whizzed past.

"I'll be right there," Margaret replied and took off running with the cot in the opposite direction.

# # #

"Quatre! Slow down!" Heero yelled hanging onto his lover and the hand grip above the door.

"But we need to get Duo to the hospital quickly," Quatre replied.

"I would prefer it if we could get there in one piece," Heero retaliated. "Keep this up and you will have your lights and sirens courtesy of the local constabulary on our tail."

"The last thing we need is to be pulled over," Duo muttered.

"But this is an emergency," Quatre argued. "I'm sure if a policeman was to stop us, once we explained the situation they would give us an escort."

"Quat, think about it. Yeah, this is an emergency but I don't think a copper is going to accept the excuse that I'm pregnant and in labor, despite the visual evidence. Not to mention what a can of worms it would create," Duo snapped. "There's no way I'm going to end up as some fucking lab rat."

"I see your point," Quatre stated once he'd thought about Duo's words and eased his foot back off the accelerator a touch. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Heero muttered.

"How are you doing, Duo?" Quatre asked and glanced into the rear vision mirror.

"Just don't go hitting any bumps for the next couple of minutes if you can help it," Duo gritted out and then moaned as another pain swept through his abdomen. Heero was there to enfold him in his arms and rub soothing circles on his back. Panting lightly as Nurse Brown had told him to do, did help to ease a little of the pain, although he was sure that morphine, or preferably an epidural would completely ease his discomfort. For a moment there he reconsidered his asking Quatre to slow down and was tempted to tell the blonde to hell with it all and step on the gas!

"Not far now. How is he coping?" Quatre informed.

"Okay for the moment. Pain appears to be easing off a touch," Heero replied.

"Good. One Preventer Headquarters a couple of minutes out. Where are we to meet Sally?"

"Once you get to HQ drive around to the rear of the building where the delivery bays are. Sally will meet us there. I'll give her a call to let her know we're almost there." Heero fished his cell out of his pocket and pushed the doctor's number. "Sally, it's Heero. We're inbound. ETA about two minutes." He nodded his head to whatever it was Sally was saying. "Roger that. He's had one more contraction since leaving home, about the same severity and time duration as the previous ones." The sound of Sally's voice could be heard over the phone. "Will see you shortly." Heero shoved the cell back into his pocket and checked on his husband.

Quatre drove them through the silent streets, turning into the one that would take them to Preventer Headquarters. The large building loomed ahead, a few lights still on but the majority of the building in semi darkness. He turned again, driving around the perimeter and into the delivery area. The car's headlights illuminated the area and Quatre could see Sally waiting up ahead with a wheelchair. He drove over to the bay and brought the car to a stop. "We're here," he said, stating the obvious.

Sally pushed the wheelchair to the door Heero opened. "How is he?"

"_He_ would be doing a lot better if people wouldn't talk about _him_ in the third person and also give _him_ some drugs to stop the pain," Duo snapped as he managed to wriggle himself out of the car. He sighed when he saw the wheelchair but obediently got in it.

"Sorry, Duo," Sally apologized. "Okay, I want you to tell me all about these pains as we head for the operating theater. I want to know the length, severity and times between them," she said as she started to push Duo up the ramp and into the building.

Heero and Quatre stood and looked at each other for a moment, each blinking as Sally and Duo began to disappear. "Shit! I'd better catch up to them," Heero said.

"Forgetting something?" asked Quatre and grabbed Duo's bag from the trunk.

"No, that's why I've got you with me, to bring Duo's bag," Heero replied and took off at a jog after his disappearing lover.

Quatre rolled his eyes and let go a huff of breath. "Fine! I'll just struggle along at the rear then. Don't mind me, I'm just here to do the fetching and carrying," he muttered to himself and heaving the bag the rest of the way out of the trunk, he set off in pursuit of the others.

#

Wheeling Duo into the outer part of the operating theater they were met by Nurse Brown who had the surgical gown in her hands. "I'll leave you with Nurse Brown who will help you to get ready for the surgery, Duo. I need to go scrub up. I'll see you inside shortly." Sally gave the pregnant man a smile of encouragement as she left.

Heero arrived a second later to find the nurse giving his partner instructions. "Ah, Heero. Good. I"ll need you to give Duo a hand if you don't mind. Just pop into the cubicle there and strip off completely. Put this gown on and then secure your hair under this cap. Once you're changed you can get onto the bed. There's a blanket there to keep you warm. " Margaret passed over the items to Heero. "I have a set here for you too, Heero. Just pop them on over the top of your clothes. I'll be back for you in a couple of minutes." The nurse stepped out of the small room leaving the pair to change.

"All right, Duo, let's get you ready," Heero said and wheeled his partner into the cubicle, pulling the curtain around it to offer them some privacy.

"At least you get to keep your clothes on," Duo muttered. "It's not fair I have to strip off completely."

"Sally can't perform the caesarian if you're dressed," Heero pointed out.

"I know that!" Duo groused. "It's just so embarrassing, two females and nothing to cover my assets from their roving eyes."

"We've had this conversation before, Duo. Neither Sally or Nurse Brown is remotely interested in what you have; they are professionals and only interested in delivering our child."

"Yeah, I know, but it's still embarrassing." Duo stood up and began to strip off, pulling the gown on and letting Heero tuck his hair up under the cap. He shivered with the cool air and was quite happy to hop up onto the small bed where Heero pulled the blanket over him and tucked it in.

"All ready?" came Nurse Brown's voice.

"Hai, we are," Heero replied and pulled the curtain back.

Between the pair of them they managed to wheel Duo from the cubicle and into the operating room. Nurse Brown enlisted Heero's help again to move Duo across from the bed to the operating table. She returned moments later after pushing the bed back out into the pre-op room. "Mr Winner is waiting in the pre-op room," the nurse informed Heero when she came back in. "I thought that would be best. I gathered you didn't want him in the operating theater as well."

"Thanks," both Heero and Duo replied.

"He's a great guy and all, but I don't think I could handle him in here during the birth," Duo stated.

"He quite understands and is more than happy to wait outside. Right, here's Doctor Po so I think we should get started."

"Any more pains, Duo?" Sally asked as she entered and wheeled the ultra sound machine across. Nurse Brown set up the small 'curtain' across Duo's abdomen and placed a surgical cloth across his groin before she lifted the hospital gown up and spread the gel over his abdomen.

"Only that one in the car on the way here," Duo replied. "But each one seems to be getting worse than the last."

"I'm going to check your insides with the ultra sound and see exactly what is going on." Sally turned the machine on and pressed the sound head to Duo's belly. She pushed it around, locating the baby and noting the child was head down and in what was called the birth position. She continued to scan around to double check on Duo's insides. The pain which Duo was describing, although it could well be labor pains, seemed a little odd to Sally. They had started rather rapidly, were short and sharp as opposed to slow and building gradually. What she found worried her. Placing the sound head back on the machine, she turned to the nurse. "Fetch me all I need to give Duo an epidural. We need to deliver this baby now."

Nodding, the nurse went to fetch the requested items. Sally turned to the expectant parents. There wasn't any easy way to say this.

"Duo, Heero," she began. "I've done a complete scan of your abdomen, Duo. The baby is in position for the birth and whilst I don't doubt you are going into labor, these pains seem a little off for normal labor pains. I've scanned your entire abdomen and I'm afraid our fears about your insides being squashed to the point where they can't cope is what is happening now. This is why you're getting a sharp, short pain, the baby has grown so much that your intestines are cramped to the point where they are now having their blood supply cut off. You are also experiencing light contractions, I could see your uterus moving with the muscle spasms and it's my guess that your body is trying to deliver this child as a form of self defense if you like."

Both men had gone very pale. "Is the baby okay?" Duo whispered.

"At the moment, yes it is. Your insides are also okay for the moment, but we need to deliver this child immediately and avoid any damage to you internally. Do you understand?"

Duo swallowed. "Yes. Will the baby be okay?"

"There is no reason why the child shouldn't be all right. It has reached the 35th week of development and should be fine to support its own life now. Besides, your body also seems to think it's okay to deliver now and has started the process. Ah, thanks, Margaret. Duo, could you manage to roll to your side, please? I'll give you the epidural now."

Duo managed to roll to his side, Heero assisting him and holding onto his lover's hand for support. Both men were worried about the current state of affairs. Duo's concerns were all for the baby. Heero's were for both the baby and his husband; but each knew Sally would be doing all she could to help them through this.

"All done," Sally said a couple of minutes later. "Can you feel yourself going numb yet, Duo?"

With Heero's help, Duo rolled back over to his back, refusing to let go of Heero's hand for anything. "Yeah, it's kinda weird. Sort of like a warm wash of water over my stomach and passing along my legs. I know they're there, but I can't feel anything."

"Good. If everything is okay I'll get started then."

Nurse Brown had hooked Duo up to the monitoring machine and kept a close eye on the man's blood pressure and heart rate. Both were a touch elevated, but she expected that. Picking up the betadine and a large swab, the nurse swabbed Duo's abdomen and then grabbed a cloth blanket, keeping it just to the side and in easy reach.

Sally pulled up her mask and holding the scalpel steady in her hand, she prepared to incise Duo's abdomen in the same place as she'd cut him to deliver Keitaro almost twelve months before. With a deep breath, she made the incision.

#

Inside Duo's abdomen, the fetus was starting to fret. It was being pushed constantly against an immovable barrier, the mild contractions of the womb insisting it move downwards but there was nowhere for it to go.

The pressure began to increase, the small baby being pushed and forced from all sides as its mother's body did its best to survive.

Then there was light, noise, cold and the pressure was gone. The baby blinked its eyes and gave a soft whimper.

#

Sally cut through the skin and abdominal muscles until she reached Duo's swollen womb. Noting where the child was lying, she carefully incised the uterine wall, Nurse Brown there with the suction to remove the amniotic fluid. Careful of Duo's intestines that were also trying to leave, Sally managed to grasp the baby and bring it into the world.

"Hello there, little one," she said softly, the tears beginning to form in her eyes as she took her first look at Heero and Duo's child. The baby blinked and then whimpered.

On the other side of the curtain, Heero and Duo held their respective breath as they waited for the child to be born. Hearing Sally's soft words and then the quiet whimper, it was too much for the pair and the tears began to flow as smiles reached from ear to ear on both men.

"Congratulations," Sally began and then paused.

"Thanks," Duo replied, eager to see his child. "What is it? Do we have another son or a daughter this time?"

Sally frowned as she checked the child. Heero saw the frown and immediately went on alert.

"What is it, Sally? What's wrong? Is it a boy or a girl?"

Sally swallowed. "I – I'm not sure."

"Pardon?" whispered Duo, the cold hand of fear settling into his gut and around his heart.

"Duo, your baby is... a hermaphrodite..."

tbc...


	132. Chapter 132

**Many thanks to all for reading and warm hugs for the kind reviews!**

"Family Ties"

January 2007 ShenLong

Chapter 132

"Sally, could you repeat that? Duo whispered, shock evident on his face.

"Your baby, it's a hermaphrodite. It's got the genitalia of both boy and girl," Sally said softly, still unable to believe what she was seeing.

Margaret soon had them all moving though. She grabbed the blanket she'd put to the side and wrapped it around the infant. "I don't care what it is, this baby needs to be kept warm, fed and loved," she stated firmly. "Doctor, would you please cut the umbilical cord and take care of your patient? I'll see to the child for the moment."

"What? Oh yes, yes of course," Sally said, her duty to her patient coming through her shocked brain and reminding her that she was a professional first and foremost. She secured the cord before cutting it and letting the nurse take charge of the infant. Whilst Margaret took care of the baby, Sally removed the placenta and checked her patient over thoroughly before starting the arduous task of stitching Duo back up.

Heero and Duo remained in shock, neither man quite comprehending what Sally had said.

Nurse Brown took the baby and weighed it, writing the weight on the small card. Next she measured the child and noted that down too. Coming to the spot where she would fill out the sex of the child, she paused and decided to wait to fill that out later. Wrapping the infant securely back in a clean blanket, she approached the parents with the child.

Immediately Duo spotted his baby his eyes misted over and his arms reached out for the child. Margaret placed the baby in them and gave a warm smile of reassurance. Duo's violet eyes swept over the innocent face and an overwhelming urge to protect this helpless being came over him. He pressed a tender kiss to the baby's forehead. "Welcome to the world, munchkin," he whispered softly.

Leaning close, Heero's eyes took in his child and he couldn't help the tears that ran down his cheeks. "Beautiful," he murmured and ran a finger softly against the baby's cheek.

The child opened its mouth and gave a wide yawn before snuggling into the blanket. It was completely unaware of the confusion and questions it had raised with its birth.

Leaving the new parents to explore their child, Nurse Brown went back to assisting Sally with her stitching of Duo's abdomen.

Both men were content to simply gaze at their tiny miracle for the moment, the baby's skin soft and although it was still wrinkled from being in the amniotic fluid for so long, the skin was starting to smooth out and a pink hue was forming.

"I think the hair color is going to take after yours," Heero mused.

"You think so?" Duo replied and stared at the soft, downy covering atop of the baby's head. In the light of the operating room the hair did seem to shine with chestnut and gold highlights. "I wonder what the eye color will be?" Whilst they pondered that thought for a moment, Duo did a visual scan and counted fingers. The revelation had startled and shocked him, but now that shock was receding a touch and logic thought was taking over. Neither man had wanted to say anything about the baby's sex, uncomfortable with what had happened and not wanting to upset their partner. But sooner or later they would need to discuss it, to see for themselves exactly what the extent of the genitalia their child had of both sexes.

Placing the dressing over Duo's abdomen, Sally pulled the surgical gown back down whilst Nurse Brown removed the curtain. Smiling at the pair, Sally discarded her mask into the trash along with her gloves. "How are you feeling, Duo?"

"Fine," Duo replied.

A heavy silence hung in the air.

Finally, Sally summoned up her courage and began to speak. "Duo, Heero, I know this must have come as a shock to you both-"

"That's a fuc... freaking understatement if I ever heard one," muttered Duo.

"It came as a shock to me too, although in retrospect, it is a possibility I should have thought about considering that you are a hermaphrodite yourself, Duo. It would stand to common sense you would carry the gene for it."

"Okay, we all agree that this isn't what we expected. Right now we don't know if we have a son or a daughter, but I will tell you this. This is my baby, mine and Heero's and I don't give a damn what it is, we will love it unconditionally," Duo stated fiercely.

"I would expect nothing less," Sally returned with a soft smile. "That brings me to the next bit. We need to examine the child fully, do some tests, scans and such to try and determine which set of organs are complete and will work as the child grows up. This is modern science, Duo. Unlike yourself when you were born, this child was born in a hospital where we can assist in such a situation. We can surgically correct this and enable the child to grow up as a happy, healthy and normal child of whichever sex is determined to be the correct one."

Violet and cobalt locked, each man at war with his feelings and emotions. Neither man wanted the child to grow up like Duo had and suffer being 'different', not that Duo had known about his condition; but this needed some serious thought, discussion and decisions as to what would be best for the child.

"Sally, I think Duo and I would like to spend some time alone and talk about this. We agree, this is able to be corrected, but we need to discuss it."

"I appreciate that, guys. Look, I'd suggest we move Duo to his room shortly and get this baby bathed, dressed and fed. Whilst we are doing that you can both see for yourselves what genitalia the child has and that may help a little in your discussion. Once the baby is in your private room I'll go find an ultra sound machine and bring it to the room and we can check the baby internally as well and see exactly what extent of each sex's organs it has. "

"Thanks, Sally. I'm not disputing that the condition needs to be corrected, but I think we need to have all the facts, the test results as well as the visual results for us to make an informed and correct decision as to which sets of organs are removed," Duo said quietly. He hoped Sally would understand what it was he was trying to say; hell, he wasn't quite sure if he understood it himself!

"No worries, Duo. I'll go hunt up that ultra sound machine now." With a reassuring smile, Sally left, passing Nurse Brown on her way out.

"There is one slight problem," came Nurse Brown's voice as she entered the operating theater again, having returned from placing the surgical cloths into the laundry bin. "There's a certain blonde man out there who is almost breaking down the door to know if he has a niece or nephew."

"Shit! Quatre. I'd forgotten about him."

"So it seems, Duo," Margaret said with a smile.

Duo looked to Heero and the silent communication passed between them. "Let him come in. I'm quite okay with letting him know the truth, same for Trowa and Wufei. I feel they deserve to know and it won't make any difference to the child."

"I'll go get him." Margaret went to fetch the blonde.

# # #

Wufei yawned as he stretched. Reaching for his tea, he glanced at the clock. It was three-fifteen. "Do you think Maxwell has had the baby yet?"

"I don't know. I assume he would be close to Sally delivering him if she hasn't already. Quatre did say he would call as soon as he had any news for us," Trowa replied.

"I wonder if he will have a girl this time," Wufei mused.

"Could be another boy," Trowa returned, his green eyes lighting up a touch. "Want to have a little wager on the side?"

"Pardon?" Wufei turned his dark eyes to the Latin.

"Would you like to make a bet on what sex the baby will be? You know, I'll bet you five bucks Duo has a boy. If he does, then you pay me five dollars. If you bet he has a girl and it is a girl, then I pay you five dollars."

"Naughty boy, naughty boy," chirped Barney.

"Barney, it's quite a legitimate bet if Wufei wishes to accept," Trowa informed the bird.

Barney ruffled his feathers but kept his beady eyes on the pair.

"Let me get this straight. I bet you five dollars that Maxwell has a girl. If I am right, you pay me five dollars. If I am wrong and it is a boy, I pay you five dollars?"

"That's correct, Wufei."

"Okay, I'll take your bet. I'll say Maxwell is having a girl."

"And I bet he's having a boy." Trowa reached into his pocket and produced a five dollar note, putting it on the table. Wufei frowned but did the same. "Once we hear from Quatre as to the baby's sex, whoever is correct takes the money."

Barney watched the proceedings with interest, cocking his head to the side and taking it all in.

"Want another cup of tea?" asked Trowa. "I have a feeling we could be here for a little while."

"Thank you, that would be welcome. I'll go check on Keitaro, shall I?" Wufei responded.

"That would be a good idea. Thanks." Trowa got up to make a fresh pot of tea whilst Wufei went to check on the child.

# # #

"Well? What is it? Do I have a niece or nephew?" Quatre demanded, bouncing on his feet in his excitement as Nurse Brown allowed him to come into the operating room.

Both Heero and Duo looked at the beaming blonde. "You tell him, Heero," Duo said, clearly passing the task over.

Sighing and wondering how the heck he had gotten himself into this position, Heero focused his gaze on Quatre's excited form. "Quatre, I'm afraid we really don't know yet what the baby is."

"Huh? What do you mean, you don't know? All you have to do is take a look... Ummm a peek between the legs." Quatre blushed with his words.

"That's just it, Quatre. The baby is a hermaphrodite."

"Ah – what?" Quatre whispered.

"A hermaphrodite. It has the sex organs of both male and female. The same as Duo, or sort of."

"Well, shit." Quatre's eyes rolled back in his head.

"Catch him!" yelled Duo as Heero made a dive for the falling blonde, Nurse Brown also making a grab for Quatre.

They managed between them to grab hold before Quatre could hit the hard floor and do any damage to himself. "Prop his feet up and I'll fetch some smelling salts," Margaret muttered. "What is it with men and fainting? I thought we'd gotten beyond that after the first pregnancy," she continued as she left the room.

Quatre was brought around with the aid of the smelling salts and after confirming what he'd heard hadn't been a bad dream, his concerns were for the child and what Heero and Duo were prepared to do about the situation. Heero explained whilst Nurse Brown fetched Duo's bed back into the operating theater and with both men assisting, she managed to get Duo across and into his hospital bed. With the baby secure in his arms, the nurse, assisted by Heero, wheeled the bed from the operating room and into the isolation ward. Duo was set up in his private room, the same one as he'd used when he'd had Keitaro.

"Doctor Po will be here in a minute with that ultra sound machine, then we can take a proper look at the child and decide from there what would be the best course of action to take," the nurse said. "Whilst we're waiting, I'll fetch a bottle for the child, a diaper and some clothing. Once the baby is fed and Doctor Po has done her examination, I'll bathe the child for you and dress him or her."

"Thank you," Duo said, the gratitude in his eyes. He was still completely numb from the waist down and would remain so for some time yet, so doing much of anything at all for the child was pretty much out of his hands right now.

Moments later the nurse returned with the promised bottle and gave it to Duo who with Heero's help had propped himself up in the bed and was now in a sitting position, child cradled in his arms. Duo had wondered if he would remember how to care for an infant, would he remember how to feed, burp and change diapers? He needn't have worried, it all came back to him and he found himself automatically cradling the baby in the feeding position, teat at the child's lips as the hungry mouth opened and began to suck enthusiastically.

Both Heero and Quatre watched, Heero's eyes all misty as he watched his child drink, once more in awe of the little being he'd helped to create. Quatre was just delighted to be a part of such an intimate moment between infant and 'mother'.

It didn't take long for the baby to finish the bottle, Duo handing the child over to Heero who carefully supported the baby as he brought up the wind. The infant had just finished bringing up the last of the air when Sally entered, pushing an ultra sound machine.

"Ah, gentlemen. Getting all settled with the new arrival I see," she commented as she wheeled the machine across to the bed. She raised an eyebrow in Quatre's direction, Duo seeing the unspoken question in her eyes.

"It's okay, Sally. Quatre knows about the baby and we plan on letting Wufei and Trowa know too. It's only fair that they do being uncles and all," Duo told her. "You know, it's funny, but I thought I would have forgotten how to feed, change and burp a baby, but I haven't. It's all come flooding back to me as if it were only yesterday that Keitaro was born," Duo said.

"Hai," Heero agreed, his eyes locked firmly on the child that lay in his arms blinking sleepily at him, completely unaware of the problems that surrounded it.

"The baby has been fed and burped," Nurse Brown advised. "I thought it would be best to bathe and dress the child after you've done your ultra sound scans and such."

"Good idea," Sally replied, plugging the machine in and switching it on. Turning to the child's parents, she spoke in a brisk tone. "Okay, gentlemen. I'll examine the child properly now with you all present, that way you can see exactly what I'm talking about." Sally reached for the infant. "Heero, if I may?"

Every instinct Heero had screamed at him to hang onto the child, to protect it, but he knew Sally wouldn't harm his child, she was only trying to make this all better. It was hard, but he managed to hand the baby over to the doctor. He made sure to hover very close though, almost breathing down Sally's neck.

Laying the infant down on Duo's bed, close to both parents, Sally began to unravel the blanket from around the child. Once the baby was bare, everyone found their eyes straying to the child's groin. Sally was very professional though and broke the silence that had fallen over the room with her brisk, clinical voice.

"As you can see, gentlemen. The child does have a penis, although it is very small and not quite developed. This baby also has full female anatomy on the outside that I can see. I am tending to swing more to the child being a female than a male as there isn't any evidence of a scrotum or testicles at this stage."

Whilst appreciating the doctor's frankness, all three men couldn't help but squirm a little, none of them at ease with discussing such intimate things. Sally didn't bat an eyelid though. She was a trained professional through and through.

"The ultra sound pictures will show us exactly what internal anatomy the child has and if it is as I suspect and more to the female side, then I would suggest that is the direction we should take in rectifying the problem. On the other hand, I could be completely wrong and the child may not have a womb, ovaries or fallopian tubes and could have testes after all; and that would mean possible surgical intervention to not only remove the female side of things but to also reconstruct the penis as it's isn't properly developed from what I can tell."

"Eh?" Duo scratched his head.

"I don't think we quite follow," Heero stated, a little lost himself.

Quatre just shrugged and opted to remain silent. He was sure someone would fill him in later, once they all understood what was going on.

Sally gave a grin. "It is all quite complicated, but really rather simple too. Look, let's take a look at the child's insides and go from there."

"Okay," said Duo, a little reluctant to know the facts, but needing to anyway for the sake of the child. He didn't want this baby to grow up and go through the things he'd had to when there was every chance that the child could be 'normal' through surgical intervention.

The baby whimpered a little when the cool gel made contact with its skin. Heero was immediately there, hands clenching and unclenching as he fought with his natural instinct to snatch the child up and soothe it.

"Sorry, little one," Sally crooned. Duo's hand was at the baby's head, fingers running gently across the pale cheek in a reassuring gesture. The child blinked, sighed and tried to turn its head into the warm touch of its mother; unfortunately, it didn't have control over the muscles at this early stage.

Margaret passed over the sound head to Sally and watched the monitor intently.

"Ready?" asked Sally.

"I guess so," Duo breathed.

"Don't worry, this won't hurt the child at all, although it may cause the baby to whimper a little as it's a foreign sensation," warned Sally.

Heero nodded and placed one hand behind his back, the other he grasped Duo's free hand with and held on tight.

The sound head was lowered, Sally being careful with the amount of pressure she applied to the apparatus. The baby did whimper and try to wriggle a little. Sally followed the movement though with skilled ease. The screen of the machine began to clear, the usual blur of gray, white and black lines making their appearance.

It was all still just a jumble of shaded areas to the men, none of them having figured out how to translate the images despite having seen enough of them. Sally's face was a mask of concentration as she studied the screen, Nurse Brown also wore a look of total concentration on her face.

Watching the doctor carefully, Duo looked for any sign at all as to what Sally could be thinking, what the outcome would be for his child. Unable to take much more of the silence, he spoke, voice coming out in barely a whisper. "What's the verdict, Sally?"

"One moment, Duo," replied Sally and pressed a couple of buttons on the machine. After another minute or two, she removed the sound head from the child's abdomen and wiped it off before placing it back on the side of the machine to be cleaned properly.

Nurse Brown moved in and gently picked up the child, wrapping the blanket securely around the infant before turning to Heero and Duo. "I'll go bathe the child and dress them, then I'll bring the baby back," she informed.

Both men gave a nod of their head in affirmation. As the nurse went to do what she'd said, both men turned their attention back to Sally.

Sally perched herself on the side of Duo's bed and gazed from one man to the other. "The ultra sound confirms what I suspected. The child has all the female organs internally and whilst they are obviously small, they are all fully developed. I also located a deformed testicle inside. It isn't causing any problems at the moment, but it will need to be removed, and soon. It is my professional opinion that this child displays more female characteristics than male and therefore I would recommend the removal of that deformed testicle and also the underdeveloped penis." Sally fell silent then, giving the men a few moments to digest the information

"Are you sure, Sally? This is a big decision to make and will affect this child's future so we need to be certain of this," Heero stated.

"It is always a risk, there's that question there of am I doing the right thing, but I'm one hundred percent certain in this case, Heero. Look, I've got other ultra sound pictures in my files from different babies. I'll go get a few and compare them with the ultra sound pictures of your baby's internal organs, that way we can be sure beyond doubt that the female parts are all there, the correct size and everything else they should be for a healthy female baby."

"Arigato. I don't mean to be awkward or question your abilities..."

"Heero, there is no need to apologize. I understand completely and to be honest, I'd feel much happier in my own mind if we are to compare the images. I'll be right back." Sally left to fetch the other scans.

Turning his blue eyes to his partner, Heero noted the fear and uncertainty in Duo's violet orbs. He gave the hand still clutched in his own a reassuring squeeze. "I'm sure we will be able to make an informed decision once we can compare the pictures," he said softly.

Nodding, Duo replied, "I know we will, Heero."

Clearing his throat, Quatre stepped forward. "Uh, guys, I know this is really an intense time with a lot of decisions to be made, but," he swallowed, "Would you mind if I called Trowa and Wufei? I think we should let them know what is going on as they are bound to be worried and probably thinking something bad has happened as they haven't been told yet of the birth and it's been a while."

"Shit! I'd forgotten about Tro and Wu," Duo exclaimed. He knew the other two men were intelligent enough to have a rough idea of the time frame involved in getting him to the hospital and Sally delivering the child. Having not heard anything to this point they would both most likely be gnawing on their fingernails by now. "I think you'd better call them, Quat. Let them know the situation and that we will bring them both more up to speed when we've made our decision."

"No problem." Quatre stepped out of the room to make his call, leaving the new parents alone for a short time.

# # #

Back at the mansion, Trowa glanced at the clock again. "Surely Sally must have delivered the child by now," he muttered.

Wufei looked up from the game of Solitaire he was playing and frowned. "It is unusual that we haven't heard anything," he offered. "Maybe we should call the hospital?"

"I was thinking about that but I didn't want to in case they are having problems and I'd disturb them. I also don't know what protocol Sally has put in place regarding Duo and his secret. It would be my luck I'd get a nurse who knows nothing at all about what is going on and I'd drop Duo right in the shit."

"Good point."

Trowa's cell chose that moment to ring, frightening the pair briefly. Trowa scrambled to pull the device from his pocket. "It's Quatre," he said, noting the caller ID. Flipping the device open, he pressed it against his ear, "Barton."

Wufei watched the other man's face as he spoke with Winner, trying to get some form of idea of what was going on from the other man's expressions. He shouldn't have wasted his time. Baton's face remained its neutral mask. His brow knitted as he listened to the one side of the conversation. He could tell something was up from Trowa's side of it. When Barton said his goodbyes and closed the cell, he couldn't wait any longer. "What's wrong? Has Maxwell delivered yet? Is everything okay?"

Trowa rubbed his forehead before turning his green eyes to Wufei. "Sally has delivered the child and Duo is doing okay so far. The baby is also well," he added quickly when Wufei's mouth began to open. "Quatre didn't say too much but it appears there is a bit of a problem with the baby and they are currently sorting it out."

"I see. Did he say what the child is?"

"That's the problem."

"Excuse me?"

"The baby, it's neither a boy nor a girl." Seeing the confusion on Wufei's face, Trowa continued. "The baby is a hermaphrodite. Right now they are trying to determine which sex it is favoring the most." Trowa didn't need to say anymore, they all knew about hermaphrodites, each one of them having learned as much as they could about the condition once they were aware of Duo's special make up.

Wufei's eyes glinted for a moment. "Hmmm, that does pose a problem. I assume that Sally will be looking at all the possibilities?"

"Of course."

"Then I guess this means our bet is off, null and void." Wufei reached to take back his five dollars.

Trowa shrugged. "I guess so." He couldn't believe his bad luck. _Maybe I should do as Quatre said and give up betting,_ he thought. _Doesn't seem like I can win even on a sure fire thing such as what sex a baby will be!_

_# # # _

Sally returned moments after Quatre stepped back into the room. She brought the pictures over to the bed and retrieving the ones she'd taken earlier of Duo's child, she began to point out the various shaded areas and identify the organs they represented. After looking at three or four and comparing to their own, both Heero and Duo could start to see the similarities there.

They were about half way through when Nurse Brown returned with the infant now freshly bathed, diapered and dressed. She handed the babe over to Heero who held the child close to his chest. The baby was sound asleep, small fist tucked up under the chin. Heero smiled lovingly at his child. Suddenly all the problems, the differences, the shock of the birth paled into insignificance when confronted by the innocence of the sleeping babe.

Heero knew then what was the right thing to do.

#

to be concluded...


	133. Epilogue

"Family Ties"

Commenced January 2007 - Completed June 2011 - ShenLong

Epilogue

"I'm going to get you!" Heero cried out and rolling the child to her back he proceeded to blow 'raspberries' on the infant's belly causing the child to scream in laughter.

"Otousan, leave baba 'lone," cried Keitaro and launched himself onto his father's back, small arms wrapping around Heero's neck.

"Ah, try to defend your sister, will you? I'll have you for lunch too," Heero mock growled and reaching around he managed to pull Keitaro from his back and deposit him on the lawn next to Nadira where he then attacked Keitaro's belly, the child giggling and shrieking helplessly.

With both children on their backs on the lawn, Heero switched from one child's stomach to the other, blowing raspberries and sending the children into hysterics.

Sitting in the rocking chair on the patio with Miracle at his feet, Duo watched the three playing, his face lit up with amusement. It was a scene he'd never tire of – and one he never thought he would ever see.

Heero was a natural father, he loved his kids and spent every spare minute with them.

And they adored their Otousan.

It had been a long and sometimes painful road that had brought them to where they were now. Firstly with Keitaro and all the unknowns with his pregnancy, then to be blessed with Nadira...

It had been a huge shock to them both to have their daughter born a hermaphrodite and there was no way that either man was about to let their child go through what Duo had. It hadn't been an easy decision to make, there had been countless tests and soul searching, many questions and often unsatisfactory answers, but in the end they had done what they thought was in the best interests of the child.

They gave Sally the all clear to operate...

~Flashback~

A soft smile caressed Heero's lips as he peeked inside the nursery and spotted his husband at the change table. Rather than spoil the sweet scene, he opted to remain standing in the doorway and observe. Duo's back was to him but he could clearly see from the movements the braided man was making that he was changing the child's diaper and putting on the baby's night clothes.

"There you go, munchkin, all ready for bed," said Duo in a soft tone. He slid his hands underneath the baby and carefully picked her up. As he turned he caught sight of Heero from the corner of his eye and smiled.

Stepping inside the nursery, Heero crossed to the cot where his husband was laying their daughter down to sleep. "Need any help?" he asked and placed a gentle hand on the small of Duo's back.

"Could you wind up the mobile, please?" asked Duo as he reached in to tuck the blankets firmly around the infant.

"Of course." Heero reached for the contraption and wound the small key. Releasing it, the soft tinkling of Brahms' lullaby graced the air and the small clowns began to move around in a circular fashion. Heero watched for a moment then turned his attention to their daughter.

The babe was watching the moving clowns, her small eyes following the gentle turning and growing heavier by the second. She yawned and made a couple of soft murmurs before blinking sleepily.

"Night, Nadira," Duo whispered softly and pressed a gentle kiss to the baby's forehead. Heero followed suit and stepped back, grasping his husband's hand as he did so.

Hand in hand, they moved back across the room and paused in the doorway for Duo to turn off the light. Still holding hands they moved a few more steps down the hall to Keitaro's room. Nurse Brown had settled the little boy into his bed and was busy perusing the book shelf. She pulled a book out as the pair walked into the room.

"Ah, I was just about to read him a bedtime story," Margaret announced.

"I'll read it, you go and sit down. You already do far more than you should," Heero said and moved to take the book from the nanny.

With a smile, Margaret handed over the book and left. Heero took it and pulled a chair to the side of his son's bed and opened the book. Duo sat on the end of the bed, a warm smile on his lips as Heero began to read the tale of the Three Little Pigs. Keitaro lay, snuggled under the blankets and listened eagerly to his father's voice as the tale unfolded. The steady tone of Heero's voice soon lulled the child to sleep and he smiled at the sweet picture. Placing a kiss goodnight to Keitaro's forehead, Heero got up and returned the book to the bookshelf whilst Duo kissed his son goodnight. The light was turned off and the pair headed for the lounge room.

"There's coffee on the tray," Nurse Brown said as the pair walked in.

"Thank you," replied Duo and took a mug before sitting on the couch. Heero also picked up a mug and sat next to his husband. Eyes gravitated towards the television, a documentary was on, something to do with man's early ventures into space.

Nurse Brown cast an occasional glance across from the corner of her eye to the pair on the couch. Whilst both men appeared relaxed she could detect the underlying tension there. "Everything will be fine," she reassured.

"I know it will," replied Duo, "but I can't help being worried."

"That's quite normal, I'd be worried if you weren't," Margaret stated in an amused tone.

"I just want everything to be okay. Once we have the all clear then we can get on with our lives and living," Heero said and gave his lover a warm look.

"It will be. Doctor Po is a fine surgeon." Draining her cup, Margaret stood. "I think I will retire for the evening. I'll see you both in the morning. Goodnight."

"Night," Duo replied, Heero echoing the words.

With the nurse now gone, Duo found himself wrapped up in his lover's arms. "Tell me we're doing the right thing, Heero?"

"We are, Duo. It will all work out and we will have a happy, healthy baby girl."

Closing his eyes, Duo soaked up the strength his lover offered and tried to quell his fears.

# # #

The following morning dawned bright and clear, promising to be a warm day later on, but Duo didn't notice any of it, his thoughts were entirely taken up with his daughter and what lay ahead.

Aside from the ultra sound results, Sally had done several blood tests to ascertain the levels and types of hormones currently in the baby's blood stream; all had shown a larger proportion of female to male hormones. Once they had determined that the baby was more dominant in the female area, Sally had proposed they remove the underdeveloped penis and undescended testicle, allowing the child to grow and mature as a female. Having seen the results, compared them with other babies of the same age, both Heero and Duo had agreed.

Generally, the medical profession would wait until a child was older and they could see what gender the child favored, but in this case, given the development of the female organs compared to the underdeveloped state of the male ones and the extensive tests Sally had done, the doctor was convinced the child was female.

Sally also decided it would be best to wait until the child was around twelve weeks old before performing the surgery, giving the babe more time to develop and settle. As it was, the child had been born three weeks early and although there hadn't been any complications and the baby was healthy and normal in every respect other than its sex, Sally wanted to wait. Surgery on a baby was always risky and even more so when they were a newborn. The child would have a much better result if allowed those few weeks to 'mature'.

Now the time had come and Duo was feeling apprehensive.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Sally – he did. He knew the doctor would perform the surgery to the best of her ability and he knew the baby would be fine in her care. He just couldn't help the feeling of being, well, helpless.

He turned away from the window he'd been gazing out of when he heard Heero's soft footfalls behind him. Violet eyes searched his husband's face, looking for and finding the reassurance he sought there.

"Quatre and Trowa are here to look after Keitaro," Heero announced softly. "It's time to go."

"Hold me?"

"Of course." Heero wrapped his arms around Duo's slightly shaking frame and rubbed soothing circles on his back. He pressed kisses to the warm neck and whispered comforting words into Duo's ear. Heero was feeling a little lost himself, so used to being able to protect his family from any threats they might come across, but this time, this time it was all out of his hands. He was just as apprehensive as his partner.

Taking a deep breath, Duo pressed a kiss to his lover's lips. "Thank you." Squaring his shoulders, he set his jaw and walked from the room with far more confidence than he felt.

Trowa and Quatre wished them all the best and followed the pair and baby out to the car. Duo settled the baby into the safety 'seat' and buckled the child in. Nadira gave a soft grunt, blinked her eyes for a moment and then snuggled back into her blanket. Turning back to where Trowa, Quatre and Keitaro were standing, Duo moved towards the three and scooped Keitaro up into his arms.

"You be a good boy for your uncles, Keitaro. Daddy and Otousan will be home soon. We need to be with your sister at the hospital for a while." Duo gave the boy a kiss and cuddled him close. Keitaro responded by wrapping his small arms around Duo's neck. He sensed there was something going on, but at his young age he couldn't understand what that something was.

Heero stepped up and took his son from Duo to give the child a kiss and cuddle too. "Behave yourself, Keitaro. Otousan and Daddy love you very much and we will be home as soon as we can."

"Wuv, 'tousan, dadda," the child responded.

"He'll be fine, Heero," Quatre reassured. "You two concentrate on looking after your daughter, Keitaro will be okay here with Trowa and myself."

"Thanks, Quat, Tro," Duo said.

"Anytime, Duo," Trowa replied for both of them as Quatre was currently occupied with pulling faces at Keitaro and keeping the child distracted. "Call us when you can and let us know how it all goes."

"We will." Heero took his lover's hand. "Come on, we need to get going."

Trowa, Quatre and Keitaro remained standing on the mansion steps, waving as the car disappeared down the driveway and out of sight.

#

Duo sat next to the small bed his daughter lay on, his fingers gently caressing the infant's cheek. Heero stood to the side, his eyes never leaving his daughter's form. Sally was busy scrubbing up, Nurse Brown taking care of the preparation of the infant for surgery. There wasn't a lot to do and the nurse was sure to leave the important part until after the parents would be out of the way. It was hard enough for them as it was.

The child wore a small cap and surgical gown, her diaper resting underneath her hips and ready to be removed once she was inside the operating theater. Several electrodes had been attached to her small body and would be hooked up to the appropriate machines once she was inside. Noting the doctor ready to begin, Margaret turned her attention back to the two men. "I have to take her through now," she informed them both.

Doing his best to keep his emotions under control, Duo kissed the babe's head. "I'll be right here waiting for you," he told the child.

Stepping up beside his husband, Heero also pressed a kiss to his daughter's cheek. "We love you, Nadira. Stay safe."

"One of us will come and get you both once the operation is over," Margaret told them. "Try not to worry, she's in safe hands." Adding a soft smile to her words, Nurse Brown grasped the end of the small bed and began to push it away and into the operating theater.

Heero's arm wrapped itself around Duo's waist, the braided man's arm reciprocating as they watched their daughter being wheeled away. Once the doors had closed, the full weight of what was happening came crashing down on their shoulders. Duo slumped against Heero and he buried his head in the crook of Heero's shoulder. "We are doing the right thing here, aren't we?" he asked again, still unsure.

"Hai, Duo. We are," Heero replied and turning them both, he led his lover out and into the small waiting room just down the hall from the pre-op room. All they could do now was hold each other, pray to a god neither of them was sure existed and comfort each other.

#

Sally smiled as the nurse brought the child into the theater. "Everything okay?" she asked as she began to hook up the monitors to the electrodes on the child's body.

"All is as well as can be expected," Margaret replied. "They are settled in the waiting room."

"Let's get started then." Sally brought the anesthetic mask to the child's face and placed it over the tiny mouth and nose. "Time to sleep little one," she crooned. The baby blinked at her and scrunched its face up as the unusual smell of the plastic mask invaded its nostrils. Within seconds the gas had begun to infiltrate and the eyes began to close. "That's it, sleep sweetheart." Securing the mask, both Sally and the nurse carefully checked that the child was completely under the anesthetic. "Scalpel..."

#

The door to the waiting room opened, both men looking up to see who was entering. It was too soon for Sally, the operation would have only begun in the last few minutes. A dark haired figure entered and softly closed the door behind him.

"Wufei," Duo breathed, recognizing his superior officer.

Chang nodded and took a seat. "I thought I would come and offer support," he said simply.

"Thank you, that means a lot to us both," Heero returned.

Wufei grunted and offered a smile. "Everything will be fine. Sally is an excellent doctor and your child will be perfectly safe."

"I know," Duo whispered. "But it's still so hard. To watch your child go into surgery, to know there is nothing you can do yourself, to have to trust someone else to look after them, it's not easy." Duo's voice began to hitch.

Chang placed a reassuring hand on Duo's shoulder. "I do not have children myself so I cannot presume to know exactly what you are going through, but I am here for you both."

A tear formed in the corner of Duo's eye, Wufei's words striking a chord deep inside him. Those words meant a hell of a lot to Duo.

The three sat back, the silence consuming the room but none of them minded.

#

Inside the operating theater, all was going according to plan. Sally was quick to remove the underdeveloped penis, the organ not having much in the way of a blood supply or any of the other workings that it should have had. The baby's ureter wasn't connected to it at all, in fact, the entire penis was simply like an extra piece of tissue that had grown by itself and aside from the few blood vessels, there wasn't any of the other 'wiring' it should have had if it had been a normally formed penis. That confirmed what Sally had seen on the ultra sound scans she'd done and gave her further confidence in her decision that removing the extras and leaving the female parts had been the right way to proceed.

With the penis now removed and a couple of stitches inserted, it was time to move onto the main part of the operation. Carefully Sally incised the abdomen, using her ultra sound pictures for reference, she located the testicle sitting just to the side of the left ovary. Using a pair of thin nosed forceps she was able to grasp the small organ and hold it so she could check it over. Like the penis, the testicle was deformed in the sense that it wasn't connected to anything at all. No vas-deferens and no blood supply either. From what Sally could tell, it had started to form and then at some stage of the baby's development, probably when the child's body had decided it wanted to pursue the female side of things, the testicle had stopped developing and the blood supply had ceased, in a sense killing the small gland.

It only took a moment for Sally to remove it from the child's abdomen. A quick check of the baby's other organs showed them to all be connected where they should be and therefore there was no reason why the child shouldn't grow up and develop into a normal, healthy girl.

"Good job we removed it," Sally muttered as she dropped the testicle into the kidney dish Margaret had waiting. "If we had left it inside with it being defunct, the child's body would have started to attack it as a foreign body and who knows what could have happened."

"I agree," Margaret stated softly and put the kidney dish to one side so Sally could take a look at the removed organs later. The doctor would need to examine them in order to fill out her report. The nurse picked up the suture needle and with the scissors in her other hand, passed the item over to Sally, ready with another for when the doctor would need it.

It didn't take Sally long to finish stitching. Straitening up, Sally looked at the neat row of five tiny stitches that closed the incision of around two centimeters in length. Once the wound healed one would be hard pressed to know there had even been a cut made. Placing a dressing over the wound site, Sally checked the area where she'd removed the penis from and covered that with a dressing. A further dressing was added to protect the sites whilst they healed before Sally was satisfied. She gave the infant a shot of long acting antibiotic and another of pain relief. "There, all done. Now we can bring her around."

Nurse Brown settled a diaper onto the child and then placed the infant in a smock that would keep her warm but not interfere with the dressings at all. Finally she wrapped a blanket around the child.

"Okay, sweetheart, time to return to the conscious world," Sally murmured and removed the plastic mask that had been supplying the anesthetic to the child during the operation, replacing it with an oxygen mask. It took a few minutes for the anesthetic to clear the child's lungs and as the oxygen began to flow into the child's system so the eyes began to flutter open.

"Hey there, honey," Sally crooned. "How are you feeling?" Knowing the child wouldn't be able to respond, Sally watched the small face carefully for any signs of discomfort. Beside her Nurse Brown continued to watch the monitors.

"All vitals are normal," she told the doctor.

"Good. If you wouldn't mind watching her for a few more minutes, I'll go let the parents know that it was all a success and they can come and see her. If her vitals remain stable over the next fifteen minutes, could you move her to the post op room and I'll bring the guys through to there?"

"Of course, doctor."

"Thanks." Sally gave the nurse a smile from under her mask and left the room, tossing her mask and gloves into the trash on her way out.

#

It had only been an hour, but it felt like an eternity to Heero and Duo when the door to the waiting room opened and Sally walked in with a smile on her lips. The smile widened when she spotted Wufei sitting with the two men and her heart was warmed that her boyfriend had been considerate enough to come and support his friends during this stressful time.

The instant he recognized the doctor's form, Duo was on his feet and firing questions at her. "How is she? Did it all go okay? Nothing's wrong with her? When can I see her?"

Sally gave a soft laugh. "Settle down, Duo."

"Sorry." Duo sat again, giving the doctor a sheepish look and holding his husband's hand tighter. Heero was also on tenterhooks, wanting to know the outcome but not getting the chance to voice his own concerns as his braided partner had done that for both of them already.

Sally took a seat opposite the men and folded her hands in her lap. Turning her blue/gray eyes to them both, she took a breath and began. "The operation went well and the male organs have been removed. After performing the operation I am even more convinced we did the right thing." Sally explained about the condition of the penis and the testicle she'd removed, keeping the explanation simple and in terms they could understand. "All the female organs are in their correct place and attached exactly where they should be and have everything they should have in order to function as a normal female. It was all a success and I expect the child to make a full recovery. She's out of the anesthetic and I've given her a long lasting antibiotic plus pain relief. Nurse Brown is keeping an eye on her and she should be moved to the post op room any minute. Her vitals are all stable and I expect them to remain that way."

"Thank god," Duo sighed and slumped in his seat.

"You can see her any time you wish."

At that, Duo went to stand and pull his partner with him to see their daughter, but Heero's hand held firm and pulled Duo back to his seat. Turning his head in confusion, Duo looked at Heero about to ask why his partner wasn't jumping out of his skin to see their child. One look at Heero's face and Duo understood. He pulled Heero close to him, enveloping the other man in his arms as Heero's form began to shake.

Seeing the distress Heero was in, both Sally and Wufei were on their feet and moving to help when Duo's look stopped them in their tracks. He shook his head and mouthed, 'Just give us a few minutes'. Nodding, Wufei took Sally's arm and escorted the doctor outside, leaving the pair alone.

"It's okay, Heero. It's all over and Nadira will be fine. In a couple of days we will be able to take our daughter home with us permanently," Duo soothed and rubbed his partner's back.

Heero continued to shake in Duo's arms, the stress, the unknown all finally catching up with him and hitting him like a brick wall. He couldn't help it, everything came crashing down around him and he finally gave in to the emotions that had been running rife through his body since Nadira had been born. He sobbed his relief into Duo's shoulder, the tears flowing non stop as he understood the nightmare had ended; his baby girl was safe and would live a normal life.

After a couple of minutes, the sobbing slowed to sniffling and then finally hiccups as Heero brought himself back under control. "Sorry about that," he apologized to his lover and hunted through his pockets for a handkerchief. A wad of tissues appeared under his nose and he took them gratefully.

"No need to apologize, Heero. It's been hard for both of us, all the not knowing, the questions, the reasons, but it's over now and we did the right thing. You heard Sally say about the male organs being defunct and it was just as well we went ahead with this otherwise Nadira may have had problems further down the track. It's over and now we can think about taking our baby girl home and getting our lives back to normal, just you, me, Keitaro and Nadira. Our family."

_Our family. _The thought echoed through Heero's head and he liked the sound of it.

Heero blew his nose. "Hai, you're right. Thanks."

"Heero, when I married you I swore to love and honor you, protect and support you. We're in this together, forever and always. You hurt, I hurt, you bleed, I bleed, you suffer, I suffer. I'm here for you no matter what, I love you, always have and always will. You never need to thank me for being here," Duo whispered tenderly.

"God I love you." Heero took his lover's lips in a searing kiss, one borne of love and devotion, of happiness and desperation, determined to show Duo just how much he meant to Heero. When the kiss broke, Heero stood up and pulled his partner to his side, holding him close. "Let's go see our daughter."

~End Flashback~

All that had happened a little under eight months ago.

Nadira was now eleven months old, growing and developing completely normally. Sally had kept the infant in the hospital for two days after the operation, Duo had spent the nights with her and Heero the days. When they had brought her home Nurse Brown insisted on taking a shift with the child so both Heero and Duo could not only get some much needed rest themselves, but also have some time to spend with Keitaro.

The little boy was overjoyed with his new baby sister and was fiercely protective of her. He was walking quite well by the time Nadira came home from the hospital and her operation and loved to help out with the baby. He would fetch diapers when he saw his daddy preparing the change the baby and loved nothing more than to curl up next to Heero or Duo when they were feeding the little girl.

With the addition of their daughter to their family the guys had found themselves stepping back and taking a long, hard look at their lives and their priorities now. Keitaro was now one and a half years old and growing rapidly, the little boy showing a natural curiosity for the world around him. Now he was walking he could discover more and more of his surroundings and was proving to be quite the daredevil. Neither Heero nor Duo could take their eyes off him for a second, as soon as they did he was off and into something he shouldn't be. He seemed to have inherited Duo's stealth ability, able to sneak off or disappear in the blink of an eye. He also inherited Duo's curiosity. If he wasn't inside the kitchen cupboards pulling everything out he could be found trying to dismantle toys to see how they worked.

Duo nearly had a heart attack when he found Keitaro about to try to dismantle Heero's laptop one day.

Now Heero had a good idea of what Duo must have been like as a toddler.

With the rate at which their children were growing, the ever increasing demands on both parents and the need to keep a close eye on their son as he grew ever more inquisitive, it was decided that their careers within Preventer needed some serious rethought. Une didn't want to lose either of her best agents and was more than willing to come to a compromise.

They decided that Duo would remain at home, looking after the children for the most part but he would also continue to work for Preventer as a consultant and research agent. Having all the latest computer technology at home at his fingertips, he was more than capable of researching and planning out mission specs. Heero continued to work as a field agent, although now he had responsibilities, he didn't attend any of the really dangerous field assignments, acting in a consultant and planning capacity and as back up when needed on those.

Nurse Brown had moved out and gone back to her home once she thought the guys were settled into a routine and could look after both children confidently. She still worked for them as a nanny, but not as a live in one, coming to the mansion for several hours each day to watch over the children and give Duo some peace to work. It suited her perfectly and worked well for the little family as well.

"Everything okay?" Duo asked from where he was sitting on the bed brushing his hair as Heero entered their bedroom after checking on the children and locking up for the night.

"Hai. All locked up, alarms are set and both kids are fast asleep," Heero replied as he took over the brush and finished brushing Duo's hair. Dividing the mass into three sections he quickly braided it and set the brush down in favor of pressing kisses to the nape of Duo's neck.

"Mmm... nice," Duo murmured as his eyes slipped closed and he tilted his head forward to give Heero better access.

Wrapping his arms around his husband and lover, Heero pulled Duo to the mattress and began to feather kisses over every bit of exposed skin he could find. Beneath him Duo wriggled, squirmed and sighed as he felt his arousal beginning to heighten.

Fingers caressed along sensitive inner thighs, pulling moans from the American's throat. Nipples were sucked, nibbled and tormented until Duo couldn't stand it any longer. "Need you," he breathed, voice husky with his desire.

"I want you inside me, Duo," Heero whispered, his breath drifting across Duo's stomach where his mouth was currently kissing.

"Oh, god," whimpered Duo as Heero removed his boxers and took his heated length into his mouth.

Tormenting his lover with his mouth, Heero managed to locate the lube and set it to one side. Not ceasing in his ministrations, he wriggled out of his underwear, flipped the cap to the lube and squeezed a large amount out. Still distracting Duo with his gentle sucking, Heero reached behind himself and began to prep his body. By the time he had three fingers working his channel, Duo was a mess of need, want and desire beneath him.

Releasing the hard shaft from his mouth, Heero locked gazes with the lust filled violet of his soul mate and reached for the lube again. He coated Duo thoroughly from tip to root, all the time keeping their gazes locked. With Duo flat on his back, Heero raised himself up and straddled his lover's hips, holding Duo's cock firmly at the base and positioning his entrance over the leaking tip. He licked his lips as he began to lower himself, the head pushing firmly against his stretched entrance.

"I love you, Duo," he whispered softly as Duo's cock breached his hole.

"Love you too, Heero," groaned Duo as his cock was slowly but steadily swallowed by Heero's body.

Panting softly, Heero allowed himself a moment to adjust. He could feel Duo alive inside him, felt the pulse of his cock, the heat of his desire and the strength of his passion. It was overwhelming.

Having adjusted to the invasion, Heero began to raise and lower himself, Duo sliding deeper within his body with each movement. As the lube did its job the pace began to pick up a touch. Duo's hands rested upon Heero's hips and aided the Japanese man in his rise and fall, Duo's own hips unable to stay still and thrusting upwards with each downward fall of Heero's body.

The passion built, their coupling becoming faster and more erratic as the pinnacle arose just out of reach. Unable to hold Duo's gaze any longer, cobalt eyes closed as the face contorted in pure pleasure. Duo's cock thrust deep inside Heero's welcoming passage, the depth enabling Duo to find and stroke over Heero's prostate. The young man cried out softly in bliss, liquid pleasure tearing through his body and leaving him craving more.

Sweat formed and began to run from bodies, muscles protested the continued movement and yet neither man cared; each was fixated solely on reaching their ultimate goal. Knowing his end was fast approaching, Duo removed a hand from Heero's hip and curled it around the neglected erection of his lover. He fisted the organ, jerking and massaging in time with their thrusts. A soft moan escaped, several pants and harsh breathing permeated the air. The mattress bowed to the abuse as both men teetered on the edge of oblivion.

With a keening cry, Heero tumbled over that edge, his passion spurting forth and coating Duo's hand and belly. His orgasm tore through him, channel spasming as wave after wave of unadulterated pleasure crashed down on him.

Duo was seconds behind, his own end no less violent or pleasurable. His climax threatened to drown him in its intensity, his vision blurring as the proof of his love exploded from his cock and into Heero's sheath. Bathed in the warmth of passion, Duo relaxed and let the overwhelming tide of euphoria flow over and through him.

Heero remained poised over his lover, head bent, arms supporting his weight as his harsh breathing began to slow and settle. Once he had control over his limbs, he moved to the side, Duo's softening cock slipping from his channel. Immediately he was lying down, Duo's body molded itself to his, strong arms wrapping around his cooling form and holding him tight.

A soft, tender kiss was exchanged, fingers gently stroking over cheekbones. "I love you, Heero," Duo murmured softly.

"Love you too, little mother."

"Heero?"

"Hai?"

"Do you have any regrets?"

Heero was quick to answer. "No, none. Do you?"

"No." Duo looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking again. "It's been a hard road, sometimes I didn't think we would make it, but we have and we have a wonderful future to look forward to."

"That we do." Heero snuggled deeper into Duo's embrace.

"Strange as it sounds, if I had to do it all again, I would, no hesitation."

"And I would be there with you for every step of the way. Now and in the future. Thank you, Duo."

"For what?" asked Duo softly.

"For everything. For giving me a chance in the first place, for allowing me a second chance when I thought I'd blown it all. For believing in me, for loving me, for giving me back my emotions, my humanity... And for giving me the greatest gift of all; a family." Tears shimmered in Heero's eyes as he expressed what he felt from the heart.

"Thank you, Heero for being there for me when I needed you, for loving me, for giving me a reason for living, and for giving me two wonderful children." Duo stole a loving kiss before settling down and relaxing into sleep.

Heero lay awake for a moment longer, his thoughts focused on his two wonderful children and the man that had given him not just those children, but a reason for living.

The future lay ahead of them to make of it what they would and together they would go forward and fill those blank pages with happy things, love and life.

As he drifted off, a smile curled Heero's lips.

Finally he was content.

Downstairs in the lounge room of the mansion, Barney sat on his perch enjoying the peacefulness of the night. He turned slightly and scratched his head with a claw.

"Fucking perfect," he chirped.

~ Owari ~

Authors Notes: That, my dear readers, is the end of Family Ties. I'd like to thank Yami_tai for betaing at the start of this 'epic' and for Sakura for taking over that task when Tai was no longer able to continue. Both of them have been a godsend to me in correcting my grammar, catching the spelling issues and for just being there for me to bounce ideas off and let me vent my frustrations. Thanks girls! To Ryouga and Karina a heartfelt thanks for being sounding boards and offering ideas when Fred (the muse) was being difficult. To the Cadbury company for making not only crunchies (yum!) but also their Top Deck chocolate which for some reason Fred adores and tended to write up a storm when indulging in this treat.

During the writing of this sequel I welcomed a grandson and another granddaughter into my life and I lost my dear father unexpectedly. I dedicate this fic to my daughter and my dad who both have shown me just how important Family Ties are.

To all of you out there, my faithful readers, I thank you for reading, for all your kind and supportive feedback whether it be in reviews, emails or messages. Whilst writing is an escape of sorts for me, to know people are reading and enjoying what I write is a wonderful feeling and makes it all that little bit more satisfying.

It's taken almost four years to complete this epic saga and at times I had my doubts as to finishing it, but it has come to its end and it was fitting that Barney should have the last word.

Thank you to everyone from the bottom of my heart.

*hugs and Gundam Pilots to you all*

Shen ^_^


End file.
